Sts. Peter and Paul Parish Church, Makati
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The San Pedro Macati Church, also known as Saints Peter and Paul Parish, is a
Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
located in
Makati Poblacion Poblacion is an administrative division of southern Metro Manila, the Philippines. It is the old ''poblacion'' of Makati and the second most important commercial center in Makati behind the Makati Central Business District. It is also the city's c ...
, the oldest part of Makati and for that reason, the cultural and heritage
barangay A barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as barrio (abbreviated as Bo.), is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district, or ward. In metropolitan ...
of
Makati Makati ( ), officially the City of Makati ( fil, Lungsod ng Makati), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. Makati is the financial center of the Philippines; it has the highest concentration ...
,
Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
. In front of the church facade is Plaza Cristo Rey, which was formerly the San Pedro de Macati Cemetery. The Poblacion Church is a government-recognized cultural property based on the official list provided by the
National Historical Commission of the Philippines The National Historical Commission of the Philippines ( fil, Pambansang Komisyong Pangkasaysayan ng Pilipinas, abbreviated NHCP) is a government agency of the Philippines. Its mission is "the promotion of Philippine history and cultural herita ...
. After 394 years, the Church was re-dedicated, the first dedication happened in 1620 when it became a parish church, the next after the reconstruction of the facade in 1796 and finally again, on the 30th day of January, 2015. The dedication was led by Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, D.D., Archbishop of Manila, con-celebrated by Gerardo O. Santos, Ed.D, the then-Parish Priest, bishops, and priests.


