Quiapo Church

Quiapo Church
Minor Basilica and National Shrine of Jesus Nazareno
Saint John the Baptist Parish
  • Basílika Menor at Pambansang Dambana ni Hesus Nazareno  (Filipino)
Main façade of the church
14°35′56″N 120°59′02″E / 14.598782°N 120.983783°E / 14.598782; 120.983783
LocationQuiapo, Manila
CountryPhilippines
DenominationCatholic Church
Previous denominationLatin Church
WebsiteQuiapo Church
History
Former name(s)
  • Church of the Camisa[1]
  • Minor Basilica and National Shrine of the Black Nazarene (2024)[2]
Status
Founded1588 (1588)
Founder(s)Antonio de Nombela
DedicationJohn the Baptist
ConsecratedSeptember 28, 1987 (1987-09-28)
Cult(s) presentBlack Nazarene
EventsTraslación
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Architect(s)Juan Nakpil
José María Zaragoza
Architectural typeBasilica
StyleBaroque architecture
Years built
  • c. 1588 (dst. 1603)
  • c. 1686 (dst. 1863)
  • 1864–1899 (dst. 1929)
  • 1933–1935; 1984–1986
Groundbreaking1933 (1933) (main façade)
1984 (1984) (expansion)
Completed1935 (1935) (main façade)
1986 (1986) (expansion)
Specifications
Capacity1,000 (seating)[3]
Length78.8 m (259 ft)[4]
Width33.0 m (108.3 ft)[4]
Nave width11.5 m (38 ft)[4]
Width across transepts33.0 m (108.3 ft)[4]
Other dimensionsFaçade facing southwest
Floor area2,410.5 m2 (25,946 sq ft)[5]
Number of domes1
Number of towers2
MaterialsReinforced concrete
Administration
ParishSt. John the Baptist
ArchdioceseManila
MetropolisManila
ProvinceManila

The Minor Basilica and National Shrine of Jesus Nazareno, commonly known as Quiapo Church, and canonically as Saint John the Baptist Parish, is a prominent Catholic basilica and national shrine in the district of Quiapo in the city of Manila, Philippines.[6]

The church is home to the Black Nazarene, a dark wooden statue of Jesus Christ said to be miraculous. The basilica is under the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Manila under the Vicariate of José de Trozo.

See also: Black Nazarene

History

Early churches

The earliest church, built by missionaries of the Order of Friars Minor, was made of bamboo for the frame and nipa leaves as thatching.[7][8]

In 1574, the invading Chinese pirate Limahong and his soldiers destroyed and burned the church. Formerly a visita (then later, a chapel-of-ease of the Santa Ana parish), the Franciscan friar Antonio de Nombella founded the church in 1588 through the petition of Saint Pedro Bautista, then the superior of the Franciscans in the Philippines. The church was dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus, with St. John the Baptist as its patron saint.[9]

It burned down in 1603 and the parish was temporarily turned over to the Jesuits until the secular clergy objected. Thereafter, the Spanish Governor-General of the Philippines Santiago de Vera initiated the full construction of the church in 1686.[8] On April 8, 1639, the administration of the church was returned to the seculars.[7]

During the Seven Years' War, British forces pillaged the church in 1762 as they invaded Manila. In 1791, the church caught fire, but the image of the Black Nazarene was spared, said miraculously. An earthquake in 1863 destroyed the church and in its place a temporary church was built. The ruined church was reconstructed between 1864 and 1879, completing the structure in 1899. In 1929, the church caught fire again, in which the church's wooden ceiling and sacristy were destroyed.

Present church

In 1933, reconstruction of the church began from plans prepared by the architect Juan Nakpil.[10] The reconstructed church, made of reinforced concrete, was completed in 1935. During World War II, parts of Quiapo were destroyed save for the church, attributed as miraculous.[11]

From 1984 to 1986, the architect José María Zaragoza was commissioned to redesign the church to accommodate more worshippers. Cardinal Jaime Sin, then-Archbishop of Manila, reconsecrated the church on September 28, 1987. On December 11 of the same year, Pope John Paul II issued a papal bull Qui Loco Petri, elevating the church’s rank to that of a Minor Basilica.[12]

The sanctuary of the basilica, with the high altar in the middle and the side altars of the Blessed Sacrament (left) and Saint John the Baptist (right)

References

  1. Camisa Church, Binondo, Manila, Philippines, late 19th century or early 20th century | Flickr
  2. Quiapo Church officially declared as nat'l shrine | Manila Bulletin
  3. Quiapo Church now allowed to accept 100 mass attendees | Manila Bulletin
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Measured using Google Earth.
  5. Lico, Gerald (2016). "Building Faith: Architecture and Sacred Spaces of Quiapo Church". Journal of Southeast Asian Architecture. National University of Singapore: 13, 31–50.
  6. Brief History of Quiapo Church and image of the Nuestro Padre Jesus Nazareno | Quiapo Church
  7. 7.0 7.1 de la Torre, Visitacion (1981). Landmarks of Manila: 1571-1930. Makati: Filipinas Foundation, Inc. pp. 69–71.
  8. 8.0 8.1 Alarcon, Norma (1991). Philippine Architecture During the Pre-Spanish and Spanish Periods. Manila: Santo Tomas University Press. ISBN 971-506-040-4.
  9. Sescon Jr, Rufino. "Jesus Nazareno: A Pastoral-Homiletic Primer" (PDF). Minor Basilica and National Shrine of Jesus Nazareno. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  10. DID YOU KNOW: Reconstruction of Quiapo Church in 1930s | Philippine Daily Inquirer
  11. The Evolution of Quiapo Church | Renacimiento Manila, archived from the original on 2023-02-13, retrieved 2025-03-29{{citation}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  12. "Qui Loco Petri" (PDF) (in Latin). December 11, 1987. Retrieved March 30, 2023.