Santo Domingo Church
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Santo Domingo Church, formally known as the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary (
Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
: ''Santuario Nacional de Nuestra Señora del Santísimo Rosario'';
Filipino Filipino may refer to: * Something from or related to the Philippines ** Filipino language, standardized variety of 'Tagalog', the national language and one of the official languages of the Philippines. ** Filipinos, people who are citizens of th ...
: ''Pambansang Dambana ng Mahal na Birhen ng Santo Rosaryo''), is the largest church in
Metro Manila Metropolitan Manila (often shortened as Metro Manila; fil, Kalakhang Maynila), officially the National Capital Region (NCR; fil, link=no, Pambansang Punong Rehiyon), is the capital region, seat of government and one of three List of metrop ...
and one of the biggest churches in
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. It is dedicated to
Mary, mother of Jesus Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jews, Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Jose ...
under her title
Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Our Lady of the Rosary, also known as Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, is a Titles of Mary, Marian title. The Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, formerly known as Feast of Our Lady of Victory and Feast of the Holy Rosary is celebrated on 7 October in ...
. This is the sixth church complex that has served as the
motherhouse A motherhouse is the principal house or community for a religious institute. It would normally be where the residence and offices of the religious superior In a hierarchy or tree structure of any kind, a superior is an individual or position at ...
or headquarters of the
Dominican Order The Order of Preachers ( la, Ordo Praedicatorum) abbreviated OP, also known as the Dominicans, is a Catholic mendicant order of Pontifical Right for men founded in Toulouse, France, by the Spanish priest, saint and mystic Dominic of Cal ...
of the Philippines. The Dominicans were one of the "pioneering missionaries" of the Philippines. The motherhouse was transferred to the Quezon City location after the
Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
location was destroyed during
World War II in the Philippines The Commonwealth of the Philippines was attacked by the Empire of Japan on 8 December 1941, nine hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor (the Philippines is on the Asian side of the international date line). Although it was governed by a semi-ind ...
.


Previous church buildings

Prior to its current location, the Dominican Order in the Philippines were headquartered in the city of Manila. They had five church buildings, each destroyed by fire, earthquakes, and lastly, bombardment from Imperial Japanese forces during World War II.


Early church (1587)

The first Catholic missionaries to arrive in
Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
were Spanish
Augustinians Augustinians are members of Christian religious orders that follow the Rule of Saint Augustine, written in about 400 AD by Augustine of Hippo. There are two distinct types of Augustinians in Catholic religious orders dating back to the 12th–13 ...
who came in 1571 with
Miguel López de Legazpi Miguel López de Legazpi (12 June 1502 – 20 August 1572), also known as '' El Adelantado'' and ''El Viejo'' (The Elder), was a Spaniard who, from the age of 26, lived and built a career in Mexico (then the Viceroyalty of New Spain) and, i ...
. The
Franciscans , image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg , image_size = 200px , caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans , abbreviation = OFM , predecessor = , ...
came a few years later, in 1578. It was in 1587 that the first Dominicans arrived in Manila from
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in Spain. They were welcomed by Domingo Salazar OP, the first Bishop of Manila. The order temporarily stayed at the Franciscan convent in Manila while some of them were sent north to
Pangasinan Pangasinan, officially the Province of Pangasinan ( pag, Luyag/Probinsia na Pangasinan, ; ilo, Probinsia ti Pangasinan; tl, Lalawigan ng Pangasinan), is a coastal province in the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region of Luzon. Its capit ...
and west to
Bataan Bataan (), officially the Province of Bataan ( fil, Lalawigan ng Bataan ), is a province in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Its capital is the city of Balanga while Mariveles is the largest town in the province. Occupying the entir ...
to begin missionary work. Salazar sponsored 3,000 pesos for the construction of the church and 300 pesos for the purchase of land.Cultural Center of the Philippines (1994). CCP Encyclopedia of Philippine Art: Volume III. Manila: Cultural Center of the Philippines. On January 1, 1588, the church (made of light materials) was inaugurated and it enshrined an image of Our Lady of the Rosary from Mexico.Bañas, R. C. (1937). Brief historical sketches of Philippine Catholic churches. Manila, Philippines: Commonwealth Press.


