Busy commuters find solace at centuries-old Sta. Cruz Church in Manila

Posted at 7:04 pm February 07, 2012

Tags: Churches and Places of Worship, Historical Places

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By Anna Valmero

MANILA CITY, METRO MANILA—Amid the busy and sometimes chaotic streets of Quiapo, commuters and workers find spiritual refuge after a day’s work at the historic Sta. Cruz Church.

The predominantly white church is one of the oldest in the city, dating back to 1619, according to the Archdiocese of Manila. The church’s patron saint today is the Nuestra Señora del Pillar, a replica image of which was brought over to Sta. Cruz in Manila from Zaragoza, Spain before 1768.

Today, the 250-year-old image could be found on the right side of the altar as the center wall of the altar is painted and decorated based on occasions. The feast day of the saint is held every October 12. The image was paraded in a procession during its 250^th anniversary in 2006.

Interestingly, the Lady of the Pillar denotes the first apparition of the Virgin Mary to St. James the Greater in 40A.D., when the latter prayed at River Ebro after his evangelical mission at Zaragoza. It was said that Mary vowed to help St. James in his mission and the pillar will remain to give hope to people who call on her for help through intercession. To this day, the Spanish Basilica of Our Lady of Pillar enshrines the pillar.

For most, a pillar marks a place of importance so that future generations may know of the event that took place. The significance of the pillar or sacred polein Mary’s apparition is said to symbolize the feminine face of God and the Tree of Life, Ella Rozett wrote on her website.

Although smaller than the more popular Quiapo Church, or the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene, the Sta. Cruz Parish boasts of an extensive gallery of images of male and female saints on the left chapel near the entrance.

At the right side of the chapel is a spacious room containing a small replica of the Nazarene and a cross sculpture that depicts the Stations of the Cross. It also enshrines the centuries-old tombs of Fil-Chinese families in Binondo, with the oldest dating as far back as 1800s.

Do visit the church at around 4p.m. to 5p.m. just before the sun is setting down. During my visit here, I witnessed the soft sun rays penetrate the stained glass windows to light the altar and the image of the Lady of Pillar. It was a majestic sight to behold.

Amid the church’s austere interiors, I found a young family teaching a five-year-old to bow down and kneel before praying to show humility to God. Even old ladies, carrying their old estampitas, take time to devote an afternoon prayer at the church, not minding the heat from the setting sun.

At the two chapels, devotees offer sampaguita laces and touch the images with their handkerchiefs in hopes that it would bring them protection. Still, some sit at the pews to simply rest from walking around the city.

The churchgoers seem not to mind all the sounds from the buses, jeepneys and trains or the bustling shopping district. All of them seem intent on their prayers that sitting among them was tantamount to finding quiet and peace among strangers.

The Sta. Cruz Parish is a gem one could find in Old Manila. It offers a typical scene in Filipino churches, one would say. The parish, situated in the middle of the busy LRT station and the noisy Quiapo shopping district, is not only an architectural gem that depicts the architectural style prevalent a century ago.

Going there is taking a refuge and allows you to simply slow down to let the pieces fall in place and get back up again.

(How to get here: Ride the LRT 1 train bound for Carriedo Station and walk to the Sta. Cruz Church.)