Santa Cruz Church (Manila)

The Archdiocesan Shrine of the Blessed Sacrament, also known as the Our Lady of the Pillar Church or simply the Santa Cruz Parish, is a Mission Revival Roman Catholic parish church in the district of Santa Cruz, Manila, Philippines. It was built when the arrabal (suburb) of Santa Cruz was established by the Jesuits in the early 17th century. The church had undergone many repairs and reconstruction, with the last reconstruction done in the 1950s.

It is the first mission and motherhouse of Filipino Sacramentinos, making it as the center of congregation activities and events. Every year, the shrine hosts the archdiocesan celebrations of the Feast of Corpus Christi in the Archdiocese of Manila. A Mass is presided by the Archbishop of Manila at 3:15 p.m., followed by a long procession of the Blessed Sacrament to the Manila Cathedral right after.

History


The Jesuits built the first Catholic church in the area where the present Santa Cruz Parish stands on June 20, 1619. The original church design was made of stone and wood. The Jesuits enshrined the image of Our Lady of Pilar in 1643 to serve the predominantly Chinese residents in the area. The first church was made of stone and wood was built in the 17th century. On June 3, 1863, an earthquake destroyed the church. Agustin de Mendoza began reconstruction work on the church in 1868. In 1938, the revolutionary and writer Isabelo de los Reyes was buried within the church.

The original structure of the church was twice damaged by earthquakes and then completely destroyed during the Battle of Manila. The present building of the church, reconstructed in 1957, was designed to reflect the Spanish baroque style that Resembles, Architectural style of Spanish missions in California. Art Deco and Romanesque influences the interior of the Church.

On August 15, 1957, the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament began administering the church.

Pope Francis granted the canonical coronation of the venerated image of Our Lady of the Pillar on December 7, 2017.

On January 5, 2000, the parish's pastoral council petitioned its former parish priest, Francisco Mendoza, to seek official recognition of the parish church as a shrine. On June 3, 2018, it was officially raised to an archdiocesan shrine by the decree of the then-Archbishop of Manila, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle.

Architecture
The church façade is characteristically Mission Revival with Ionic piers vertically dividing the first two levels in three parts. Three semicircular arch doorways form as main entrance to the church. A Celtic-like window flanked by small semicircular windows is found at the center of the second level. Forming as the pediment, the topmost level has its raking cornice in undulating liens emanating from the broken pediment found above the statued niche. The domed belfry rises on the right in six levels.

The church façade is topped with a statue of Our Lady of the Pillar, the patroness of the church, whose feast is held every 3rd Sunday of October.

Notable priests

 * Ezequiél Moreno, parish priest when the Augustinian Recollects administered the parish.
 * Julian Moreno, brother of Ezequiel Moreno