History

Before the land seizure of the Spanish, the area of today's San Pedro de Macati was part of the Kingdom of Sapa or
Namayan Namayan (Baybayin: Pre-Kudlit: or (''Sapa''), Post-Kudlit: ), also called Sapa,Locsin, Leandro V. and Cecilia Y. Locsin. 1967. ''Oriental Ceramics Discovered in the Philippines.'' Vermont: Charles E. Tuttle Company. Maysapan or Nasapan, an ...
, ruled by the
Raja ''Raja'' (; from , IAST ') is a royal title used for South Asian monarchs. The title is equivalent to king or princely ruler in South Asia and Southeast Asia. The title has a long history in South Asia and Southeast Asia, being attested f ...
h Kalamayin whose residence was in
Namayan Namayan (Baybayin: Pre-Kudlit: or (''Sapa''), Post-Kudlit: ), also called Sapa,Locsin, Leandro V. and Cecilia Y. Locsin. 1967. ''Oriental Ceramics Discovered in the Philippines.'' Vermont: Charles E. Tuttle Company. Maysapan or Nasapan, an ...
, now part of Sta. Ana, Manila. The Franciscan missionaries were the first to convert the aboriginal Tagalog of Sapa to the Christian Faith by 1578, after they had turned the original barangay into a visita called Sta. Ana de Sapa in 1570. In 1589, Capitan Pedro de Brito, then an aide to the Spanish Army Chief of Staff, purchased today's church premises as part of a large property with a public bid of 1400 pesos, and installed his
encomienda The ''encomienda'' () was a Spanish labour system that rewarded conquerors with the labour of conquered non-Christian peoples. The labourers, in theory, were provided with benefits by the conquerors for whom they laboured, including military ...
called "Hacienda Pedro". On July 1, 1608, de Brito, now the newly elected '' Alferez General,'' and his wife Ana de Herrera donated part of their land to the
Jesuits The Society of Jesus ( la, Societas Iesu; abbreviation: SJ), also known as the Jesuits (; la, Iesuitæ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
. Fr. Gregorio Lopez, S.J. accepted the deed of donation and an endowment of 14,000 pesos for a house of probation. This house and the church were to be built in the highest hill in the area called ''Buenavista'' and were to be placed under the patronage of
Saint Peter Saint Peter; he, שמעון בר יונה, Šimʿōn bar Yōnāh; ar, سِمعَان بُطرُس, translit=Simʿa̅n Buṭrus; grc-gre, Πέτρος, Petros; cop, Ⲡⲉⲧⲣⲟⲥ, Petros; lat, Petrus; ar, شمعون الصفـا, Sham'un ...
, the donor's name patron. Construction of the first church was finished in 1620 under the direction of Fr. Pedro delos Montes, S.J. As the Jesuit encomienda began to earn at least 30,000 pesos annually from the production of earthenware, their vision of building an imposing structure could begin to be realized. The church known as ''San Pedro y Pablo Viejo'' was made from hewn stone, pebbles, and gravel mixed with mortar. Its facade is dominated with a three tiered
papal tiara The papal tiara is a crown that was worn by popes of the Catholic Church from as early as the 8th century to the mid-20th. It was last used by Pope Paul VI in 1963 and only at the beginning of his reign. The name "tiara" refers to the entire h ...
with the cross keys of Saint Peter. In 1718, an ivory image of the Blessed
Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother o ...
depicted as ''Virgen de la Rosa'' ( Virgin of the Rose) was brought from
Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
to the Philippines through the
Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade fil, Galyon ng Maynila , english_name = Manila Galleon , duration = From 1565 to 1815 (250 years) , venue = Between Manila and Acapulco , location = New Spain (Spanish Empire ...
by Jesuit Fr. Juan Delgado. This image of the Virgin Mary was
enshrined A shrine ( la, scrinium "case or chest for books or papers"; Old French: ''escrin'' "box or case") is a sacred or holy space dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, daemon, or similar figure of respect, wherein they ar ...
in this church and was frequently venerated due to a
relic In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains of a saint or the personal effects of the saint or venerated person preserved for purposes of veneration as a tangi ...
of the Virgin's hair supposedly encapsuled in the image's breast. According to Nick Joaquin, this concept was backed by Fr. Pedro Murillo's description in his "Historia de la Provincia de Filipinas de la Compania de Jesus":
“Your most holy image of the Nuestra Señora de la Rosa has on her breast a most precious treasure, greater than those which Tharsis had in is opulence, or Ophir with his most valuable metals can offer. This is the strand of hair of her most holy head, whose authenticity I read with great admiration. In the vast extent of the Indies that I know of, there exists no similar reliquary.”
Unfortunately, the reliquary got lost together with the ivory hands and head of the statue in the Revolution of 1899. There remains an oval cavity in the upper body, the missing pards have been restored using wood as a material instead of ivory. In Lourdes Policarpio's view, the Virgin’s title stems from "Our Lady as the Mystical Rose" or “
Rosa Mystica Rosa Mystica (or Mystical Rose) is a poetic title of Mary. One form of Marian devotion is invoking Virgin Mary's prayers by calling upon her using a litany of diverse titles, and the title 'Mystical Rose' is found in the Litany of Loreto. It is a ...
.” In Lucca, Italy, the feast of " Our Lady of the Rose" is celebrated on January 30. It is believed that three roses were found in the arms of Our Lady on January. when a deaf mute shepherd see the appearance of the Lady. He has able to speak after the apparition of Our Lady of Roses. In the church parish, there are two famous festivals or fiestas held on June 29, the feast of Apostles Peter and Paul, and June 30, the feast of "Nuestra Señora dela Rosa". The "Panatang Sayaw", as the Bailes de los Arcos (Dance of the Arches) are called, are an old tradition going back at least to the beginnings of the 19th century. It is a ritual of praise and thanksgiving to the saints Peter and Paul and the Virgen de la Rosa. The church was destroyed during the British occupation of Manila in 1762. It was reconstructed much later in 1849 using stones from nearby Guadalupe in Makati and Meycauayan in
Bulacan Bulacan, officially the Province of Bulacan ( tl, Lalawigan ng Bulacan), is a province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is the city of Malolos. Bulacan was established on August 15, 1578, and part of the Metr ...
province. Other materials used include
yakal ''Shorea astylosa'' is a species of plant in the family Dipterocarpaceae. It is endemic to the Philippines, where it is known as ''yakal'' in the Filipino language. Yakal is a medium to large tree about 25 to 30 meters tall. Its wood is hard an ...
and molave as wood materials, and kapre shells for windows and baticulin, guijo timbers and conchas or seashells for its windows. After the Jesuits’ expulsion the ownership changed. The Makati hacienda was reclaimed by the government and was sold in public auction in 1795 to Don Pedro de Garuga, Marquis of Villa Medina. Through the next half-century, the property changed hands three times, until, in 1851, it was bought by Don Jose Bonifacio Roxas, the founding father of the Roxas-Ayala-Zobel clan, who built a family manor on the riverbank, what is today's Poblacion's river park, "Casa Hacienda Park". During the
Philippine–American War The Philippine–American War or Filipino–American War ( es, Guerra filipina-estadounidense, tl, Digmaang Pilipino–Amerikano), previously referred to as the Philippine Insurrection or the Tagalog Insurgency by the United States, was an arm ...
from 1899 to 1902, the church was used as a hospital to tend wounded American soldiers. American volunteers also camped on church grounds. This stay, however, resulted in the loss of the ivory head and hands of the Virgen de la Rosa. Over the years, the Makati Church underwent several renovations and changes in the design but most of its features like the
reredos A reredos ( , , ) is a large altarpiece, a screen, or decoration placed behind the altar in a church. It often includes religious images. The term ''reredos'' may also be used for similar structures, if elaborate, in secular architecture, for ex ...
and the church bells are still original. On October 29, 2018, the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments granted a Canonical coronation to the image of the Virgen de la Rosa. The rite of crowning took place on March 16, 2019 presided by the Papal Nuncio to the Philippines.


