The Basilica Menor de San Pedro Bautista ''(Minor Basilica of Saint Pedro Bautista)'', also known as the San Francisco del Monte Church is a

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...

in the

San Francisco del Monte San Francisco del Monte, also referred to as SFDM, is a district of Quezon City, Metro Manila, the Philippines. It is bisected by two major thoroughfares, Fernando Poe Jr. Avenue and the eponymous Del Monte Avenue, and is bounded by Atty. Pat Sena ...

district of

Quezon City Quezon City (, ; fil, Lungsod Quezon ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read in Filipino as Kyusi), is the List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a populatio ...

, in the

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 ...

. It is one of the oldest churches in the country having founded in 1590. The church is dedicated to its founder Padre Pedro Bautista ( Peter Baptist), a Spanish missionary from Ávila, Spain, one of the 26 Christians martyred in Japan in 1597. The shrine belongs to the

Diocese of Cubao The Roman Catholic Diocese of Cubao (Latin: ''Dioecesis Cubaoensis'') is a diocese of the western Latin Church of the Catholic Church in district of Cubao in Quezon City, in northern Metro Manila, Philippines. The diocese was created by Pope Jo ...

under the Vicariate of Saint Pedro Bautista. It is also under the administration of 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 = , ...

or the

Order of Friars Minor The Order of Friars Minor (also called the Franciscans, the Franciscan Order, or the Seraphic Order; postnominal abbreviation OFM) is a mendicant Catholic religious order, founded in 1209 by Francis of Assisi. The order adheres to the teachi ...

(OFM), from the Franciscan Province of Saint Pedro Bautista.

History

When Pedro Bautista was elected '' custos'', an official of the Franciscans, he saw the need for a secluded place where the

missionaries A missionary is a member of a religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Mi ...

could recharge physically, mentally and spiritually. He found a hilly area which he deemed conducive for meditation, and on February 17, 1590, then

Governor-General Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...

Santiago de Vera granted the land to the Franciscan Order."Living the Legacy: San Pedro Bautista". Pedro Bautista Parish, 2008 The town of

back then was an elevated area of with thick woods, surrounded by a creek and eight water springs. Father Pedro Bautista built a little

convent A convent is a community of monks, nuns, religious brothers or, sisters or priests. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The word is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Angl ...

and a

chapel A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common type ...

made of

bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of evergreen perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family. The origin of the word "bamboo" is uncertain, ...

and

nipa palm ''Nypa fruticans'', commonly known as the nipa palm (or simply nipa, from ms, nipah) or mangrove palm, is a species of palm native to the coastlines and estuarine habitats of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the only palm considered adap ...

. He dedicated the chapel to ''Our Lady of Montecelli'' and the place was opened as a house of retreat for missionaries, as a

novitiate The novitiate, also called the noviciate, is the period of training and preparation that a Christian ''novice'' (or ''prospective'') monastic, apostolic, or member of a religious order undergoes prior to taking vows in order to discern whether ...

house, and as a place for reclusion of government officials. The chapel was replaced by a wooden structure in 1591 and in 1593, clay and natural stones were used for fortification, which was also the time when the convent was constructed. The chapel was rebuilt using

adobe Adobe ( ; ) is a building material made from earth and organic materials. is Spanish for '' mudbrick''. In some English-speaking regions of Spanish heritage, such as the Southwestern United States, the term is used to refer to any kind of ...

in 1599 as designed by Architect Domingo Ortigas. The reconstruction was funded by Don Pedro Salazar, whereas the expansion of the convent was made possible by donations from Captain Domingo Ortiz de Chagoya. The chapel was destroyed during the

Limahong Limahong, Lim Hong, or Lin Feng (; March 7, 1499 – ?), well known as Ah Hong () or Lim-A-Hong or Limahon (), was a Chinese pirate and warlord who invaded the northern Philippine Islands in 1574. He built up a reputation for his constant rai ...

-led uprising in 1639 when the Chinese rebels used the church as headquarters. The 1645 earthquake completely destroyed the church and the convent, leaving both structures unattended for 39 years."Our History"
Santuario de San Pedro Bautista. Retrieved on 2014-10-27.

