Sta. Cruz Church is located in downtown Manila, at the side of the former financial center Escolta and by the entrance of Chinatown. It is an oasis of Eucharistic adoration and prayer in the heart of the busy city. Administered by the Blessed Sacrament Fathers and Brothers since August 1957, it is considered as a Shrine of the Blessed Sacrament and a center for Eucharistic liturgy and formation.
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The first Santa Cruz Church (often abbreviated to Sta. Cruz Church) was erected in 1608 by the Society of Jesus, better known as Jesuits, as a parish church for the swelling ranks of Chinese immigrants to Manila, many of whom had converted to the Catholic faith. The original structure was twice damaged by earthquakes, and totally destroyed in World War II. The present building, completed in 1957, is essentially Baroque and somewhat reminiscent of the Spanish-built mission churches in southern California.
