The first Catholic minister of Tondo was the Augustinian priest Rev. Alfonso de Alvarado OSA. Tondo was the residence of Lakan Dula who was Rev. Martin de Rada. In the early days, its ecclesiastical jurisdiction extended up to Pasig, Cainta and Taytay. Tondo was the center of Catholic activities among the Chinese. The former convent was demolished in 1662 by Governer Sabiano Manrique de Lara as a military precaution against the expected attack on Manila by Kue-Sing. The present church was built by the Rev. Manuel Diez OSA and the Rev. Casimiro Herrero OSA in the second half of the 19th Century. Since the early days, the traditional fluvial procession of Sto. Niño has attracted thousands of visitors in Tondo.