Construction of the present church

San Francisco del Monte historical marker

Reconstruction efforts were done but were halted in 1688 because the place was declared unfit for habitation. Construction resumed in 1696 under the supervision of Fr. Francisco de Mondéjar and through the generosity of a pious person, Don Tomás de Endaya, and the stone church was completed in 1699. The convent was also reconstructed alongside the church. It was also during this time when the baroque altar was installed. The new stone church was dedicated to then newly

Blessed Blessed may refer to: * The state of having received a blessing * Blessed, a title assigned by the Roman Catholic Church to someone who has been beatified Film and television * ''Blessed'' (2004 film), a 2004 motion picture about a supernatural ...

Pedro Bautista and to his companion martyrs who were

beatified Beatification (from Latin ''beatus'', "blessed" and ''facere'', "to make”) is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a deceased person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in their n ...

Pope Urban VIII Pope Urban VIII ( la, Urbanus VIII; it, Urbano VIII; baptised 5 April 1568 – 29 July 1644), born Maffeo Vincenzo Barberini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 6 August 1623 to his death in July 1644. As po ...

on September 14, 1627. They were canonized after almost a century and half on June 8, 1862 by

Pope Pius IX Pope Pius IX ( it, Pio IX, ''Pio Nono''; born Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878, the longest verified papal reign. He was notable for convoking the First Vatican ...

. Repairs were made in 1874 by a lay brother named Gabino Perez. In 1895, the friars abandoned the place, and the following year at the time of the

Cry of Balintawak The Cry of Pugad Lawin ( tgl, Sigaw ng Pugad Lawin, es, Grito de Pugad Lawin) was the beginning of the Philippine Revolution against the Spanish Empire. In late August 1896, members of the '' Katipunan'' led by Andrés Bonifacio revolted ...

, the Filipino revolutionary forces occupied the church. In 1898, 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 ...

, the American soldiers occupied the church. Then, it was left idle until it was repaired in 1912. In 1914, the church was blessed and a town fiesta was held to honor Saint Pedro Bautista. Presumably, it survived bombardment of World War II due to the remoteness of its location at that time.

Independent parish

On November 11, 1932, the church was declared its own separate

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or ...

named in honor of its founder and patron saint, Saint Pedro Bautista. Before the decree, the

belonged to a parish in

Caloocan Caloocan, officially the City of Caloocan ( fil, Lungsod ng Caloocan; ), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in Metropolitan Manila, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 1,661,584 people making it the fourth-most ...

(then a town northwest of San Francisco del Monte). A historical marker was placed at the facade of the old church by the Philippine Historical Research and Markers Committee (now 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 herit ...

(NHCP)) in 1936 for its historical significance.

Church expansion

In the 1970s as the parish population grew, there was a need to build a bigger church. The original stone church was expanded by removing the northeastern wall and the new nave was constructed northeastward from the wall. With the renovation, the original church structure became the

sanctuary A sanctuary, in its original meaning, is a sacred place, such as a shrine. By the use of such places as a haven, by extension the term has come to be used for any place of safety. This secondary use can be categorized into human sanctuary, a sa ...

space while the original facade and

apse In architecture, an apse (plural apses; from Latin 'arch, vault' from Ancient Greek 'arch'; sometimes written apsis, plural apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, also known as an '' exedra''. ...

now appears like semitransepts of the present church. They are separated from the present sanctuary by a reinforce concrete wall with a tall archway separated from the sanctuary by a wooden partitions. The former baroque altars became side altars and

sacristy A sacristy, also known as a vestry or preparation room, is a room in Christian churches for the keeping of vestments (such as the alb and chasuble) and other church furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish records. The sacristy is usually locate ...

of the church. There was a huge crucifix at the center of the sanctuary and the floor was changed to marble. The church was built in accordance to the

Second Vatican Council The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the , or , was the 21st ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church. The council met in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome for four periods (or sessions), each lasting between 8 and ...

. In 1989, the three-century old baroque altars were transferred to the main sanctuary in time for the celebration of the 400th anniversary of the founding of

on February 17, 1990. The dedication ceremony of the new sanctuary was headed by the Franciscan Superior of the order. The 400th anniversary feast day celebration on February 17 was headed by

Jaime Cardinal Sin Jaime Lachica Sin ( zh, t=辛海梅, 辛海棉, poj=Sin Hái-mûi, Sin Hái-mî; August 31, 1928 – June 21, 2005), commonly and formally known as Jaime Cardinal Sin, was the 30th Roman Catholic Archbishop of Manila and the third cardinal fro ...

, then the Archbishop of Manila. File:Santuario de San Pedro Bautista 09.jpg, The original façade of the San Pedro Bautista Shrine built in 1699 File:San Francisco del Monte Church or the San Pedro Bautista Shrine in Quezon City.jpg, The present façade of the church added in the 1970s File:Santuario de San Pedro Bautista 02.jpg, The original facade looking like a semitransept but separated by wooden partition File:SantuariodeSanPedroBautistajf9731 06.JPG, Mural of St. Peter Baptist and the original church below him, the window of the original façade to the right of the mural File:Santuario de San Pedro Bautista 12.jpg, The larger and wider nave of the present church On February 5, 1997, the parish marked the 400th Anniversary of the martyrdom of Saint Pedro Bautista. Two murals were created to commemorate the life of the founder saint, on display on each side of the sanctuary. The mural on the left side is that of the life of Pedro Bautista from Ávila, Spain to San Francisco del Monte, from teaching the natives the use of musical instruments to finding medicinal use for the natural springs of

Los Baños, Laguna Los Baños, officially the Municipality of Los Baños ( tgl, Bayan ng Los Baños), colloquialy 'elbi' or simply LB, is a 1st class municipality in the province of Laguna, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 115,353 ...

, to him being the founder of many towns in the Philippines from

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 Me ...

to Bicol as attested by

Mayon Volcano Mayon ( bcl, Bulkan Mayon; tl, Bulkang Mayon, ), also known as Mount Mayon and Mayon Volcano ( es, Monte Mayón, Volcán Mayón), is an active stratovolcano in the province of Albay in Bicol, Philippines. A popular tourist spot, it is renow ...

at the bottom right side of the mural, and from his arrival to the shores of Japan, to his death in

Nagasaki is the capital and the largest city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. It became the sole port used for trade with the Portuguese and Dutch during the 16th through 19th centuries. The Hidden Christian Sites in the ...

. The mural on the right is that of the martyrdom scene on the hill of Nagasaki. On February 25, 2001, the parish church was declared an archdiocesan shrine and the name was changed to ''Sanctuario de San Pedro Bautista'' (Saint Peter Baptist Shrine) in view of its historical and religious significance to the Archdiocese of Manila. In 2003, the

was created from the Archdiocese of Manila, and the church became part of the new diocese. The Diocesan Coat of Arms has a

Tau cross The tau cross is a T-shaped cross, sometimes with all three ends of the cross expanded. It is called a “tau cross” because it is shaped like the Greek letter tau, which in its upper-case form has the same appearance as Latin letter T. Anoth ...

on top of the hills as a reminder of the Franciscan missionary and martyr, Saint Pedro Bautista, who founded the mission and Church in San Francisco del Monte in the late 16th century before he was martyred in Japan.

Current modernization

The church initiated a currently-ongoing modernization in 2016, expanding the choirloft, upgrading the ventilation with giant overhead fans, and using modern LCD TV panels as digital signboards for church activities such as responsorial psalms. The stained glasses adorning the church was also redesigned, and the former crucifix now placed at the choirloft.

Elevation to a minor basilica

The

announced on July 9, 2020, that the Holy See had bestowed the title of minor basilica upon the parish, making it the 17th

minor basilica In the Catholic Church, a basilica is a designation given by the Pope to a church building. Basilicas are distinguished for ceremonial purposes from other churches. The building need not be a basilica in the architectural sense (a rectangular ...

in the

and the 2nd in the diocese.

Architectural features

The church additions was built in the

Spanish Mission architecture The Mission Revival style was part of an architectural movement, beginning in the late 19th century, for the revival and reinterpretation of American colonial styles. Mission Revival drew inspiration from the late 18th and early 19th century ...

. In the facade are four niches with statues of the four writers of the

Gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message (" the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words a ...

- Saint Mark, Saint Luke,

Saint Matthew Matthew the Apostle,, shortened to ''Matti'' (whence ar, مَتَّى, Mattā), meaning "Gift of YHWH"; arc, , Mattai; grc-koi, Μαθθαῖος, ''Maththaîos'' or , ''Matthaîos''; cop, ⲙⲁⲧⲑⲉⲟⲥ, Mattheos; la, Matthaeus a ...

and Saint John. Inside the sanctuary are the three Baroque altarpieces with statues of Christian saints. A life-size image of Saint Pedro Bautista that was added during the 400th anniversary of San Francisco del Monte, is enshrined at the center niche in the middle

altarpiece An altarpiece is an artwork such as a painting, sculpture or relief representing a religious subject made for placing at the back of or behind the altar of a Christian church. Though most commonly used for a single work of art such as a painting ...

. Above him is a

Madonna and Child In art, a Madonna () is a representation of Mary, either alone or with her child Jesus. These images are central icons for both the Catholic and Orthodox churches. The word is (archaic). The Madonna and Child type is very prevalent i ...

statue of ''Our Lady of Monticelli''. The left Baroque altarpiece is occupied with St. Clare of Assisi with

Saint Dominic Saint Dominic ( es, Santo Domingo; 8 August 1170 – 6 August 1221), also known as Dominic de Guzmán (), was a Castilian Catholic priest, mystic, the founder of the Dominican Order and is the patron saint of astronomers and natural scienti ...

, the founder 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 ...

, above her. In the right

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 e ...

Saint Anthony of Padua Anthony of Padua ( it, Antonio di Padova) or Anthony of Lisbon ( pt, António/Antônio de Lisboa; born Fernando Martins de Bulhões; 15 August 1195 – 13 June 1231) was a Portuguese Catholic priest and friar of the Franciscan Order. He was bo ...

with

Saint Francis of Assisi Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, better known as Saint Francis of Assisi ( it, Francesco d'Assisi; – 3 October 1226), was a mystic Italian Catholic friar, founder of the Franciscans, and one of the most venerated figures in Christianit ...

occupying the top niche. The church is also connected to the church convent. On the second floor are the residence rooms of the priests stationed at the parish. There are a few gardens located in the convent area. The church convent has a

courtyard A courtyard or court is a circumscribed area, often surrounded by a building or complex, that is open to the sky. Courtyards are common elements in both Western and Eastern building patterns and have been used by both ancient and contemporary ...

located at the back of the sanctuary that would remind people of the age of the church. Large stones were used to build the area with a garden in honor of St. Francis of Assisi. A statue of St. Francis with his arms crossed on his chest in prayer stands in the middle of the garden. File:SantuariodeSanPedroBautistajf9731 08.JPG, A statue of St. Peter Baptist next to the original façade File:SantuariodeSanPedroBautistajf9766 13.JPG, The courtyard and garden of the convent with a statue of St. Francis of Assisi in the middle File:SantuariodeSanPedroBautistajf9749 10.JPG, Another statue of St. Francis of Assisi in the garden File:Santuario de San Pedro Bautista 04.jpg, The Holy Cave of St. Pedro Bautista underneath the location of the original altar File:SantuariodeSanPedroBautistajf9749 04.JPG, One of the dioramas in the convent museum showing scenes in the life of St. Peter Baptist Underneath the location of the original altar is the ''Holy Cave of Saint Pedro Bautista'' where all missionaries contemplated and communicated with God prior to their missions. The holy cave also has a bronze statue of Saint Pedro Bautista in contemplative prayer. There are kneelers available for people to pray. This cave is open to the public, but must be arranged beforehand by request. Outside the holy cave facing the creek, is the ossuary where the remains of some of the former priests assigned to the parish are inurned. This ossuary is exclusive for OFM friars. Adjacent to the parish grounds is the Headquarters of the Franciscan Province of the Philippines or the Provincial House.

