Señor Santo Cristo de San Juan - San Juan City's beloved Señor

-
Señor Santo Cristo de San Juan
In the city of San Juan, located near Mandaluyong and some parts of Makati City, there is Shrine that is hidden from the noise of the city's urban jungle that pilgrims and devotees find solance and comfort. That particular shrine is the centuries old Santuario de Santo Cristo located in San Juan City where centuries old miraculous image of Our Crucified Lord is enshrined and the center of devotions over the centuries since its transfer from Binondo.

The Señor Santo Cristo became the silent witness of the rich history of San Juan from a small barrio to a highly urbanized city and the city's role in the Philippine Revolution and He continues to watch over and protects His children over the centuries.

The image

The image of the Santo Cristo was that of Our Lord Jesus in His Crucifixion. In this image, He sports a set of Tres Potencias and He is vested with a set of tapis made from different fabrics and done with different styles of embroidery that are given by devotees as ex votos. The legs and feet of the image was recently covered with glass to preserve and protect the image from damage due to constant caresses of his devotees over the years.

The Origin of the Señor

In 1641, Fr Sebastián de Oquendo, OP, the Prior of Santo Domingo monastery in Intramuros, decided to send to San Juan the image of the Santo Cristo that was then venerated in Binondo Church (another Dominican Mission). The venerable image was brought to the reconstructed church in San Juan and placed on the main altar, displacing the image of John the Baptist, since the image, which was "nine palmos in height" (approx. 1.80 metres) would not fit. From then on, devotion to the Santo Cristo spread to nearby communities.

The shrine itself gained popularity when the image began to perform miracles, thus earning the shrine the name Santuario del Santo Cristo. News of the image's miracles spread to Manila and the surrounding areas, particularly the neighbouring Franciscan parish and town of Santa Ana, to which the present-day San Juan Mandaluyong once belonged to.

On May 3, 1924, the Feast of the Señor Santo Cristo, the image went out on procession for the first time since its enthronement in 1641. In the olden days, whenever there was a fiesta procession  the image carried was the Crucifix that was kept in the sacristy of the old church and at present is venerated on Good Friday. The Santo Cristo was too heavy to be carried around.

In 1923, an andas was first comissioned and was used in the procession of 1924, however, they find it very difficult because of the weight of the Señor and the pilgrims who wanted to touch the Señor. It was later decided that an carozza was to be made for this purpose and this was crafted by Maximo
Vicente.

The Santuario de Santo Cristo of San Juan
The Santuario

The Santuario de Sto. Cristo and its adjacent convent were built in 1602-1604 by the Dominican Fathers of the Holy Rosary Province on a site donated by Captain Julian de Cuenca. Before the Sto. Cristo was enthroned, St. John the Baptist was the titular of the church. The church and the convent were burned during the Chinese uprising of 1639 and the during the British occupation of 1763. After these political unrest, the edifices were rebuilt shortly.

In May 3, 1942, the Santuario was erected as a parish. As years went on the church could not cope with the increase population of San Juan and the idea of enlarging the church was finally pushed through on February 16, 1963 when His Eminence Rufino Cardinal Santos blessed the cornerstone of the new Santuario. The present structure keeps the original façade of the church of 1774 and, though enlarged, retains the same inside and outside structures. In the Jubilee Year of Mercy

Papal Recognition

The Confraternity of the Santo Cristo was established and approved by Pope Innocent X in 1648, roughly 45 years after the arrival of the Dominicans in San Juan. Prominent citizens of Manila and other towns became members of the Confraternity and made yearly pilgrimages to the shrine. Others decided to settle in the vicinity of the shrine, forming the nucleus of the present city of San Juan.

The Devotion

The Feast of the Señor Santo Cristo is celebrated every May 3, the Traditional Feast of the Invention of the Cross where St. Helena found the Holy Cross of Christ in the rubble located near Mount Calvary. Pilgrims flock His Shrine, especially on his feast day to join his annual procession with the attendance of thousands from San Juan and other parts of Metro Manila and some provinces.

The devotion to the Señor shows how much Christ cared so much for our salvation, In the case of the this image, it demonstrates his love to all of us that he bore until his humiliating death on the Cross and he used this particular image as an instrument of to brought forth graces to those trusts his love and mercy. May the devotion to the Señor Santo Cristo leads us to meditate on his Passion that saved all us from eternal damnation.

