Quiapo Church

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. 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. 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. 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. On April 8, 1639, the administration of the church was returned to the seculars. 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. 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. 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. References