Seventy years ago, in February of 1945, the 337-year old history of Saint Nicholas Intramuros in Manila was crushed under the weight of bombs. It was the mother house of the Province of Saint Nicholas of Tolentino, the missionary province of the Order of Augustinian Recollects.
Upon arriving at their first mission, the Augustinian Recollects settled in Manila: initally, outside of the walls, in a convent already dedicated to Saint Nicholas de Tolentino, the Saint who at the outset had presided over their missionary adventure.
In no time, they were invited to establish in the city itself, within the walls (“intramuros”). They settled there in 1608 and eleven years later, in 1619, the then superior Rodrigo de San Miguel finished the construction of the church and convent, “one of the best works of that city”, as he would remark with pride.
This new convent of San Nicolas in Intramuros, built from donations of the faithful, would be the command hub of the pastoral activity that the Recollects were undertaking in the whole Philippine archipelago. They did as the other Orders, who also had their headquarters in Intramuros.
All these houses, along with the cathedral and the other constructions that were added in the course of time, were crammed in the barely 50 hectares that was colonial Manila.
Of course, the convent and church of Intramuros were not always the imposing buildings that we admire in 19th or 20th century photos. In places like the Philippines, few buildings could long resist the fury of typhoons and the brunt of earthquakes and volcanoes.
The Manila cathedral had to be reconstructed eight times. The present church of San Agustin, also in Intramuros, is the third building occupying the same lot. The steel structure of San Sebastian that we admire today replaces four previous shrines.
Finally, the San Nicolas church and convent complex that we know is the fourth iteration of a bumpy history, the building’s as well as the community’s, whose finances crumbled alongside the walls of their residence, to a point that for a time the friars had to go begging in the streets.
It was located in the southern part of the walled city, opposite Fort Santiago, which controlled the mouth of the Pasig River. Its back portion faced the wall, beside the Recoletos ravelin and the San Andres rampart, which used to be called San Nicolas. From there, one could enjoy the view of the Luneta park and the districts of Ermita and Malate.
The splendid facade of the church and the majestic plaza which gave it breathing space formed the corner of Cabildo and Recoletos streets. Today, that site is occupied by the central office of Manila Bulletin, one of the country’s most prestigious newspapers.
NEXT PAGE: 3. Touring Intramuros convent
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