Santa Cruz Church (Manila)

The Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar, also known as the Archdiocesan Shrine of the Blessed Sacrament or simply Santa Cruz Parish, is a Roman Catholic minor basilica in the district of Santa Cruz, Manila, Philippines. It is under the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Manila. The church 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 the congregation’s 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 said by the Archbishop of Manila at 3:15 p.m., followed by a procession of the Blessed Sacrament to the Manila Cathedral. 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 the Pillar in 1643, and ministered to predominantly Chinese residents in the area. On June 3, 1863, an earthquake destroyed the church. Agustín de Mendoza began reconstruction on the church in 1868. In 1938, revolutionary, labour leader, 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 in the Battle of Manila during World War II. The present building, completed in 1957, is in the Spanish baroque and Mission Revival styles. Art Deco and Romanesque design influences the interior decoration of the church. On August 15, 1957, the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament began administering the church. In 1984, then-Archbishop of Manila Cardinal Jaime Sin restored the official name of the church to Santa Cruz Parish. He kept Our Lady of the Pillar as its titular patroness, and named as secondary patron St. Peter Julian Eymard, founder of the Sacramentinos. Pope Francis granted the canonical coronation of the enshrined 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 church as a shrine. On June 3, 2018, it was officially raised to the rank of archdiocesan shrine by then-Archbishop of Manila, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle. On March 25, 2025, Pope Francis conferred the title of Minor Basilica to the church. On October 10, 2025, Cardinal Jose Advincula led the solemn re-enthronement of the image of Our Lady of the Pillar at the high altar after more than a century. Previously, the image was placed at a side altar for decades. 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. List of shrine rectors Rudsend P. Paragas (2018–2025) Marc Bryan Adona (2025–present) Notable priests Ezequiél Moreno, parish priest when the Augustinian Recollects administered the parish. Julian Moreno, brother of Ezequiel Moreno See also List of Jesuit sites List of Catholic basilicas References Citations Bibliography External links Media related to Santa Cruz Church (Manila) at Wikimedia Commons Santa Cruz Church on Facebook