The Kalayaan (Freedom) Hall of the Philippine Consulate in New York was filled with friends and supporters of the foundation headed by its President Roz Li. The evening started with cocktails followed by a brief presentation informing those present of this newly organized Philippine Historic Preservation Society, whose main objective is to cultivate awareness and appreciation for Philippine historic architecture and sites. And the Basilica of St. Sebastian was chosen as the spearhead project.
Fr. Antonio “Joy” Zabala, OAR, more known for his nickname of “Fr. Joy”, was also present at the event. Fr. Joy currently works as Pastor of the Church of St. John in Bronx, New York. He had worked as building administrator for St. Sebastian College, from 1995 to 2000.
Regarding the existence of original drawings and plans signed by Gustave Eiffel himself, which Fr. Zabala recalled having seen in San Sebastian, the Foundation hopes to be able to recover them from somewhere in the archives of the Augustinian Recollect Province of Saint Ezekiel Moreno in the Philippines. Said documents will indeed be helpful to the engineers and technical staff that pledged to restore the Basilica of St. Sebastian to its pristine existence.
Fr. Antonio “Joy” Zabala, OAR, more known for his nickname of “Fr. Joy”, was also present at the event.Neogothic temple at risk
The Gothic Revival, all-steel basilica of San Sebastian towers over the congested cityscape of Manila. After earthquakes in 1645, 1762, and 1863 destroyed the first three stone and brick churches erected on this site, Don Genaro Palacios, the Director of Public Works for the Spanish Insular government, recommended a new church be built of steel. Within the church’s apple-green and white façade, flanked by massive spires, San Sebastian’s interior is faux-finished to simulate jasper and marble. Trompe l’oeil of statuary and other iconography, painted by the Academy of Lorenzo Rocha, adorn its walls. Thirty-four stained glass windows shower the vast nave with rich, warm hues.
Since its completion in 1891, San Sebastian has continued to play a significant religious and social role as the community parish and through its involvement in outreach programs. The innovative steel construction remains unique and reflects the daringness of the design and the skill of local craftsmen. Persistent corrosion, leaks, and material loss threaten the Basilica, but its most pervasive threat remains invisible: the structural bracing within cavity walls is severely deteriorating, potentially rendering the stability and continued functionality of San Sebastian precarious.
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History of the San Sebastian Basilica |
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By Pablo Panedas, OAR |
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Constructions and Earthquakes The Augustinian Recollects founded the convent of San Sebastian in 1621 for the retreat and rest of the missionaries. Almost from the very start, the convent had a stone church wherein was enthroned an image of Our Lady of Mount Carmel which Fr. Rodrigo de San Miguel had brought from Mexico in 1618. For three centuries until the arrival of the Carmelites the devotion to our Lady of Carmel in the archipelago would revolve around this image. And, dedicating themselves to the care of the Marian image, there would arise towards 1725 a Beaterio of pious women, headed by Dionisia and Cecilia Talangpaz; today, it has evolved into the Congregation of Augustinian Recollect Sisters, which has its mother house in front of the basilica, at the other side of the Plaza del Carmen. Through the centuries, the church underwent many vicissitudes. In 1639 it was razed by fire during the uprising of the Sangleys, although the damage was minimal in comparison to what it suffered 6 years later during the earthquake of Saint Andrew (November 30). This time, the temple was reduced to rubble and had to be demolished. The new church was more durable. It lasted more than 200 years, and the only serious incident it suffered was in 1762, when it was sacked by the English. Afterward, an earthquake on 3 June 1863 badly damaged it. It was rebuilt and was again opened to the public on 20 January 1867, only to suffer from earthquake once more in mid-July 1880. For safety reasons, it had to be closed to the public. A steel church This time, the Recollects were determined to find a final solution. They approached the experts, specifically Genaro Palacios, Public Works director of the Insular Government. Palacios conducted the pertinent investigation and studies and in early 1881 recommended building a steel structure, as was then being done in other parts of the world. His project was approved by the Provincial Council on 14 June 1883. And three years later, after the corresponding bidding by firms from different European countries, the project was awarded to the Societé Anonyme d’Entreprises et Travaux Publics, a Belgian company. In the following years the firm would forge in its foundries in Binche (Belgium) the 1,527 tons of steel needed to build a neogothic church 50 x 22 meters, with a height of 52 meters to the tip of the spires. On 12 June 1888, the first of 15 ships arrived in Manila which, in the course of two years, would transport the parts. Some employees of the firm, working with local hands and Recollect supervisors, assembled the church piece by piece. Interior decoration was done by Filipino artists of the academy of Lorenzo Rocha. The paintings of Augustinian and Carmelite saints which adorn the drum have a special importance in the history of Filipino painting. Capping it up are four rose windows and 12 stained glass windows which allow the light to shine. The stained glass depict the joyful and sorrowful mysteries of the Rosary, and were finely done by the German company Henry Oidtmann in their factory in Linnich. Blessing of the new church Finally, on 15 August 1891, solemnity of the Assumption of Our Lady, the radiant Carmel shrine was solemnly blessed by the Archbishop of Manila, Bernardino Nozaleda. The coffers of Saint Nicholas Province were depleted but it was worth it. Undoubtedly, the Recollects had marked a milestone. They not only constructed an earthquake-proof church which would challenge the centuries; it is also a beautiful building, one of the most remarkable examples of colonial architecture. And it is, finally, a unique church: the only all-steel church in the whole of Asia. It has more than earned the distinction of national historical landmark, as per declaration on 1 August 1973. |