Sta. Cruz Parish Church in Manila has been granted the title of minor basilica by Pope Francis, making it the 25th church in the Philippines to receive this honor. 

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) confirmed the news in a post on its website on March 26.

The church will now be known as the “Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar.”

The minor basilica title recognizes the church's historical, architectural, and spiritual significance. 

It also means that Sta. Cruz Church now has a closer connection to the Pope and the right to display the papal symbol of crossed keys.

Founded in 1619 by Jesuit priests to serve Manila's Chinese community, Sta. Cruz Church enshrined a replica of Nuestra Señora del Pilar de Zaragoza from Spain in 1643. 

The image of Our Lady of the Pillar became the church’s patroness.

The church was damaged by two major earthquakes and was destroyed during the Battle of Manila in 1945. The current structure, which reflects Baroque influences, was completed in 1957.

In 1984, Cardinal Jaime Sin of Manila restored the name Sta. Cruz Parish and named St. Peter Julian Eymard as its second patron. 

The Blessed Sacrament Fathers and Brothers, who took over parish administration in the 1950s, strengthened devotion to the Holy Eucharist.

In 2018, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, then the archbishop of Manila, declared the church an Archdiocesan Shrine of the Blessed Sacrament. 

No formal date has been set for the official declaration of Sta. Cruz Church as a minor basilica.