Second church (1592)

In 1589, the church was partially destroyed by an earthquake. As the roof had collapsed, the Dominicans decided to build a larger church made of stronger material. Through the direction of Father Alonzo Jiménez, the second church was made from stone. Contributions were given by María Pérez, Captain Domingo Mendiola, and a certain Captain Castillo. The church was inaugurated on April 9, 1592.


Third church (early 17th century)

A fire on April 30, 1603 destroyed a third of a city, including the church and its convent. Almost immediately after the blaze, a bigger and costlier third church was built. It contained a stone vault as precaution against fire and earthquake; and donations were used to fund construction. Though made of stone, it was destroyed by another earthquake on November 30, 1645, leaving only the high altar standing.


Fourth church (1862)

A fourth church of stone and hardwood was built. It had wooden arches and wooden posts supporting the roof, thus dividing it into three naves. The artistic interior designs were executed under the direction of Father Francisco Gainza. The church took two years to build, and its structural soundness made it last for 250 years. Initiated by Father Castro, a new façade was planned. Flanked by two towers, it was patterned after London’s
St Paul's Cathedral St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in London and is the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London. It is on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London and is a Grad ...
, designed by
Christopher Wren Sir Christopher Wren PRS FRS (; – ) was one of the most highly acclaimed English architects in history, as well as an anatomist, astronomer, geometer, and mathematician-physicist. He was accorded responsibility for rebuilding 52 churches ...
. Work on the façade alone lasted almost a year. The church was inaugurated on June 15, 1862 with great festivity. On June 3, 1863, the Philippines experienced one of the strongest earthquakes in its history, the church ruined by quake of the same intensity as that which hit Manila in 1645.


Fifth church (1868)

