Pasig Cathedral

Pasig Cathedral, canonically recognized as the Immaculate Conception Cathedral-Parish, is the Catholic church located in Plaza Rizal, Barangay Malinao, Pasig City in Metro Manila, Philippines. It is the mother church, and the episcopal seat of the Diocese of Pasig and one of the oldest structures in the city.

Immaculate Conception Cathedral-Parish
Catedral y Parroquia de la Inmaculada Concepción
Katedral at Parokya ng Inmaculada Concepcion
Immaculate Conception Cathedral-Parish Immaculate Conception Cathedral-Parish Immaculate Conception Cathedral-Parish
14°33′37″N 121°04′39″E
Location	Plaza Rizal, Barangay Malinao, Pasig City, Philippines
Country	Philippines
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Website	iccpasig.org/home
History
Former name(s)	Immaculate Conception Parish
Authorising papal bull	Deus Caritas
Founded	July 2, 1573
Dedication	Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception of Pasig
Administration
Diocese	Diocese of Pasig
Province	Metropolitan Archdiocese of Manila
Circuit	2003
Division	Vicariate of the Immaculate Conception
Clergy
Archbishop	sede vacante
Bishop(s)	Most Rev. Mylo Hubert C. Vergara, DD
Rector	Rev. Fr. Joselito I. Jopson
Assistant priest(s)	Rev. Fr. Bernardo Carpio Rev. Fr. Feliciano Gutierrez

It was founded as a parish by the Augustinian missionaries on July 2, 1573, coinciding with the foundation of the town of Pasig. Initially, the parish was consecrated to the Visitation of Our Lady, but on April 25, 1587, was changed to Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, the patroness of the Augustinian priests during that time.[1]

The parish was administered by the CICM Fathers from 1910 to 1979, after which the Filipino clergy took over the pastoral leadership of the parish. Until 2003, the parish was a part of the Archdiocese of Manila. During the time of Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin, the parish belonged to the Ecclesiastical District of Makati until October 2001, when it became part of the newly created Ecclesiastical District of Pasig. On August 21, 2003, the district was elevated as a separate and independent diocese, with the elevation of the parish into the status of a cathedral. The present parish priest and rector of the cathedral is the Rev. Fr. Joselito I. Jopson.

History

An 18th century bell located at the church grounds.

The Immaculate Conception Parish was initially established as a mission-parish by an Augustinian friar, Alonso de Alvarado, on January 20, 1572 in the village of Pinagbuhatan. However, frequent flooding in the original site prompted the Augustinian priests to relocate it to higher ground, where the cathedral now currently stands.[2]

On July 2, 1573, coinciding with the establishment of the town (now city) of Pasig, the church was consecrated to the Our Lady of the Visitation, which served as the first patroness of Pasig. The town patroness was eventually changed into the Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception on April 25, 1587.

During the brief British occupation in Manila in 1762 to 1764, the church served as the British military headquarters, its belfry used as a watchtower against the Spanish defenders.

After the Augustinians, the CICM missionaries arrived and began the administration of the parish in 1910. Three years later, the congregation founded the first parochial school for boys (present-day Pasig Catholic College). In 1979, the diocesan clergy from the Archdiocese of Manila took over the supervision of the parish, and Bishop Manuel Sobreviñas, then auxiliary bishop of Manila, became the first Filipino parish priest. Assisting him as parochial administrator was Fr. Andres Desmet, CICM.

Pasig Cathedral in February 2019

In 1993, Sobreviñas became the bishop of the Diocese of Imus. Msgr. Emmanuel Sunga became the new pastor, and was transferred to Santo Niño Parish in Tondo, Manila four years later. Msgr. Manuel Gabriel came to Pasig in 1997 from the Most Holy Trinity Parish in Balic-balic, Sampaloc, Manila, and it was during his term that the parish had electronic chromatically-tuned carillon bells installed in its belfry. The Immaculate Conception Parish was declared one of the Jubilee churches in the Archdiocese of Manila in the year 2000.

In October 2001, the Ecclesiastical District of Pasig was created, covering the Vicariate of the Immaculate Conception, along with the parishes of Pateros and Taguig City. Bishop Nestor Cariño served as the first district bishop.

