San Miguel Church Manila
San Miguel Church was originally established in 1603 by the Jesuits at the arrabal of Dilao, now known as the Paco District in Manila.
An earthquake in 1645 followed by the British Occupation destroyed the church. These and other events triggered the transfer of the parish to its current location along the banks of Pasig River in 1783.
The construction of the church on its present location started in 1799 and lasted for around 36 years although the interiors were not yet finished. Reconstructions were held as time passed and many prominent donors contributed to the construction of San Miguel Church. Due to its proximity to the Malacanang Palace, San Miguel Church was frequented by the Philippine Presidents to hear mass – thus being described by Nick Joaquin as a “regal parish”.
After the war, San Miguel was designated for a time as the Pro-Cathedral until the Manila Cathedral was rebuilt and rededicated.
During Martial Law, the imposition of checkpoints around Malacanang Palace caused a drastic decrease in the attendance of parishioners. From being a church for the well-known and elite society in Manila, it became a parish embattled with attendance problems.
In 1986, during the first day of the EDSA Revolution, San Miguel Church was elevated into a National Shrine dedicated to the Seven Archangels by Cardinal Ricardo Vidal of Cebu.
Due to its riverside location, San Miguel Church is the most prominent church in Manila that can be clearly seen while traveling by ferry along the Pasig River.
Sources:
About Us – National Shrine of St. Michael and the Archangels (rcam.org)
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