A few months after the 1863 earthquake, Félix Róxas presented a plan for the church’s reconstruction, partly following the plan of the previous church and utilizing some of its salvageable parts. On August 30, 1864, the cornerstone of the present church was laid. In it was placed a lead box, containing art objects, gold coins, medals of saints and other things belonging to the “Orden de Predicadores”. Construction occurred from 1864 to 1887 in the gotico fingido (neo-Gothic) style, using Philippine building materials. The immense columns resembling spreading tree branches, were of acle, molave and ipil. The vault was of zinc or galvanized iron. The stained glass windows were ordered from Europe. The four retablos were made under the direction of Father Joaquín Sabater, a professor of drawing at the University of Santo Tomás. Alberoni directed the painting of the main altar. The church measured at the central aisles, and high at the lateral aisles. Its towers rose to . Although Fr. Sixto and Fr. Ristoro would supervise construction of the church, the Dominicans contracted the services of the European-trained architect Félix Roxas. Sr. Roxas, adapting the seismic realities, designed a church with story of stone an upper story of wood. He worked closely with Isabelo Tampinco who decorated the interior with carving imitating the fan vault reminiscent of the
English Gothic English Gothic is an architectural style that flourished from the late 12th until the mid-17th century. The style was most prominently used in the construction of cathedrals and churches. Gothic architecture's defining features are pointed ar ...
; the walls and ceiling of the sacristy were similarly treated. Even the furniture in the sacristy was treated in the Gothic manner. The chapel of the Nuestra Señora de Rosario had an altar with lancet arches and Gothic-inspired ornamented pinnacles. Its floor was made of native molave and narra and the pulpit was of fine carving, with the images representing the different saints of the Order. A dove was attached to the sounding board of the pulpit, above which, there was an angel. The choir-loft was spacious and was protected by wrought from railing manufactured in the Philippines. Over the central doorway, on the roof was enclosed in a glass case original Virgin of the Rosary, which had been there for many centuries. The central altar had three saints. In the center was Saint Dominic, at the left was Saint Francis and at the right was Saint Theresa of Jesus. Above Saint Dominic was the statue of Saint Mary Magdalene. The cupola above had many colored glass windows. Inside, was a balcony surrounded by iron railing. Our Lady of the Rosary had a separate chapel at the right of the high altar. This image was donated by the Governor-General Luis Perez Dasmarinas and carved by a Chinese, under competent direction. Many persons claim to have secured much help from this marvelous image especially from women, who placed the skirt of the image over their abdomen during their difficult delivery. It was recorded that this image saved the island during the Dutch invasions of 1646 and that on October 5, 1907, it was canonically crowned. Its ivory hands and face, costly garments and crown were very artistic. Saint Dominic was at the left of the image, kneeling and receiving a rosary, while at the right was Saint Catalina de Siena. In the same chapel, there were two more lofty altars. The one at the right, was dedicated to Saint Vincent Ferrer, and the other on the left, to the Holy Family. In this chapel, the interesting historical canvas, painted in Rome in 1909, represented the priest, Saint Dominic, baptizing a Chinese while the two other natives stand watching him. Near this chapel was the sacristy in which were the chests of camagon with their fine carvings. These chests contained the costly vestments of the priests. A big crucifix was at one end of the hall near a stairway leading to the monastery. Below this image there was a half-length portrait of the Virgin Dolores. On the walls of sacristy, there were canvases of interest and value from a religious standpoint. There were four more altars in the main church. The two on the left were dedicated to the Immaculate Conception and in Saint Thomas respectively: the two on the right, to Our Savior and to Saint Joseph. Below the Crucifix was the “Santo Sepulcro” which could be seen thru the glass cover. From the lofty ceiling of the church, there were costly and heavy chandeliers, and on the lateral walls, there were images carved in wood, showing the different stages of the life of Christ. The church incurred damage over time and was repaired. In 1887, the vault and the rose windows of batikuling were restored. The main altar was almost totally renovated, and the columns repaired. The roof of the bell towers was renovated to assume a crown-like form. In 1941, the Gothic church of Santo Domingo in Intramuros was destroyed at the advent of the Second World War. On December 27, 1941 the church and the Dominican monastery beside it were hit by Japanese bombs. This was the first church to be ruined during the Pacific War. The friars, archives, the image of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary of La Naval and other movable property like ivory statues, gala vestments of the Virgin; jewelry, and sacred vessels were the only survivors of the war. The image was transferred to Santísimo Rosario Church at the University of Santo Tomás (UST) in España, Manila.Jose, R. T., & Ayala Museum (1991). Simbahan: Church art in colonial Philippines, 1565-1898. Metro Manila, Philippines: Ayala Museum. The ruins was subsequently demolished, and the church transferred. The site is now a financial hub with occupants including
Bank of the Philippine Islands Bank of the Philippine Islands ( fil, Bangko ng Kapuluang Pilipinas, es, Banco de las Islas Filipinas, commonly known as BPI; ) is a universal bank in the Philippines. It is the first bank in both the Philippines and Southeast Asia. It is t ...
, with a historical marker reminding visitors of what used to stand on the site.


Current building (1954)

After the Second World War, the Dominicans constructed the sixth church in a new location. They built it on a portion of land they had purchased in Quezon City. The Dominicans commissioned José Ma. Zaragoza to design the building while he was still a student of
architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing building ...
at
UST UST or Ust may refer to: Organizations * UST (company), American digital technology company * Equatorial Guinea Workers' Union * Union of Trade Unions of Chad (Union des Syndicats du Tchad) * United States Television Manufacturing Corp. * UST Gr ...
.


