It’s a strange story of miracles and mysteries, and I need the town’s old-timers to help me separate fact from fiction:
“Although San Fernando is the capital, Angeles is the richest town in the province, the center of gayety, prosperity and civilization.
“Two hundred years ago, Angeles was but a distant barrio of San Fernando, a solitary spot inhabited only by the poor casamac or tenants of the landowners who lived in San Fernando. These landowners visited their haciendas only during the planting and harvesting seasons.
“The spot where the church now stands was once a wilderness haunted by nono and patianac.
“One of the landlords was one called Don Angelo, head of the well-known Henson-Miranda family in San Fernando. Unlike the other landlords, he was exceptionally good to his tenants. He never missed the Sunday Mass, and he always gave donations. He was known far and wide as Apung Angel.
“It was his concern for his poor tenants who lived far from the church in San Fernando that prompted Don Angelo to erect a chapel and a convento on his own plantation.
“Thus Don Angelo became well known and beloved by all the people. He was welcome in every house and his visits were considered a blessing. In his morning walks, it was a pleasure for everyone to receive his friendly greeting. His charity was so inexhaustible that the mere sound of his name brought remedy to any distressed person.
“Only a few years after the inauguration of the chapel, Don Angelo was found dead on his bed. You can imagine the shock and sorrow of his family and all the people who loved him. The anguish of a thousand hearts could not restore him back to life.
“As he had wished, he was buried near the chapel, needless to say with much pomp and loud weeping. After his burial, lamentation continued across the town.
“Seven or eight years later, the town’s parish priest was relaxing in his residence beside the chapel when he saw rays of light emanating from Don Angelo’s tomb.
Curiously, he approached the tomb and found, to his great astonishment, that the air was full of sweet fragrance.
“The priest was so enchanted by the scent and the beauty of the light from Don Angelo’s tomb that he remained standing there for a long time, until everything went back to normal.
“The next day, the priest, accompanied by three Masons and with the entire population gathered around, had the tomb opened.
“Expecting to see his bones, they instead beheld the incorrupt body of Don Angelo, exactly the same as when it was buried seven or eight years before, and filled with fragrance.
“The people led by the priest prayed as they carried the corpse to the chapel. At the suggestion of the priest, the body was to be taken to San Fernando the following day, but behold, another miracle! The next day the corpse of Don Angelo could not be moved from the chapel. So they let the body stay in the chapel, close to the people of Angeles whom he had loved so much.
“Soon news of the miracle spread to other towns and provinces. It is said that the tomb of Don Angelo cured sick people and brought the dead back to life.
“With such a treasure it is no wonder that the little barrio grew so rapidly in popularity and population.
“Many of those who made a pilgrimage to this barrio stayed here for life. In just a few years the barrio became a town and the chapel was replaced by a big church to accommodate all the pilgrims who continued to come in droves. Don Angelo’s body was eventually laid to rest in that chuch.
“Today, we have the progressive and beautiful town of Angeles, named doubtless in honor of Apung Angel.” End of story.
Frankly, I don’t know what to make of this narrative. Its version of the early history of Angeles is mostly accurate, and it got the facts right about the death and burial of Don Angel Pantaleon de Miranda (he did die shortly after Culiat became Angeles in 1829 and his remains had indeed been interred inside the Angeles church, beside the retablo).
But we have no corroborating evidence on the mysterious light, the incorrupt body, the miracles and the pilgrimages. Angeles became the progressive city that it is today mainly because of its proximity to Clark Air Base, not because of the influx of pilgrims.
Unless, that is, someone will come forward and validate this lost and forgotten story.
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