The parish church, dedicated to Saint Bartholomew the Apostle, is under the Archdiocese of San Fernando.

The town was initially located in Macapsa; and may have been relocated a few more times due to frequent flooding of the Chico River and subsequent revolts.

Two years later, a Royal Decree was issued, creating the new town of Concepcion, composed of barrios of Magalang located on the northern bank of Parua River.

However, the new town is still spiritually dependent on Magalang, until the Archdiocese of Manila issued a decree, establishing the latter's parish in 1866.

Fernando Vasquez, OSA continued the finishing touches and installed two large bells in 1889 and 1890 respectively; and its tones is regarded as one of the best in Pampanga.

During the Philippine Revolution, the church convent was occupied by the revolutionaries, and it was converted into a prison for Spanish captives.

On November 5, 1899, the Americans captured the convent from the revolutionaries, and they reconstituted as their military headquarters in Magalang until 1901.

Raul C. de los Santos renovated the altar and repaired the convent.

[1][2] One of the church's parish priests during the Spanish era was Juan Severino Mallari, who killed at least 57 of his parishioners during his tenure from 1816 to 1826 and as part of a perceived cure to his mother's hexing.