Architecture

The new Santo Domingo church was built in the
Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...
combined with Spanish Modern style, which was unlike the Baroque churches built during Spanish period. The church employed the latest technique in reinforced-concrete building.Diocese of Cubao. (n.D.)
/ref> The Mission-style architecture includes Romanesque and Gothic designs that accommodate more space. Measuring with a height of , there is a total floor area of . It is the biggest church in Metro Manila and one of the biggest churches in Asia. The Santo Domingo church complex was inaugurated on October 12, 1954. They icon of Our Lady of La Naval was brought to the new church in 1957 in a spectacular procession. The church façade has receding planes with leaves designed in corbel arches. Over the triple portals of the church is a high-relief frieze depicting the story of La Naval de Manila. The giant bas-relief of Santo Domingo was designed by the Italian sculptor and expatriate Francesco Monti. In the nave of the church there are eight colorful murals by National Artist Carlos Francisco depicting the life and times of
Santo Domingo de Guzmán , total_type = Total , population_density_km2 = auto , timezone = AST (UTC −4) , area_code_type = Area codes , area_code = 809, 829, 849 , postal_code_type = Postal codes , postal_code = 10100–10699 (Distrito Nacional) , websi ...
, the Spaniard who founded the Order of Preachers. Francisco’s murals are just below the equally brilliant murals of the Four Evangelists in vivid brown tones by Vicente García Llamas. Curved windows of the church frame masterful stained-glass designs by
Galo Ocampo Galo B. Ocampo (October 16, 1913 – September 12, 1985) was a Philippine artist. He was also the first Filipino to study heraldry and was a member of the International Institute of Genealogy and Heraldry in Madrid. Ocampo was born in Santa Ri ...
whose bases show different ecclesiastical seals. The windows depict the original 15 Mysteries of the Holy Rosary as well as the Battles of Lepanto and La Naval de Manila; and the martyrdoms of San Vicente Liem de la Paz and San Francisco Capillas, Dominican protomartyrs of Vietnam and China, respectively. Right behind Sto. Domingo Church’s facade is an intricately carved panels and stained glass windows lie a treasure trove of the Philippines’ rich cultural heritage and the object of centuries-old devotion, the image of Our Lady of the Rosary, La Naval de Manila, the oldest Philippine-made ivory Marian icon in the country.


The First Altar Boys

During the first few days of the new church, 3 boys playing on the grounds of the church were seen and recruited them by then Prior of the convent/church, Fr. Pedro Tejeron, O.P. They were 13-Year old Augustus C.A. Feria, his brother 11-year old Victory A. Feria and their nephew, 11-year old Vicente F. Sison. On another note, Edilberto P.Feria and his brother, Reynaldo P. Feria joined the first Tiple of the Sto. Domingo Church.


Treasures

Aside from being an architectural jewel, the Santo Domingo Church houses artistic treasures. The second to sixth Santo Domingos were bound by a common symbol, the image of the Nuestra Señora del Santísmo Rosario, La Naval de Manila. The image of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary is kept on the left side altar all year round, except during the October fiesta when a special canopy and platforms are built for it behind the main altar. The image of Our Lady of the Rosary has been the object of Filipino devotion that dates back to the 16th century, and the icon’s shrine in Quezon City is host to an annual feast that culminates in a procession that draws tens of thousands of devotees. Opposite in the left, a side altar dedicated to Saint Martín de Porres. Devotees of Our Lady of the Rosary would offer her jewelry. In the church’s jewellery collection, the La Naval image has a brooch described as “studded with small diamonds, seed pearls and colored gems.” It is believed to have been offered to the Virgin by a certain Josefa Roxas Manio, a native of
Calumpit, Bulacan Calumpit, officially the Municipality of Calumpit ( tgl, Bayan ng Calumpit), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Bulacan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 118,471 people. Etymology The name "''Calu ...
, in the 19th century, after having received it as a courtship gift from Norodom I of Cambodia. Somewhere in the vast church complex is a secret vault holding centuries-old ivory icons and wooden images of saints made by Filipino craftsmen; exquisite, gem-studded, age-old crowns; golden Marian robes; and fine jewelry for the Virgin presented by fervent devotees. The secrecy about the vault makes sense: In October 1762, thieves broke into the Sto. Domingo Church in Intramuros and took some of its rare treasures, prompting security of the church's treasures since then. Other treasures that are deemed fit for public viewing can be found in the church's museum, to the left of the church. Another notable gift is the National Artist medallion, which ardent devotee Nick Joaquin instructed his heirs to donate to the Virgin before he died in 2004. The medallion has been affixed to the statue’s foot since then. Stored in the vault, according to the book, are prewar ivory heads and hands for statues of several saints, including St. Dominic, St. Vincent Ferrer, St. Catherine de Ricci, St. Agnes of Montepulciano and St. Antoninus of Florence.


