Misplaced Pages

Diocesan Shrine of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus (UPLB)

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Roman Catholic church in Laguna, Philippines

Church in Laguna, Philippines
St. Thérèse Church
Diocesan Shrine of St. Therese of the Child Jesus
The church in 2010
St. Thérèse Church is located in LagunaSt. Thérèse ChurchSt. Thérèse ChurchLocation in LagunaShow map of LagunaSt. Thérèse Church is located in LuzonSt. Thérèse ChurchSt. Thérèse ChurchLocation in LuzonShow map of LuzonSt. Thérèse Church is located in PhilippinesSt. Thérèse ChurchSt. Thérèse ChurchLocation in the PhilippinesShow map of Philippines
14°9′53″N 121°14′42″E / 14.16472°N 121.24500°E / 14.16472; 121.24500
Location10867 Victoria M. Ela Street (formerly Silangan Road), University of the Philippines Los Baños, College, Los Baños, Laguna
CountryPhilippines
DenominationRoman Catholic
Websitehttps://www.facebook.com/DiocesanShrineofSt.ThereseUPLB
History
Former name(s)Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus Parish
StatusDiocesan shrine and parish church
Founded1927 (as chapel); 1958 (as parish church)
DedicationThérèse of the Child Jesus
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Architect(s)Felipe M. Mendoza
Architectural typeChurch building
StyleModern contemporary
Specifications
Capacity1,500
MaterialsConcrete, wood, and metal
Administration
District2
ProvinceManila
ArchdioceseManila
DioceseSan Pablo
DeaneryImmaculate Conception
Clergy
ArchbishopJose Advincula
Bishop(s)Marcelino Antonio Maralit
ProvostAbraham P. Paz, S.V.D.
RectorPhilip B. Atienza (2019–present)
Vicar(s)Christian Dale E. Dakila (2023–2024)
Assistant priest(s)Christian Dale E. Dakila
Abraham P. Paz, S.V.D.

The Diocesan Shrine of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus, formerly known as Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus Parish, is a Roman Catholic church located along Victoria M. Ela St. inside the University of the Philippines Los Baños campus and is often referred to as the unofficial "UPLB Chapel or "College Chapel". The church is under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of San Pablo. It is the first church in the Philippines dedicated to Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus as its first titular patroness (since 1927) and one of the three Roman catholic churches in the municipality of Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines.

History

The devotion to St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus started in the mid-1920s due to students and professors of the University of the Philippines College of Agriculture and School of Forestry. Upon petitioning church authorities to build a chapel outside the university's perimeter fence, a chapel was built in honor of St. Thérèse in 1927 with a seating capacity of 120 people. Since then, it has become the unofficial catholic college chapel. The parish was officially established under the Archdiocese of Lipa in 1958. It serves the spiritual needs of the former parishioners of the Immaculate Conception Parish living around the University of the Philippines College of Agriculture and College of Forestry. The first parish priest was Father John Hurley. Due to lack of priests, the parish was administered by priests from the Society of the Divine Word (SVD) for 33 years. The present church with a seating capacity of 1,500 was built and blessed in 1971. In 2000, the secular priests took charge of the parish, with Monsignor Bernardino Cortez and Father Gabriel Ma. Delfino as parish priest and assistant parish priest, respectively. When Monsignor Cortez was appointed as Auxiliary Bishop of Manila, Monsignor James Contreras succeeded as parish priest. From 2008 to 2013, the church was administered by Father Jose Thor R. Villacarlos, and was succeeded by to Rev. Fr. Luis A. Tolentino, Parish Priest (2013–2019) and its first Shrine Rector (2016–2019). Currently, DSSTCJ is being shepherded by Rev. Fr. Philip B. Atienza as its Parish Priest and Shrine Rector (2019-Present). Fr. Philip is a native of Lumban, Laguna and a former director of the Diocesan Catholic Schools System (DCSS) of the Diocese of San Pablo.

In 2013, the relics of St. Thérèse visited the UPLB community as part of its world pilgrimage. The parish church was elevated to a diocesan shrine on October 1, 2016.

Between January 30 and 31, 2023, the pilgrim relics of St. Thérèse made a stop for the 5th time in the Church's history, in commemoration of her 150th birth anniversary. In 2027, it is anticipated to be the Centennial Jubilee of the Shrine as well the devotion to the little flower of Jesus which blossomed in a tiny place of worship more popularly known as the College Chapel - believed to be the first Church in the Philippines dedicated to St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus.

Facilities

Most of the church facilities and adjacent church structures was constructed under the Foundation of St. Thérèse Parish, Inc. (FSTPI), which caters the material needs of the church. It includes the parish rectory (including the rectory annex), Garden of Peace (ossuary), St. Thérèse Baptistry, Resurrection Chapel, and sacristy. After due technical process and mutual understanding, the pastoral care and management has been turned over to the Diocese of San Pablo in which the foundation is no longer directly connected with the current administration. Due to the protocols established during the COVID-19 pandemic, an open venue named as DSSTCJ al fresco was inaugurated in 2022 where major social events and formation activities are being made. In November 2022, a groundbreaking ceremony was held for the first phase of the Resurrection Garden Expansion Plan, which aims to provide additional niches for cremated urns and enhance the structural aesthetics of the current columbary. The second phase, which is scheduled to begin construction in 2024, will upgrade the two existing memorial chapels and add a second floor for more columbary units and a provision for two new memorial chapels. During the 2023 fiesta celebration, the rehabilitated choir loft of the main church was officially inaugurated. This was done to improve the structural stability and increase its load-bearing capacity so that more servers can be accommodated in all Mass service. Several improvements and renovations were made up to this day to sustain and accommodate more pilgrims and Church goers with the Shrine's ongoing pastoral, devotional, and formation programs.