Two years later, Pope John Paul II signed his Papal Bull, Deus Caritas, decreeing the establishment of a new diocese comprising Pasig City, Pateros, and Taguig City. The parish was designated to be the cathedral and seat of the Bishop of Pasig. Bishop Francisco San Diego became the founding bishop of the diocese on August 21, 2003. Msgr. Gabriel became its first rector. After Msgr. Gabriel resigned some weeks after, Bishop San Diego named the Vicar-General, Msgr. Rodolfo Gallardo, as the new rector of the cathedral. Msgr. Gallardo was installed rector. During his short stint as rector, he mobilized the church's PPCRV awareness campaign for the May 2004 national presidential elections and started the Simbamahalaan encounter between parish lay leaders and LGU leaders and workers of Pasig City Hall. Upon his retirement in February 2005, Bishop San Diego took over as acting parish priest and rector.

In June 2005, Fr. Roy Rosales was named fourth rector of the cathedral. He spearheaded the restoration of most of the cathedral's artifacts, like the image of Our Lady of the Apocalypse, the Baptistery, the Cathedral Facade, the processional image of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, the retablos and the original image of the Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, patroness of Pasig. It was also through the efforts of Fr. Rosales that the Immaculate Conception Cathedral-Parish witnessed the Solemn Canonical Coronation of its patron as Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception of Pasig last December 7, 2008. The celebration was led by the Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines, Most Rev. Edward Joseph Adams, the Bishop of Pasig, and the entire faithful in the diocese.

In May 2010, Fr. Orlando Cantillon was named fifth rector of the cathedral. In February 2015, Bishop Mylo Vergara named Rev. Fr. Joselito I. Jopson, parish priest of Santo Rosario de Pasig Parish, as the sixth rector and eighth Filipino parish priest of the cathedral. Fr. Jopson also serves as Vicar-Forane of the Immaculate Conception and the social communications minister in the diocese.

Ecclesiastical territory

Previously, the Immaculate Conception Cathedral belonged to the Archdiocese of Manila. It became the seat of the Diocese of Pasig in 2003

The Immaculate Conception Cathedral comprises the 9 barangays in Pasig City and are divided according to the patron of the chapel in the community:

• Pamayanan ng Nuestra Senora Rosa Mystica
• Pamayanan ng San Jose
• Pamayanan ng San Felipe at Santiago
• Pamayanan ng Our Lady of Fatima
• Pamayanan ng Sta. Rosa de Lima
• Pamayanan ng Sta. Rosa - Sumilang
• Pamayanan ng San Nicolas
• Pamayanan ng Sta. Cruz
• Pamayanan ng San Isidro Labrador at San Roque

Jurisdiction

The Immaculate Conception Cathedral comprises the following barangays in Pasig City:

• Malinao (Poblacion)
• San Jose
• Bambang
• Bagong Katipunan
• Santa Rosa
• Sumilang
• San Nicolas
• Santa Cruz
• Kapasigan

Pastors

Below is the list of Filipino parish priests.

Name	Years of Pastorship	Present Assignment
Most Rev. Manuel Sobreviñas, DD	1979 to 1993	Deceased	Rev. Msgr. Emmanuel V. Sunga, PC, STh.L	1993 to 1997	Archdiocesan Shrine and Parish of Our Lady of Loreto (Sampaloc, Manila)
Rev. Msgr. Manuel G. Gabriel, PC, STh.D (Msgr. Manny)	1997 to 2003	retired in the Diocese of Parañaque
Rev. Msgr. Rodolfo A. Gallardo, PC (Msgr. Rudy)	2003 to 2005	Retired, San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan
Most Rev. Francisco C. San Diego, DD	February to June 2005	deceased
Rev. Fr. Roy M. Rosales, STL	2005 to 2010	Parish Priest, Holy Family Parish (Kapitolyo, Pasig City)
Very Rev. Fr. Orlando B. Cantillon, V.G. (Fr. Orly)	2010 to 2015	Vicar-General, Diocese of Pasig
Rev. Fr. Joselito I. Jopson, M.A., ECE, SCSL (Fr. Lito)	2015–present

See also

• Diocese of Pasig
• Francisco San Diego
• Archdiocese of Manila

References

1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-05-02. Retrieved 2014-05-02.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
2. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-05-02. Retrieved 2014-05-02.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

Resources

• The 2010–2011 Catholic Directory of the Philippines (published by Claretian Publications for the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines, June 2008)

External links

• Official website