Pipe organ

In the giant choir loft is almost a century-old pipe organ made by Fray Gregorio Hontomin, OP made in Rosaryhill in Hong Kong. The Dominicans transferred the pipe organ from Hong Kong to the Sto. Domingo Church in 1954 after the Chapel of St. Albert the Great’s Priory, the center of religious formation and studies of the Dominican Province of the Holy Rosary, closed. The inauguration of the pipe organ was June 9, 1959. It was restored to its grandeur by Diego Cera Organbuilders Inc., custodians of the world-famous Las Piñas bamboo organ. The restoration involved repositioning of the pipe organs from the edges to slightly forward, reconstruction and modernization of the organ console from scratch, and most likely a reworked wind pump system.


Museo de Santo Domingo

The Santo Domingo Museum (''also Museo de Santo Domingo'') houses other valuable objects—such as centuries-old crucifixes made of gold and silver, rosaries and a tabernacle, all of which had been used in the old Santo. Domingo Church in Intramuros.


Columbary and Mortuary

The church has two mortuary facilities located at the right side of the church where wakes can be held for the deceased. One is located below the belfry of the church, and the other, at the right side beside the altar and the entrance to their columbary. In addition, the former idle area and storage area of the church, at the rear part of the church adjacent to the altar has been developed to be a columbary, and an interment area. Called the Santuario de Santo Domingo, the facility offers columbary vaults for urns, with sections named after Dominican Saints. The central part of the Santuario is exclusively dedicated to the Order of Preachers, housing urns, bones and interred remains of Dominican clergymen.


Declaration as a National Cultural Treasure

The Dominicans endorsed the designation of the Santo Domingo Church and the Shrine of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary as a National Culture Treasure to the National Museum in 2011. It has been listed as a National Cultural Treasure following the signing of Museum Declaration no. 4 on October 4, 2012 during the enthronement rites of the image of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, La Naval de Manila and unveiling of the official marker on December 8, 2012. The declaration is the highest distinction the government can confer on a cultural property. The declaration follows Republic Act No. 4846, otherwise known as the Cultural Properties Preservation and Protection Act. It is the first national cultural treasure listed in Quezon City.


Gallery

File:Santo Domingo Church Quezon City 31.JPG, Courtyard and cloister File:Santo Domingo Church Quezon City 19.JPG, Upward view of the shrine's crossing File:Santo Domingo Church Quezon City 15.JPG, Hallway leading to the convent File:Santo Domingo Church Quezon City 16.JPG, Church library File:Santo Domingo Church Quezon City 20.JPG, Main altar, with a mosaic of Saint Dominic File:Santo Domingo Church Quezon City 03.JPG,
Bas-relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term ''relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that the ...
on the façade depicting the story of La Naval File:Santo Domingo Church Quezon City 07.JPG, Commemorative marker, naming the principal builders of the shrine File:Santo Domingo Church Quezon City 21.JPG, Right side altar, dedicated to Saint Martín de Porres File:Santo Domingo Church Quezon City 06.JPG, Bas-relief of Saint Dominic on the base of the belfry


References


External links


Diocese of Cubao
{{Authority control Roman Catholic churches in Quezon City Roman Catholic national shrines in the Philippines National Cultural Treasures of the Philippines Roman Catholic churches completed in 1954 1954 establishments in the Philippines Works of National Artists of the Philippines 20th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in the Philippines