Arts & Leisure
Posted on March 22, 2016 05:07:00 PM
By Nickky F. P. de Guzman, Reporter
Saving grace: Why San Sebastian should be part of your Visita Iglesia
A SIGHT of towering beauty in the midst of a busy street in Quiapo, the San Sebastian Church -- also known as Basilica Menor de San Sebastian -- has witnessed the cries for help and of worship of churchgoers ever since it opened in 1891. But for this Holy Week -- and the coming days and years -- the centuries-old church itself is appealing to its visitors to help its current restoration crusade.
“Just as Visita Iglesia is an expression of our devotion, our penitence, and our faith, so, too, is the Minor Basilica of St. Sebastian,” Fr. Antonio Zabala, Jr., OSA, San Sebastian’s parish priest and the rector of the Shrine of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel is quoted saying in a statement.
The San Sebastian Conservation and Development Foundation, Inc. (SSBCDFI) is the foundation at the helm of the church’s restoration. It offers year-round paid tours for at least P80 for students, but the tour is free for all visitors and pilgrims tomorrow.
“We rally the faithful to help us in its restoration project so that we can truly affirm the strength of our faith,” said Fr. Zabala.
The SSBCDFI is a Security and Exchanged Commission-approved organization composed of Recollect friars and professionals with one target in mind: to finish the restoration process by 2022.
“The problem is not that the building is in a tropics environment, but that it has over 300 leaks. For steel to not rust, the paint on it must be intact. This way, it can survive easily in the tropics. So the problem is not steel in the Philippines, but that deferred maintenance, some poor repairs, and some flaws in design or construction in the past have encouraged these leaks, which causes rust,” said SSBCDI executive director Tina Paterno in an e-mail interview.
The basilica has had previous repair campaigns. “I don’t know if they were full-fledged restorations,” said Ms. Paterno, but according to their historic research, there were about 11 (and “probably more unrecorded”) restoration campaigns.
To prevent the recurrence of the same problem after the ongoing restoration campaign ends in 2022, Ms. Paterno said: “We currently run tours and have a merchandise program that will help make our work sustainable during the restoration, and can carry over when the project is done. That money will be used for [the church’s] proper maintenance so that we do not find ourselves in the same situation in the future.”
As for how much the project will cost and how are they going to cover it, Ms. Paterno begged off from stating a specific amount until the foundation’s final study. “The funding for the diagnostic phase was through the Recollects and the US Department of State through the Ambassador’s fund for Cultural Preservation, administered through the Embassy Manila,” she said. They also received grants from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and Bakas Pilipinas, a Philippine historic preservation society in New York.
Designed by Genaro Palacios, the structural metal of the church was manufactured in Belgium and erected by Belgian engineers. It took a decade to finish the church from concept to execution. According to Ms. Paterno, seven countries came together to produce the church, “and now nationals from different countries are again coming together to save it.”
They have sought help from consultants who have worked on similar structures including San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge and New York’s Statue of Liberty. But contrary to popular belief, the church is not related to Paris’ Eiffel Tower, although both are made of steel.
“Do not believe what you read online!” said Ms. Paterno. “We’ve been researching [about] this (the relationship between Eiffel and San Sebastian) for a while, and it does not look likely.”
This is just one of the educational tidbits the church tours share with pilgrims and visitors.
Oftentimes, people who are used to seeing and passing by a historical edifice tend to take for granted its meaning and importance, and will only remember it once it is already deteriorating. So when asked why people should visit San Sebastian, Ms Paterno said: “[The churchgoers] should walk out recognizing what a unique building this is. That this is one of the last remaining churches with authentic interiors...”
Author and philosopher Alain de Botton in his book The Art of Travel emphasized this when he said, “Try, before taking off for distant hemispheres to notice what we have already seen.”
TOUR ITINERARY SUGGESTION:
If you plan to do your Visita Iglesia in the Manila area, here is a route suggested by the folks of San Sebastian:
Start with the twin churches of Our Lady of Loreto and Saint Anthony on J. Figueras St. (old Bustillos); then move on to the Our Lady of Montserrat chapel at San Beda on Mendiola St., followed by Saint Jude Church and San Miguel Church along J.P. Laurel Sr. St., in Malacanang. Continue the pilgrimage at the Quiapo Church, and then end at San Sebastian church on Plaza del Carmen, R. Hidalgo St., Quiapo, Manila.
For more information, contact the foundation through e-mail (savesansebastian.org@gmail.com) and landline (708-5122).
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