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History of the Minor Basilica and National Shrine of Jesus Nazareno St. John the Baptist Parish – Quiapo Church

by: Rev. Fr. Rufino C. Sescon Jr.

At the heart of Manila is Quiapo… a center of trade and commerce, a hub for people from all walks of life and from different places in the metropolis and beyond.

But what really brings people to Quiapo is the Nuestro Padre Jesus Nazareno, a venerable image of Jesus Christ carrying the cross. Every Friday, all roads lead to Quiapo. Thousands of devotees come over to pay homage and express their supplications and thanksgiving.

In 1586, Quiapo became a district of its own and the parish was established in 1588 due to the petition of Friar (later Saint) Pedro Bautista, superior of the Franciscans with Fr. Antonio de Nombella as the first pastor. The church was dedicated to the Sweetest Name of Jesus but with St. John the Baptist as its patron.

The first two parish priests of Quiapo were Franciscans. But since 1619, Quiapo Church has been administered by diocesan priests. There was a brief interlude by the Jesuits on 1636-39).

The Augustinian Recollect missionaries arrived in the Philippines in 1606. It is generally believed that they brought the image of the Black Nazarene from Mexico although no specific date can be verified. Following the path of the galleon trade, after docking in Cavite, the image was first lodged in the Recollect Church of St. John the Baptist in Bagumbayan (now Luneta) and then to the San Nicolas de Tolentino Church in Intramuros.

The devotion was becoming popular that Pope Innocent X authorized the Confraternity of the Lord Jesus of Nazareth on April 20, 1650.

Another replica of the Nazareno was commissioned due to the increasing number of devotees. To further give access to the devotees and for the safety of the walled city, Archbishop Basilio Sancho de Santa Justa y Rufina ordered the transfer of the statue to Quiapo Church between the years 1767 to 1787. This move made the Nazareno more accessible to the devotees, especially to the masses. From then on, Quiapo Church has become a place of pilgrimage and devotion. In 1780, Pope Pius VII bestowed the Apostolic blessing on those who venerate the image of the Nazareno. Part of the devotion is the holding of a procession which drew people from Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

The church has been rebuilt a number of times because of fires and earthquakes. A stone church was built in 1889 by Fr. Eusebio de Leon and was completed in 1898 under the supervision of Fr. Manuel Roxas.

The image has endured numerous fires, earthquakes, revolutions and other calamities. In 1929, a fire destroyed the church but the image miraculously survived. A new church, designed by National Artist Architect Juan Nakpil and commissioned by Fr. Magdaleno Castillo was finished in 1933. The church was enlarged while a dome and a second belfry were added to the original design. The church and image withstood the ravages of the Second World War.

Fr. Vicente Fernandez founded the Quiapo Parochial School (now called the Nazarene Catholic School) in 1951.

On January 18, 1964, Archbishop Rufino Santos, D.D. reconsecrated the new altar of the renovated sanctuary and church through the efforts of then parish priest, Bishop Pedro Bantigue.

In 1987, Msgr. Jose Abriol and National Artist Architect Jose Maria Zaragoza expanded the church nave to accommodate the ever-increasing devotees but preserved the 1933 façade and main sanctuary. The blessing and rededication took place on September 28, 1987, presided by Jaime Cardinal Sin.

Pope (later St.) John Paul II declared Quiapo Church as the Minor Basilica of Jesus Nazareno (popularly called the Black Nazarene) on December 11, 1987 in response to the petition of Cardinal Sin. The declaration rites took place on Feb. 1, 1988 led by the Apostolic Nuncio, Most Rev. Bruno Torpigliani, D.D.

We cannot ascertain yet the date of the transfer (traslacion) of the Nazareno from Intramuros to Quiapo. January 9 is the fiesta of Quiapo primarily because it is the octave conclusion of the January 1 celebration of the old feast of the Holy Name of Jesus, to which Quiapo Church was originally dedicated.

It is not true that the Nazareno was shot by a non-Catholic during one of the fiesta processions in 1980s. A commotion truly happened and a gunshot was fired along Concepcion Aguila Street but it was not about or directed to the image. The statue appears to have a bullet mark at the left cheek to fuel this speculation but it is actually just a dent due to the age and dryness of the wood.

On January 9, 2006, for the first time, during the pastoral leadership of Msgr. Josefino Ramirez, the Traslacion procession began in Luneta, retracing the origins of the Nuestro Padre from Bagumbayan to Intramuros and then to Quiapo. Msgr. Jose Clemente Ignacio institutionalized the Traslacion route from Luneta to Quiapo starting 2009. From then on, millions of devotees would pay homage for the pahalik and Holy Mass and then join the procession, the longest of which took 22 hours in 2012.

The 21st century saw the further spread of the devotion to the Nazareno. Official replica images were given to selected churches all over the country from Batanes in the North to Davao and Cagayan de Oro in the South. Other images were given to Filipino Catholic communities as far as Israel, United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Hong Kong, London, Canada and the United States.

On May 7, 2023, Quiapo Church was declared the Archdiocesan Shrine of Jesus Nazareno by Jose Cardinal Advincula.

A new emblem and coat of arms befitting of Quiapo Church as a minor basilica and shrine was presented to the public on June 15, 2023.

After being away for about 40 years, on June 24, 2023, the original image of St. John the Baptist, that has been at the main altar with the Nazareno in the 1898 church, was returned to Quiapo Church. It is now enshrined in the baptistry.

On July 9, 2023, upon the petition of Cardinal Advincula and Fr. Rufino Sescon Jr., the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) approved Quiapo Church to become the 29th national shrine in the Philippines.

On January 29, 2024, for the first time in the history of the parish, the bishops of the Philippines gathered at Quiapo Church for its solemn declaration as the National Shrine of Jesus Nazareno. The Holy Mass was led by Cardinal Advincula, Bishop Pablo Virgilio David (President of the CBCP) and the Apostolic Nuncio, Most Rev. Charles John Brown. The clergy, religious and devotees jubilantly witnessed this special milestone as a testament to the passionate love and devotion of the Filipinos to the Nuestro Padre Jesus Nazareno.

On Sept. 6, 2024, during the 38th National Meeting of Diocesan Directors of Liturgy of the Philippines, it was announced that upon the approval of the CBCP, January 9 will be observed as a liturgical feast in all the dioceses throughout the Philippines. It is a confirmation to the Filipinos’ ardent love and devotion to Jesus Nazareno.

The Philippine bishops have already affirmed this reality when in the Catechism for Filipino Catholics they wrote that the three images of Jesus Christ dearest to the Filipinos are the Sto. Nino, the Jesus Nazareno and the Sacred Heart. (Catechism for Filipino Catholics, 467)

On October 3, 2024, Jose Cardinal Advincula decreed that the official title of Quiapo Church is the Minor Basilica and National Shrine of Jesus Nazareno (Basilika Menor at Pambansang Dambana ni Jesus Nazareno), St. John the Baptist Parish.

Indeed, the devotion to the Nuestro Padre Jesus Nazareno is the Filipino way of being in communion and committed to Jesus Christ, the Savior of humanity. Only He can lead us to the love of the Father and make us share in the life of the Holy Trinity.  We love Him for He faithfully journeys with us, especially on the way of the cross, so that we may share His victorious resurrection and reach His glorious kingdom. He is the way, the truth and the life!

Viva Jesus Nazareno!