References

  1. https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=160880339907117&set=a.160880323240452
  2. ^ "Pilgrim Relics: St. Therese visits 'Godless' UPLB". January 27, 2013. Retrieved August 26, 2014.
  3. ^ Torrevillas, Domini (October 16, 2008). "Conflict at St. Therese Church". The Philippine STAR. Retrieved August 26, 2014.
  4. "Los Baños' St. Therese church declared diocesan shrine". CBCP News. Archived from the original on October 30, 2016. Retrieved October 30, 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  5. Hermoso, Christina (October 4, 2016). "St. Therese Parish at UPLB declared Diocesan Shrine". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved October 1, 2020.

External links

Roman Catholic Diocese of San Pablo
Dioecesis Sancti Pauli in Insulis Philippinis
Territories
Ordinaries
Cathedral
Shrines
National
Diocesan
Parishes
Vicariate of
Holy Family
  • Christ the King (San Pedro, Laguna)
  • Holy Family Parish (San Pedro, Laguna)
  • Most Holy Name of Jesus (San Pedro, Laguna)
  • Mother of Good Counsel (San Pedro, Laguna)
  • Our Lady of the Holy Rosary (San Pedro, Laguna)
  • San Martin de Porres (San Pedro, Laguna)
  • St. Joseph the Patriarch (San Pedro, Laguna)
  • St. Joseph the Worker (San Pedro, Laguna)
Vicariate of
San Pedro
  • San Pedro Apostol (San Pedro, Laguna)
  • San Lorenzo Ruiz (San Pedro, Laguna)
  • Sto. Rosario (San Pedro, Laguna)
  • Jesus in the Holy Sepulchre (San Pedro, Laguna)
  • Our Lady of Fatima (San Pedro, Laguna)
  • Our Lady of Lourdes (San Pedro, Laguna)
Vicariate of
San Isidro
Labrador
  • San Isidro Labrador (Biñan, Laguna)
  • Blessed Sacrament (Biñan, Laguna)
  • Nuestra Señora dela Paz y Buen Viaje (Biñan, Laguna)
  • Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal (Biñan, Laguna)
  • Risen Lord (Biñan, Laguna)
  • San Antonio de Padua (Biñan, Laguna)
  • San Pedro Apostol (Biñan, Laguna)
  • San Vicente Ferrer (Biñan, Laguna)
  • St. Joseph the Worker (Biñan, Laguna)
  • St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta (Biñan, Laguna)
  • Sto. Niño de Cebu (Biñan, Laguna)
Vicariate of
Sta. Rosa
de Lima
  • Sta. Rosa de Lima (Sta. Rosa, Laguna)
  • Chair of St. Peter (Sta. Rosa, Laguna)
  • Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary (Sta. Rosa, Laguna)
  • Our Mother of Perpetual Help (Sta. Rosa, Laguna)
  • San Lorenzo Ruiz (Sta. Rosa, Laguna)
  • St. John Bosco (Sta. Rosa, Laguna)
Vicariate of
St. Polycarp
  • St. Polycarp (Cabuyao, Laguna)
  • St. Francis of Assisi (Cabuyao, Laguna)
  • St. Joseph the Worker (Cabuyao, Laguna)
  • San Vicente Ferrer (Cabuyao, Laguna)
  • San Miguel Arkanghel (Calamba, Laguna)
Vicariate of
St. John
the Baptist
  • St. John the Baptist (Calamba, Laguna)
  • Holy Trinity (Calamba, Laguna)
  • Mary Help of Christians (Calamba, Laguna)
  • Our Lady of Fatima (Calamba, Laguna)
  • San Agustin (Calamba, Laguna)
  • San Isidro Labrador (Calamba, Laguna)
  • San Pedro Calungsod (Calamba, Laguna)
  • San Vicente Ferrer (Calamba, Laguna)
  • St. Joseph the Worker (Calamba, Laguna)
  • St. Mary Magdalene (Calamba, Laguna)
  • Sts. Peter and Paul (Calamba, Laguna)
Vicariate of
Immaculate
Conception
Vicariate of
St. Paul the
First Hermit
  • St. Paul the First Hermit (San Pablo, Laguna)
  • Nuestra Señora de los Remedios (San Pablo, Laguna)
  • San Gabriel Arkanghel (San Pablo, Laguna)
  • St. Francis of Assisi (San Pablo, Laguna)
  • St. Luke the Evangelist (San Pablo, Laguna)
  • Immaculate Conception (San Pablo, Laguna)
  • San Roque (San Pablo, Laguna)
  • Our Lady of the Pillar (Alaminos, Laguna)
Vicariate
of San
Bartolome
Vicariate of
San Antonio
De Padua
Vicariate of
Our Lady of
Guadalupe
Vicariate of
St. James
Vicariate of
Sts. Peter
and Paul
Seminaries
  • St. Peter's College Seminary
  • San Pablo Theological Formation House
Catholic Schools
Diocesan Catholic
School System
  • Immaculate Conception Catholic School- Calamba
  • Immaculate Conception Catholic School- Sta. Cruz
  • Liceo de Bay
  • Liceo de Cabuyao
  • Liceo de Calamba
  • Liceo de Calamba Annex
  • Liceo de Calauan
  • Liceo de Cavinti
  • Liceo de Liliw
  • Liceo de Los Baños
  • Liceo de Luisiana
  • Liceo de Majayjay
  • Liceo de Mamatid
  • Liceo de Paete
  • Liceo de Pagsanjan
  • Liceo de Pakil
  • Liceo de Pila
  • Liceo de San Antonio
  • Liceo de San Pablo
  • Liceo de San Pedro
  • Liceo de Victoria
Venerated Images
Categories: