Santuario del Santo Cristo

Santuario del Santo Cristo
Santuario del Santo Cristo Parish
San Juan del Monte Church
14.598333°N 121.030556°E / 14.598333; 121.030556
Location	183 F. Blumentritt St., San Juan, Metro Manila
Country	Philippines
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Website	http://santuariosantocristo.com/
History
Founded	1602
Founder(s)	Dominican Friars
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Historic Structure
Designated	1937
Architectural type	Spanish Colonial Era 17th Century Earthquake Baroque
Administration
Archdiocese	Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila
Parish	Santuario Del Sto. Cristo Parish
Clergy
Priest in charge	Fr. Jesus Prol O.P.

Facade of Santuario Del Sto. Cristo Parish

The Santuario del Santo Cristo, situated in San Juan, Metro Manila, Philippines, also known as the Church of San Juan del Monte, was a church and convent that was built in 1602-1604 by the Dominican Friars of the most holy rosary on a land that was donated to them by Capitan Julian De Cuenca. During the Chinese uprising 1639, both structures were destroyed and burned during the Chinese uprising in 1639 and was rebuilt in 1641. It was again set on fire in July 1763 during the brief 18-month British occupation of Manila. The current church and convent were constructed in 1774 and has been renovated many times during the mid-1900. It is noted for its historical importance when it was used as a shelter by the Katipuneros during the 1898 Philippine Revolution. This sanctuary is the seat of the Cofraternity of Santisimo Cristo De San Juan Del Monte approved by Pope Innocent X on March 4, 1648.

History

Dominicans Come to San Juan

The Dominicans arrived in the Philippines in 1587 and had founded the Santo Domingo Convent in what we now call Intramuros. In 1602, 15 years after they arrived in the country, the Dominican Fathers came to San Juan which was not yet San Juan del Monte, but the mountains of San Juan. A few clusters of nipa huts scattered on the property of a certain Captain Julian de Cuenca, who had been granted an encomienda along the San Juan River banks, where cattle was bred and raised. The Spaniards had just arrived in the Philippines and founded Manila as the capital of the colony and seat of the government (Governor General, the Audencia and the Bishop) only 35 years before.

Because some of the Dominican Fathers who had been working in the country for several years already were rather old when they arrived in the Philippines, the heavy work and hot climate were taking its toll on them. Their vow of poverty questioned their beliefs on whether it would be proper for them to have an R and R house (repose or rest and recovery) for the Dominicans working in Manila and in the provinces who might be in need of special care. Eventually it was decided that it would be in order, as long as three conditions were met:

1. the land would have to be donated
2. it should be in a healthy place, with cooler climate than in Manila and
3. not far from the capital and readily accessible

It so happened, as stated earlier, that a certain Spaniard, Captain Julian de Cuenca, lived in Manila and heard about the plan of the Dominican Fathers. He had been in Mexico before coming to Manila, where he had been befriended by the Fathers there. He thought, as well as his wife, that that was the time to show his gratitude and that of his family. He offered to donate the Dominicans a plot of wooded land (nearly three hectares) in his hacienda along the San Juan River for the purpose they were contemplating.

The three conditions required were met. It was donated, it was in a place higher than Manila and, therefore, of better climate, and not too far away from the city ("one legua" or five kilometers to the east); besides, it could be reached easily by "banca" or river boat: up the Pasig River, then entering into the San Juan river, and finally landing on the "embarcadero" constructed by Captain Cuenca in the junction of the San Juan river and the Maytunas creek. So the offer was accepted with gratitude and the work began. In a few months the house and the small church or chapel of San Juan Bautista on the hills were built, exactly in the same place where they are now. At first it was a filial house of Santo Domingo convent, from where it was administered, even if there were a Father and a Brother in residence to attend to those who came for R and R (rest and recovery.

A few years later, in 1616, the house became independent from Santo Domingo convent. A religious house on its own right, it came to be known as the House of San Juan Bautista del Monte. Three Fathers were assigned there in 1617: Fathers Huete, Oriol and Samaniego.

Arrival of the image of Santo Cristo

In 1641, Fr. Sebastian de Oquendo, OP, Prior of Santo Domingo in Intramuros, decided to send to San Juan the image of the Sto. Cristo that was venerated in Binondo Church. The venerable image was brought to the reconstructed church in San Juan and placed in the main altar, displacing St. John the Baptist who had previously occupied the place of honor, since the size of the image would not fit.

Santuario del Sto. Cristo - Santo Cristo Image

It was "nine palmos in height" or 1.80 meters. From then on the devotion to the Santo Cristo spread fast to the neighboring towns. It became a famous shrine when the venerable image began to perform miracles on behalf of the devotees that would come to pray before it. From then on, the place was called the Santuario del Santo Cristo.The news spread to Manila and all the surrounding area, particularly the Franciscan parish and town of Sta. Ana, to which the area of Mandaluyong and San Juan used to belong.

The Confraternity of the Santo Cristo was established and approved by the Pope in 1648, roughly 45 years after the arrival of the Dominican Fathers in San Juan. Prominent citizens of Manila and other towns became members of the confraternity and made yearly pilgrimages to the Shrine of the Santo Cristo. Others settled in the vicinity of the Shrine and so, little by little, the town of San Juan came into being.

The Convent and The Santuario

The first convent and the church of San Juan must have been simple and unpretentious, in keeping with the rustic surroundings, and yet very apt and comfortable for the purpose they were meant to serve: "a house and a church where the sick (Dominicans) may go for convalescence and the religious who wish to go there (from Manila) could enjoy some quiet."

In 1639, the Chinese insurrection took place in Manila which caused the tragic end of the very first convent and church. When the rebels were defeated by the Spanish-Filipino troops, they retreated to the Marikina mountains, passing on their way there by San Juan. For some time they occupied the convent and the church and, when they decided to proceed towards the mountains, they put to the torch the convent, the church and the few houses in the vicinity. The buildings went up in a column of smoke which could be seen from far off for several days.

In 1641, the prior of Santo Domingo in Intramuros, the famous Fr. Sebastian Oquendo, decided to rebuild the convent and church of San Juan using solid materials (adobe) that could be found in the area. The church became a "Santuario" with the transfer of the venerable image of Santo Cristo. The Santuario became even better known when a spring of good drinking water was discovered within the property, and an aqueduct was built to bring the water from the Santuario to the San Juan river, and from there fetched in big tinajas and brought by bancas (outrigger canoes) to Manila.

The convent and the "Santuario" building were improved with the passing of time. Fr. Peguero, who was vicar of San Juan, tells us that the Santuario was "the biggest in the Islands and the refuge and consolation of all." According to him, "it was built on a mountain of solid rock and, thanks to that, it had not been damaged by earthquakes. It has been repaired well recently. It is all — the convent and the church — of stone quarry, and both are strong, firm, beautiful and devout. All in all they are the most perfect structures (of their kind) that exist in the Philippines." He goes on to describe the "Santuario" more in detail: "It is all painted al oleo en jaspe (imitation marble) from the floor to the ceiling and adorned with many Latin and Spanish verses and texts from the Holy Scriptures. There are three altars with artistic and proportionate retablos. It has five rich ternos — some better than others — and six ordinary ones. It has not much silver, but what it has is enough for the service of the altar."

Unfortunately all this glory and splendor would be destroyed in 1763. The British had occupied Manila. The city was raped and all its churches vandalized. The convent and the "Santuario of the Santo Cristo" and many houses in the vicinity did not fare any better. They were ransacked then set to the torch by the soldiers. After this great tragedy, reconstruction had to be started all over again. It is unknown whether the venerable image of the Santo Cristo was the same old one or a replica of the one that was enthroned in the Santuario.

Founding of the Parish

The negotiations to have the Santuario raised to the status of a parish between the Archbishop of Manila and the Dominican Order began in 1941. At a meeting in the Archbishop's Palace held on November 4, 1941, at which the parish priest of Pinaglabanan and Mandaluyong from where the territory of the intended new parish would be dismembered, were also preset, the creation of the Santuario del Sto. Cristo Parish and the limits of the same were agreed upon. But before the resolution could be put into effect, the war broke out. It would be the following year, with the country already occupied by the Japanese, that, at long last, some 70 years after the local people had asked for it, and 50 years from the establishment of the Parish at Pinaglabanan, that a parish was canonically erected at the Santuario del Sto. Cristo on May 3, 1942. Father Peregrine de la Fuente OP, formerly Parish Priest for 18 years in the Dominican ministries in Louisiana USA and later on first Apostolic Prelate and Bishop of Batanes and Babuyanes, was appointed first parish priest.

