The Baclaran Church, located in Manila, is one of the one of the most popular Roman Catholic churches in the Philippines, as it houses the icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, which was brought to the country in 1906. Every year in June, a feast is held in her honour.
Services in the church began in 1948, at that time the number of parishioners was measured in by a few. But by the end of 1949, it was necessary to increase the number of services to 8 per day, to accommodate all comers, and 10 years later - in 1958 - the room of the church was even enlarged. Since then, the altar has never been closed - it has remained accessible to all parishioners day and night. Today, the Baklaran Church accommodates about 2 thousand believers, another 9 thousand people can listen to masses standing. However, on on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, up to 120,000 people come here to take part in a - in a special Catholic service called novena. Confession is available every day.
Baklaran Church is a 7-storey building with vaulted ceilings and hundreds of pews. The altar was donated by the Inchosti family, prominent philanthropists from Manila's Malate district, in 1932. Architects who expanded the church in the 1950s, wanted to add a tall bell tower, but the proximity of the of the airport prevented those plans.
The history of the icon of the Mother of God of Relentless Help is interesting. During the World War II, when the Japanese occupied the Philippines, the rector of the church, Fr. Cosgrave hid the icon in the home of a family who lived near La Sane College. However. at the end of the war, their house was burnt down and no one knew what happened to the icon. It wasn't until after the liberation of the Philippines by American troops, one of the former monks of the church went to the old Bilibid prison building, where the Japanese hid items stolen from local homes. It was there that he saw the icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help.
Near the church are kiosks where you can buy candles, rosaries, prayer books and icons.
