Shrine of St. Therese, Doctor of the Church

The Shrine of St. Therese of the Child Jesus, Doctor of the Church was built as a Diocesan Shrine of the Military Ordinariate of the Philippines. It is located along Manlunas St., Pasay City, Philippines in front of the main entrance of the NAIA Terminal III.

History

The Shrine had its humble beginnings as a makeshift chapel constructed by the first chaplain assigned in the Philippine Air Force in 1947, Fr. Jose Alberto, in what was then the Nichols Air Base, Pasay, Metro Manila, Philippines. Originally dedicated to St. Michael the Archangel, it was expanded and developed several times by the Philippine Air Force chaplains assigned in Villamor Air Base in order to serve the growing spiritual needs of the increasing number of Philippine Air Force personnel in this air base in Pasay City. After undergoing a major reconstruction in the 1980’s, it was consecrated on December 16, 1983 as a church dedicated to St. Therese of the Child Jesus by Archbishop Bruno Torpigliani, the Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines.

The Church was spared from destruction during the privatization of some parts of Villamor Air Base by the Memorandum of President Joseph Ejercito Estrada signed on April 10, 2000, [Cf. "Deed of Usufruct of Lot 6 of Swo-007605-00162-D in Favor of the Military Ordinariate of the Philippines" dated 09 November 2000.] and by the deed of usufruct granted to the Military Ordinariate of the Philippines by the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) on 09 November 2000 during the chairmanship of Rogelio L. Singson. [Cf. Ibid.] . After the visit of the pilgrim relics of St. Therese of the Child Jesus in the Philippines during the Great Jubilee year 2000, it again underwent a major reconstruction through the initiative and efforts of Archbishop Ramon C. Arguelles, the former Military Bishop, to give way to a much grander temple in honor of St. Therese, to promote her spirituality and to encourage the growing devotion to the "Millennium Saint" among the faithful of the Military Ordinariate.

From March 8, 2005, this project continued towards its completion under a new Military Bishop, Most Rev. Leopoldo S. Tumulak. On 6 January 2007, Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales, Archbishop of Manila, granted the request of the Military Bishop to hold liturgical celebrations and gatherings of the Military Ordinariate for its clergy and constituents in this Church collocated within the territorial jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Manila. [Cf. Letter of Gaudencio Cardinal B. Rosales, D.D. to Bishop Leopoldo Tumulak, D.D. dated 06 January 2007.] The Church was consecrated and re-dedicated to the "Doctor of Divine Love" by Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, Archbishop of Cebu; the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines President, Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, as co-consecrator; together with several bishops of the Philippines on 17 May [2007The other Bishops present during the consecration of St. Therese Diocesan Shrine were Bishop Gabriel Reyes of Antipolo; Bishop Bernardino Cortez-Auxiliary Bishop of Manila; Bishop Antonio Galang of San Jose, Mindoro; and Bishop John Du of Dumaguete.] - the 82nd anniversary of the canonization of St. Therese when the Church was declared by Bishop Tumulak as a Diocesan Shrine of the Military Ordinariate of the Philippines. The occasion was graced by Her Excellency, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who unveiled the historical marker, and the top brass of the Department of National Defense, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police and other government uniformed services under the canonical jurisdiction of the Military Ordinariate of the Philippines.----

Photos of the Shrine and its Events

References