San Sebastian Church (Manila)

Roman Catholic church in Manila, Philippines

The Minor Basilica of San Sebastian and Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (; lang es), better known as San Sebastian Church or San Sebastian Basilica, is a minor basilica of the Roman Catholic Church in Manila, Philippines. The current structure completed in 1891, the San Sebastian Church is noted for its architecture. An example of the Gothic Revival architecture in the Philippines, it is the only steel building church in the Philippines. It was designated as a National Historical Landmark in 1973 and as a National Cultural Treasure in 2011.

In 1621, Bernardino Castillo, a generous patron and a devotee of the 3rd century Roman martyr Saint Sebastian, donated the land upon which the church stands. The original structure, made of wood, burned in 1651 during a Chinese Filipino uprising. Succeeding structures, which were built of brick, were destroyed by fire and earthquakes in 1859, 1863, and 1880. In all, of prefabricated steel sections were transported in eight separate shipments from Belgium to the Philippines, the first shipment arriving in 1888. The walls were filled with mixed sand, gravel, and cement.

In recent years, San Sebastian Church has encountered threats to its structural integrity. The steel structure has been beset by rust and corrosion due to sea breezes from nearby Manila Bay. The church was listed again as one of the most endangered monuments in the world by World Monuments Fund in the 2010 World Monuments Watch, along with the Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras and Santa Maria Church. All of the sites were taken off the list in 2011 after the passage of the National Cultural Heritage Act.

San Sebastian Church has two openwork towers and steel vaulting. From its floor, the basilica's nave rises to the dome, and to the tip of the twin spires. of the church incorporates groined vaults in the Gothic architecture style permitting very ample illumination from lateral windows. and Rocha. The sculptor Eusebio Garcia carved the statues of holy men and women. Six holy water fonts were constructed for the church, each crafted from marble obtained from Romblon. Above the main altar is the ivory statue of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, given to the church by Carmelite sisters from Mexico City in 1617.

It has long been reputed that Gustave Eiffel, the French engineer behind the Eiffel Tower and the steel structure within the Statue of Liberty, was involved in the design and construction of San Sebastián, but this was never confirmed. However, it was confirmed later on that Eiffel was involved in designing and supplying the metal framework for San Ignacio Church in Intramuros, thus confirming the contribution of Eiffel in Philippine church architecture, if not in San Sebastián Church.