Architecture

The church structure follows the
Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
style of architecture. Its architectural feature of a single rectangular nave consisting of an apse and sacristy is typical of churches during the Spanish Colonial Period. The altar with its original carved
reredos A reredos ( , , ) is a large altarpiece, a screen, or decoration placed behind the altar in a church. It often includes religious images. The term ''reredos'' may also be used for similar structures, if elaborate, in secular architecture, for ex ...
with motifs of various flowers and fruits following the Baroque Rococo tradition can still be found in the church.


Cultural property and historical marker

The Saints Peter and Paul Parish is a government-recognized important cultural property with the placement of a historical marker around 1937 by the Philippine Historical Research and Markers Committee, the precursor to the present
National Historical Commission of the Philippines The National Historical Commission of the Philippines ( fil, Pambansang Komisyong Pangkasaysayan ng Pilipinas, abbreviated NHCP) is a government agency of the Philippines. Its mission is "the promotion of Philippine history and cultural herita ...
.Administration
"National Registry of Historic Sites and Structures in the Philippines"
National Historical Commission of the Philippines. Retrieved on 2014-11-26.


Parish Priests


Former Priests


Present Priest


Chapel Communities

* Chapel of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (
Power Plant Mall Power Plant Mall is an upscale indoor shopping mall in Makati, Philippines. It is the anchor establishment of Rockwell Center, a mixed-use area north of the Makati Central Business District on the Pasig River waterfront across Mandaluyong. It is ...
, Brgy. Poblacion, Makati) * Holy Cross Chapel (Kakarong Street, Brgy. Olympia, Makati) * Our Lady of Lourdes Chapel (Honradez Street, Brgy. Olympia, Makati) * San Fabian Chapel (Olympia Village, Makati) * San Padre Pio Da Pietrelcina Chapel (
Century City Mall Century City Mall is a shopping mall within the Century City complex in Poblacion, Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines. History The mall was under construction in 2013 and the opening of the mall was initially planned in the fourth quarter of 2013. ...
, Brgy. Poblacion, Makati)


References


External links

{{Makati Poblacion Roman Catholic churches in Metro Manila Cultural Properties of the Philippines in Metro Manila Buildings and structures in Makati Churches in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila