The Church of San Sebastian
The jam-packed LRT2 train made its usual stop at the Legarda station. I looked through the glass window and saw two long spires of a big church. I used to see these steeples in my college days but I never bothered to stop. I never tried to get near it. Making a spur-of-the-moment decision, I made a hand gesture to my companion as we made a dash for the exit. That was an opportune time to see the Church of San Sebastian.
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| San Sebastian Church is located at Pasaje del Carmen Street near Legarda. Meralco wires partly block the view. |
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| It is one of the few magnificent churches in Metro Manila. |
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| From the ground to the tip of the spires, the measurement is 135 feet. |
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| Church interior. The chandeliers help illuminate the interior. |
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| Roof or vault of San Sebastian Church is made of structural metals in the form of a series of arches. |
Officially called Minor Basilica de San Sebastian, the big church at Plaza del Carmen in Quiapo, Manila was built in 1891. The original structure of the Church, which was constructed in the 17th century, was made of wood and was razed by fire. The subsequent structure was made of bricks but this, too, was devastated by a strong earthquake. This prompted the Augustinian Recollects to commission Belgian engineers who used steel shipped from Belgium in building a basilica with a Neo-Gothic revival style of architecture. San Sebastian Church is the only all-steel church in Asia.
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| Statue of Sta. Magdalena de Nagasaki. Sta. Magdalena was an Augustinian lay sister who became a martyr. |
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| Petitions and answered prayers. |
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| The Main Altar |
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| At center is the image of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. |
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| Right side altar. The stained glass windows were shipped from Germany. Take note of the ornamental railing. |
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| View of the main entrance from the main altar |
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| Special candles are lit for particular intentions. |
In juxtaposition to the church is a college called San Sebastian College -Recoletos. It is more popularly known as "Baste". While the church is widely known for its magnificent structure, the school has gained fame as a training ground of outstanding basketball players. San Sebastian College holds the distinction as the only school in the NCAA to win 5 consecutive titles. Now, why was San Sebastian, of all saints, selected as its name? The land where the church and the school stand was donated by a kind-hearted Quiapo resident who was a devotee of martyr San Sebastian.
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| Adjacent to the church is the San Sebastian College- Recoletos. |
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| San Sebastian College is home of the Stags. SSC-R has produced countless outstanding hoopsters such as Rommel Adducul, Bai Cristobal, Topex Robinson, Paul Lee (high school) , Ian Sangalang and Calvin Abueva. Other notable alumni are Fernando Poe, Jr., Alice Dixson, Chavit Singson and Edward Hagedorn. |
The sun was shining bright as we walked out of the gates of San Sebastian Church. The barker at the jeepney terminal across the church was shouting: "City Hall, City Hall, o maluwag pa." An old woman was sitting on a bench near the terminal. I asked for directions, to Quiapo Church specifically: "Diretso lang kayo diyan. Basta diretso lang. Malapit na yan sa simbahan ng Quiapo." We did exactly as told. Beside the Church was Ma Mon Luk. "Bigyan mo nga kami Mami at Siopao Asado. Extra soup, ha...", I said. We could hear horns blaring, voices of two men engaged in a shouting match. We remained impervious as I called again the waiter: "Bigyan mo nga ako ng isa pang siopao. At punuin mo na ng sauce itong lalagyan......"
- Konted
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| Mami and Siopao at Ma Mon Luk in Quiapo |
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| Siopao asado |
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