The official inauguration of the Parish and the installation of the Parish Priest was carried out by the Archbishop of Manila, Miguel J. O'Doherty, in a ceremony coinciding with the Feast of the Santuario and now titular advocate of the new Parish, the Holy Cross. In the decree for erection, signed on March 28, 1942, the limits of the new Parish are set: to the north, R. Pascual Street and its continuation eastwards to the Ermitaño River; to the west, San Juan River; to the southwest, Shaw Boulevard; and to the east, Ermitaño River. The Archbishop said that he erected the new parish due to "the insistence of the people of San Juan, for several years already that the Santuario be made a Parish, the great increase in population and the request of the Parish Priest of Pinaglabanan Church himself, Father Artemio Casas".

The New Santuario

• 1963 FEBRUARY 16 The cornerstone of the new Santuario was blessed by Rufino Cardinal Santos. The stone, together with other documents, was kept in a concrete box and remained exposed to the public for 8 years. On 8 September 1971, it was finally buried right at the middle of the main altar.
• 1967 NOVEMBER 13-14 Arte Español, Inc. delivered 10 chandeliers which were immediately installed.
• 1968 JANUARY 9 The Molave wooden crosses of the Way of the Cross were blessed and installed. They were made from the beams of the old church. Father Jose Martinez, a Franciscan from the convent of Santa Ana, Manila blessed and installed them.
• 1968 SEPTEMBER The 16 stained glass windows of the church arrived. Featured are fourteen stations of the Way of the Cross, one Our Lady of the Rosary and another one the Dominican Saints Thomas Aquinas, Albert the Great and Vincent Ferrer. Mounted later were the other smaller ones of the presbytery from left to right The Evangelists St Matthew and St Luke, an allegory of the Sermon on the Mount, St Paul Preaching to the Gentiles, Evangelists St Mark and St John. They were designed by Cenon Rivera, the former Dean of Fine Arts at the University of Santo Tomas and made by Kraut Art and Co.
• 1973 MAY 8 Construction of the ceiling of the church was started. By December 12 of the same year it was finished. The architect was Adolfo Benavides. At about the same time the Narra ceiling of the Chapel of the Resurrection was mounted.
• 1974 APRIL 6 (a day before palm Sunday) The painting of the church dome which was started on 6 February 1974 was completed. The initial plan was to crown the dome of the church with a mosaic of the Resurrection. High cost and other considerations blocked the idea. Finally a painting with the same theme was commissioned to then young UST artist Ireneo Robles.
• 1978 NOVEMBER The work on the façade was finished. Among the many proposals for the façade of the church, Architect Lorenzo del Castillo's concept was accepted. The old façade was kept and a twin tower was built at the right side. Both towers are united by two arches and an enshrined cross on top that give balance to the façade. The work began on 10 October 1977. The stones of the old convent were used in the new part of the façade.
• 1979 Two bells arrived from Spain. They were cast in Quintana's Factory, Saldaña, Palencia. One bell weighs 267 kilos and the other 207 kilos. Following old tradition, one is named after the Santo Cristo and the other after Our Lady of the Rosary.
• 1990 NOVEMBER a group of eight Dominican saints cast in concrete was placed in the niches at the entrance of the church.

Historic Structure

The church was recognized as a Historic Structure by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) with a cast-iron plaque that was issued and placed in 1937.

Image Gallery

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  Part of Facade of Santuario Del Sto. Cristo Parish, San Juan
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  Entrance to Santuario Del Sto. Cristo Parish, San Juan
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  Entrance to Santuario Del Sto. Cristo Parish
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  Right Side Entrance of Santuario Del Sto. Cristo Parish, San Juan
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  Convent and Right Side of Santuario Del Sto. Cristo Parish, San Juan
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  Nave, Santuario Del Sto. Cristo Parish in San Juan City
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  Ceiling Detail of Santuario Del Sto. Cristo Parish, San Juan
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  Altar, Santuario Del Sto. Cristo Parish, San Juan City
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  Santuario del Sto Cristo - Altar
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  Santuario del Sto Cristo - Santo Cristo Image

External links

• Official website