Location. The town of Malolos is situated by one of the estuaries of the same name, whose waters often flood the surrounding areas reaching as far as Paombong. The Paombong bounds it on the north; Sta. Isabel and Barasoain on the south; Bulacan on the west.

The Christianization of Malolos. After the Spanish missionaries evangelized Pampanga, the Augustinians went to Bulacan, starting with Calumpit. Fray Diego Ordoñez de Vivar and his companions landed in Kanalate in 1580 where they built a small chapel. Fray Diego Ordoñez us recorded as having established the first Christian communities. Later they moved further in land and build a bigger chapel in Kaingin. The Augustinians Chapter of June 11, 1580 accepted Malolos as a house of the Order. The parish was established. The construction of the stone church was started when the barrios of Atlag and Pinagbakahan were being born; and bridges connected the barrios of Atlag, Mambog, Santiago and Liyang to each other.

The Construction of the Church. The first convent and church, probably built of light materials, were finished in 1591, as the Catalogo attests. Fr. Roque Barrionuevo reconstructed and enlarged the buildings in 1691. In 1707, the principal of the town petitioned Governor General Doming Zabalburu de Echevarri to free the inhabitants of Malolos from rendering personal service and to allow them instead to work in the reconstruction of the church. Fr. Fernando Sanchez reconstructed the buildings with strong materials in 1734; Fr. Juan de Meseguer completed the construction in 1740; and Fr. Manuel Baceta applied the finishing touches in 1744.

The construction and the convent, therefore are two regularly constructed edifices. But a fire destroyed these edifices in 1813. Fr. Melchor Fernandez started reconstruction work in 1819. He constructed the bridge connecting Malolos with Barasoain. He also restored the convent and added some arches to the front and one more story to the belfry to accommodate the installation of the clock. It was consecrated by Francisco Alban, bishop of Nueva Segovia (Vigan) on October 18, 1826. At that time, it was the only church consecrated in the archipelago. The buildings were severely damaged during the earthquake of 1863; the walls cracked and the church and convent collapsed from the middle downwards. Fr. Ezequiel Merino restored them between the years 1859 to 1872. The convent was damaged again during the earthquake of 1880 and Fr. J.M. Tombo restored it in 1883. Fr. Felipe Garcia completed its restoration.

The Convento becomes the Presidential Palace. It was on the noon of September 10, 1898 when General Emilio Aguinaldo and his men arrived at the town of Malolos. From then on until March 29, 1899, when they were forced to evacuate to Gapan, Nueva Ecija, General Aguinaldo used the convent as the Palacio Presidential (presidential palace) of the first Philippine Republic. O