St. Alphonsus Mary de Ligouri Parish (Magallanes Church)
Nuestra Señora de Gracia Parish
City
Makati and Taguig
Location
7440 Bernardino St., Guadalupe Viejo, Makati City
Contact Details
Tel: (02) 896-8444 / Fax: (02) 895-9141
Capacity
Description
Nuestra Señora de Gracia Parish is a church located in Guadalupe Viejo and is one of the oldest churches in Metro Manila. The church is a favorite of soon-to-wed couples and its façade a favorite playground for most photographers.
The church was constructed from 1601 to 1629 under the supervision of the Augustinian Friars. It served as a seat of devotion for the Chinese after their uprising in 1639. The Church has survived many earthquakes including the 1645, 1658, 1754, and 1863 quakes that shook and devastated Manila and its surrounding communities, but the masonry roof collapsed in the earthquake of 1880 but was rebuilt two years later. In the cholera pandemic in 1882 the Parish church and its adjoining monastery became an orphan asylum and trade school for the benefit of the children of the cholera victims.
The monastery and the church were burnt down in the early skirmishes between the Filipinos and the Americans.
Today, this baroque church stands a top a hill surrounded by old trees. The architecture is manifested by Doric columns and leaf carvings above the main entrance, with a bell tower standing on the right side of the church. The Nuestra Señora de Gracia Parish is modest, solemn and perfect for an intimate and tranquil matrimonial ceremony blended with a touch of history.