Parish profile

;Boundaries: *The Parish of Saint Pedro Bautista covers six

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 metropolita ...

s, namely: Damayan, Del Monte, Mariblo, Paraiso, Sta. Cruz, and Talayan. It is bounded by Pat Senador St. to the west, Quezon Avenue to the east,

Araneta Avenue Gregorio Araneta Avenue is a suburban arterial road in the Santa Mesa Heights area of Quezon City, northeastern Metro Manila, Philippines. It is a 6- to 8-lane divided avenue designated as part of Circumferential Road 3 (C-3) and physical contin ...

to the south, and Judge Juan Luna Street to the north."Ecclesiastical Atlas Roman Catholic Diocese of Cubao (2010)" ;Parish Church: * Santuario de San Pedro Bautista (Saint Peter Baptist Shrine) ;Feast Day: * Nearest Sunday to February 5 ''(San Pedro Bautista)'' and First Saturday of August ''(Nuestra Señora de los Angeles de Portiuncula)'' ;Titular saint: * Saint Pedro Bautista (Saint Peter Baptist) and Our Lady of Monticelli ;Date parish was established: * November 11, 1932 ;Current Parish Priest: * Rev. Fr. Irineo R. Tactac, OFM ;The Pastoral Team: * Fr. Irineo R. Tactac, OFM (Parish Priest) * Fr. Elias E. Manlangit Jr., OFM (Friary Guardian) * Fr. Bernardo M. Lanuza, OFM (Parochial Vicar/House Vicar) * Fr. Robert John C. Abada, OFM (Bursar) * Fr. Wilfredo S. Benito, OFM (Master of Postulants) * Fr. Arulnesam Sebastian Lambert, OFM (Resident Friar) * Br. Temoteo S. Gulay, OFM (Resident Friar) ;Former Parish Priests: * Fr. Mariano Montero, OFM (1932–1933) * Fr. Jose Agundez, OFM (1933–1935) * Fr. Francisco Santos, OFM (1935–1938) * Fr. Blas Garcia, OFM (1938–1939), * Fr. Alejandro Carrasco, OFM (1939–1943) * Fr. Angel Portalatin, OFM (1943–1945) * Fr. Gerardo Chicano, OFM (1945–1954) * Fr. Roberto Mangubat, OFM (1954–1960) * Fr. Silvestre Murillo, OFM (1960–1964) * Fr. Segundino Blanco, OFM (1964–1966) * Fr. Jesus Martinez, OFM (1966–1967) * Fr. Agapito Diez, OFM (1967) * Fr. Jose Barullo, OFM (1967–1968) * Fr. Leon Ramos, OFM (1968–1969) * Fr. Agapito Diez, OFM (1969–1983) * Fr. Alberto Baldo, OFM (1983–1989) * Fr. Jimmy Giron, OFM (1989–1995) * Fr. Romeo Gil Abesamis, OFM (April 1995-November 1995) * Fr. Cielo Almazan, OFM (1995-April 1996) * Fr. Roberto Manansala, OFM (1996–2002) * Fr. Reu Jose Galoy, OFM (April 2002 – 2006) * Fr. Carlos Santos, OFM (2006-December 2009) * Fr. Romeo Floralde, OFM (December 2009-April 2010) * Fr. Alberto Marfil, OFM (2010-2013) * Fr. Edwin Peter Dionisio, OFM (2013–2019)

Facilities

Schools: * Our Lady of Montecelli Learning Center ''San Pedro Bautista St., Q.C.'' * Cong. Reynaldo A. Calalay Memorial School ''F. Bautista St., Q.C.'' * San Francisco Elementary School ''San Pedro Bautista St., Q.C.'' * Dalupan Elementary School ''Marinduque St., Q.C.'' * PMI Colleges ''Roosevelt Ave., Q.C.'' ;Function Halls: * Parish Center (located across the Parish) * Brother Sun Sister Moon Garden * Monticelli Hall ;Mortuary: * San Pedro Bautista Parish Mortuary

Religious Congregations

;Religious Men: * Congregation of Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception a.k.a. Marians (MIC) at ''45 Jose Abad Santos St., Heroes Hill, Santa Cruz, QC'' * Order of Friars Minor a.k.a. Franciscans (OFM) at ''69 San Pedro Bautista St., SFDM, Q.C.'' ;Religious Women: * Franciscans Handmaids of the Good Shepherd (FHGS) at ''18 Besang Pass, Talayan Village, Q.C.''

References

External links

San Pedro Bautista Shrine Official Website

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Cubao
{{DEFAULTSORT:Santuario De San Pedro Bautista Roman Catholic churches in Quezon City Cultural Properties of the Philippines in Metro Manila Roman Catholic shrines in the Philippines Basilica churches in the Philippines