Reference:

Eladio Neira, OP. The Full History of Santuario del Sto. Cristo Church"(PDF). Santuario Del Sto.  Cristo Parish. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
Jesus Prol, OP. The History of Santuario del Sto. Christo Church. Santuario Del Sto. Cristo Parish.  Retrieved 10 May 2017.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

Did Mama Mary Appear in the Philippines? - A Closer Look

-
Image
The Finding of Nuestra Señora de Caysasay of Batangas Disclaimer: The intention of this blogpost is to present data of different reported Marian apparitions that took place in our country from the Spanish era up to the modern times based from the reports gathered by the blogger. The blogger does not have any intention to incite belief in these reported events, especially those that do not have formal approval in accordance to the ruling of Pope Urban VIII regarding reported supernatural phenomena (anticipation of a formal approval or disapproval of such events without the official ruling of the Church). Therefore, the blogger  submits himself to the judgement of the Holy See, together with every interpretation or theory contained in this blog special. Introduction "Did Mama Mary appear in the Philippines?" a question that many Filipino Marian devotees would sometimes wonder given that we are known as the "Pueblo Amante de Maria" for our love for the Mother
Read more

Nuestra Señora de los Dolores de Quezon - The Sorrowing Mother of Quezon Province

-
Image
Nuestra Señora de los Dolores de Quezon (Altar image) In the quiet yet mystical town of Dolores, Quezon, known as one of the most popular pilgrimage sites in the province where the famed Mount Banahaw is located where syncretic folk beliefs are practiced up to this day. Aside form the “mystical” Mount Banahaw, pilgrims would flock a church near the mountain and it became a center of pilgrimage for ages, the National Shrine of Nuestra Señora de los Dolores. The devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows of Dolores, Quezon flourished over the years and it became one of the most visited in the Quezon Province due to the numerous miracles that were attributed to her intercession. The image There were two images of the Virgin of Sorrows that is venerated in the shrine, the famed altar image that is currently enthroned at the center of the main altar and the processional image that also served as the pilgrim image of the shrine. Both images depict the Blessed Virgin Mary in her moment oi sor
Read more

Nuestra Señora de la Soledad de Porta Vaga - the Queen of Cavite

-
Image
Nuestra Señora de la Soledad de Porta Vaga In the province of Cavite, located in Southern Luzon area, there lies a church in Cavite City, then known as Cavite Puerto where it has been, and still is, the center of pilgrimage in the whole province and outside, including Metro Manila and other provinces for the parish San Roque in Cavite City is the home of the famous Patroness of the Cavite - Nuestra Señora de la Soledad de Porta Vaga, the undisputed Queen of Cavite. For Caviteños, the Soledad will always be part of their lives for tremendous miracles were attributed through her intercession and it is no wonder that in almost every home in Cavite, altars and doorsteps are not complete without an image of the Soledad either in print, sculpture, reliefs and other media. The icon has received several titles in its history, including "Queen of Cavite" and "Exalted Patroness and the Celestial Guardian and Protectress of the Province of Cavite and its Port" (Spanish
Read more

San Agustin de Tanza - Cavite's famous "Tata Usteng"

-
Image
San Agustin de Tanza "Tata Usteng" In the collective consciousness of the faithful in lowland Cavite, three famous Patrons are community not heard in their lips and centers of devotion, that of Nuestra Señora de la Soledad de Porta Vaga or "Nana Choleng" of Cavite City, Santa Maria Magdalena or "Nana Nena" of Kawit and our San Agustin of Tanza or more popularly known as "Tata Usteng". Arguably the most famous image of St. Augustine in the Philippines, Tata Usteng lavished his devotees with answered favors, unbelievable miracles and other phenomena that was engrained to the hearts and minds of Cavitenos and his devotees outside Cavite. The image The famed image of San Agustin of Tanza is that of a wooden detallado image of St. Augustine as a Bishop wearing his canonical garb, holding his staff, wearing his mitre and holding a book topped with a scale model of a church in allusion to his title as "Doctor of the Church". Although t
Read more

Santo Niño de Ternate - Ternate's watchful Patron

-
Image
Santo Niño deTernate In the town historic town of Ternate, located in Cavite province, there was this parish where it enshrines one of the well known images of the Holy Child Jesus in the Philippines - the image of Santo Niño de Ternate. The devotion to Santo Niño de Ternate is one of the most distinct in Cavite Province, along with the Virgen de la Soledad de Porta Vaga of Cavite City, Santa Maria Magdalena of Kawit, San Agustin of Tanza, Virgen de Candelaria of Silang, Virgen del Rosario de Caracol of Rosario, San Isidro Labrador of Ligtong, Virgen del Pilar of Imus among others. The devotion of the Ternateños is proven to be strong and its surrounding tradition is still observed up to the present. The image The image of Santo Niño de Ternate is one of the most unique image of the Child Jesus in the Philippines for it is only this image that is known for its big eyes that captivates the beholder. The image was that of wood done in a de tallado style yet it is meant to be ve
Read more