镜玄

这是在原址上第六次矗立起来的马尼拉大教堂，其坎坷的历程是顽强的长篇小说。

The first cathedral, made of nipa and bamboo, was constructed in 1581. It was damaged by a typhoon in 1582 and razed by fire in 1583.

The second cathedral, which was made of stone, was built in 1592. It was destroyed by an earthquake in 1600.

Construction of the third cathedral began in 1614. The new structure, consisting of three naves and seven chapels, was blessed in 1614. It was toppled by another earthquake which shook Manila in 1645.

The magnificent fourth cathedral was constructed from 1654 to 1671. It was severely damaged in 1863 by a very strong earthquake that also damaged the Palace of the Governor General of the Philippines. In 1880, another earthquake toppled its bell tower, rendering the cathedral towerless until 1959.

The fifth cathedral was constructed from 1870–1879. It was solemnly blessed in December of 1879. The cross atop the central dome is a reference point of astronomical longitudes of the archipelago. This incarnation of the cathedral was reduced to rubble by the bombing in 1945 during the Battle of Manila.

The present cathedral was constructed from 1954 to 1958 during the tenure of Manila Archbishop Rufino Jiao Cardinal Santos, and under the supervision of architect Fernando Ocampo. It was elevated to the rank of minor basilica in 1981 by Pope John Paul II.

看到了，圣母的日子也没好过到哪里去，台风、火灾、地震、战争......难怪表情绝望。建了毁、毁了建，四百多年，难为生活在马尼拉这块土地上的人们矢志不渝！