this is the image of our patron in Tanza, Navotas...it is entitled as
"Mahal na Poong Santa Cruz"
it was a long, long time when this Image was found, in a river near our barangay. it was said that on its beginning days, it was found as a simple Cross floating in the sea. one time, as said from the mouth of the elders of the Parish, it was time of the Japanese, and they were planning to invade the barangay (at that time, Tanza was just a simple barangay, the present streets today, were just a part of a fishpond at that time.) and with it, take the men as prisoners. The men of Tanza, at that time, were very threatened with that, and planned one thing, one thing that, they do not know, will save them. One night, as the Japanese are on the way to Tanza, the men got up, and gone in a procession, bare naked, the Cross with them, around the Barangay, praying the Rosary. When they came to the bridge, they saw the Japanese in front of them. they were frightened, but inspite of that, they continued to pray. To their suprise, the japanese did not saw them. Instead, they were seemed to be shocked, as if they saw something, and turned back and never came back to the Barangay. With that, the people truly came to believe that the Cross had something they did not knew.
it was brought in a chapel in a street that was came to be known as Tanza Kaliwa. after some time, it was brought to the church constructed in E. Rodriguez street, the present seat of the parish. it was said that as time goes by, the Cross grows in length.
from that time on, up to this very day, this image is bringing the Catholic people of Tanza to God, who sent His Son to save Humankind by dying on the Cross.
Its feast is being celebrated on the Second Saturday of May.
The Catholic feast of the Triumph of the Cross is celebrated on September 14.