Pandacan Church

The Santo Niño de Pandacan Parish (Parokya ng Santo Niño de Pandacan; Ecclesia Parœcialis de S. Pueri in loci v.d. 'Pandacan), also known as Pandacan Church (Simbahan ng Pandacan; Iglesia Parroquial de Pandacan), is a Roman Catholic parish church in the district of Pandacan in Manila, Philippines. The church was established as an independent parish church in 1712 from the parish of Sampaloc. Completed in 1760, it housed the original image of the Santo Niño de Pandacan until it was destroyed by a fire in 2020. The church is currently undergoing reconstruction.

The church celebrates its liturgical feast on the third Sunday of January. It is under the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Manila under the Vicariate of San Fernando de Dilao.

History


The image of the Holy Child of Jesus, also popularly known as Santo Niño, was enshrined at the church and its feast is traditionally celebrated on the third Sunday of January. In the early 1600s, This image was found by little children playing and was recovered from a well near the church. As Pandacan was at the time, under the parish of Sampaloc, the image was enshrined at the Sampaloc Church. It suddenly disappeared in Sampaloc, only to be found at the exact same site the image was originally found. When it was brought back to Sampaloc, it disappeared again and was found again in Pandacan.

Believing that the miraculous image wanted a home in Pandacan, a visita (chapel-of-ease) was built, constructed at the very same site the image was built. A spring of water was unearthed and a well, called "The Well of the Holy Child", was made. Many miracles and healing of the sick were attributed to the water from the well, and devotion to the Santo Niño de Pandacan grew and became popular. The well has long been sealed due to pollutants but a shrine stands on what was once the well.

Pandacan Church became an independent parish from Sampaloc in 1712.

The first stone church in Pandacan was built in 1732 by Francisco del Rosario. The church would take 30 years to complete. The original church, completed in 1760, was twice destroyed by earthquakes. A modern church stood on the ruins including a parish school that stands on what was the Catholic cemetery of the district.

The original church, completed in 1760, was destroyed twice by earthquakes. A modern church stood on the ruins including a parish school that stands on what was the Catholic cemetery of the district.

2020 fire and 2021 reconstruction
On July 10, 2020, a fire, caused by an electrical fault, destroyed the church. The fire caused damage to the altar and interior. Since the fire, Masses have been held outside of the church, at a patio nearby.

The fire destroyed the 400-year-old Santo Niño de Pandacan image and other religious icons, but the "tres potencia" or the Holy Crown of the image, as well as its burned "andador", scepter, and the image's vestment, was recovered. However, when the ciborium was opened, the host was found to be intact. The ciborium and the hosts were stored in Paco Church for safekeeping.

In January 2021, the church received a new Santo Niño image made of the yakal wooden beam that survived the 2020 fire. The new wooden image was made of Philippine endemic wood, unlike the original image which was said to be made of Mexican wood.

On July 10, 2021, exactly a year after the fire, the Archbishop of Manila, Cardinal Jose Advincula, led the groundbreaking ceremony of the reconstruction of the Pandacan Church.