Santuario de San Pedro Bautista

The parish of Sanctuario de San Pedro Bautista (formerly named San Pedro Bautista Parish), stands on holy ground because of their Patron Saint, San Pedro Bautista, lived out his vocation, re-energized his missionary calling and prayed for God's people here.

The parish belongs to the Diocese of Cubao under the Vicariate of San Pedro Bautista. It is also under the care of Order of Friars Minor (OFM, aka Franciscans), the Franciscan Province of San Pedro Bautista.

History

When San Pedro Bautista was elected Cutos or Superior of all the Franciscans in the Philippines, he saw the need for a secluded place where the missionaries could recharge physically, mentally and spiritually. He traveled north of Intranmuros (Walled City of Manila) and founded the area - San Francisco del Monte on February 17, 1590.

San Francisco del Monte back then was an elevated area of 250 hectares with thick woods, surrounded by a creek and eight water springs. Fray Pedro Bautista built a little convent and a chapel of bamboo and nipa. He dedicated the chapel to Our Lady of Montecelli. The place was opened as a house of retreat for missionaries, a novitiate house and a place of reclusion for government officials.

The chapel was first replaced by a wooden structure, then by stone structure in 1599. The chapel was destroyed during the Limahong-led uprising 1639 and was completely destroyed by an earthquake in 1645.

In 1699, a church made of stone was built and the convent was restructured. The restructure chapel was dedicated to the newly beatified Blessed Pedro Bautista and his companion martyrs. The church structure of 1699 now serves as the main sanctuary of the current church.

On June 8, 1862, the Holy Martyrs of Japan were canonized by Pope Pius XIV.

In 1895, the friars abandoned the place and the Filipino revolutionary forces occupied the church.

In 1898, the American soldiers occupied the church. Then the church was left idle until it was repaired in 1912.

In 1914, the church was blessed and a town fiesta was held to honor it's Patron Saint - San Pedro Bautista.

On November 11, 1932, the church was declared a parish named in honor of its Founder and Patron Saint, San Pedro Bautista. Before the decree, the parish belonged to a parish in Caloocan (then a town northwest of San Francisco del Monte). A historical marker was placed at the facade of the old church at this time as well.

In 1989, the three-centuries old baroque altars were transferred to the main sanctuary in time for the celebration of the 400th anniversary of the founding of San Francisco del Monte on February 17, 1990.

The life size image of San Pedro Bautista was enshrined at the center of the altar. Other Franciscan saints (such as St. Anthony of Padua, OFM, St. Claire of Assisi, St. Felipe de Jesus, OFM, St. Bonaventure of Bagnoregio, OFM and St. Francis of Assisi) occupied the other baroque altars in the main sanctuary. The dedication ceremony of the new sanctuary was headed by the Franciscan Superior of the order. The feast day celebration that year (2/17/90) was headed by Jaime Cardinal Sin.

Last February 5, 1997, the parish marked the 400th Anniversary of the Martyrdom of San Pedro Bautista. Two murals were created to commemorate the life of San Pedro Bautista are on display on each side of the sanctuary. The mural on the left is that of the life of San Pedro Bautista from Avila, Spain to San Francisco del Monte, from teaching the natives the use of musical instruments to finding medicinal use for the natural springs of Los Banos, Laguna, from his arrival to the shores of Japan to his death in Nagasaki. The mural on the right is that of the martyrdom scene on the hill of Nagasaki.

On February 25, 2001, the parish church was declared an archdiocesan shrine and the name was changed to Sanctuario de San Pedro Bautista in view of its historical and religious significance to the then Archdiocese of Manila.

In 2003, the Diocese of Cubao was created from the Archdiocese of Manila. The Diocesan Coat of Arms has a Tau cross on top of the hills. It reminds the faithful of the Franciscan missionary and martyr, San Pedro Bautista, who founded the first missions in San Francisco del Monte in the late 1500s before he was martyred in Japan.

Parish Priests

There are 22 parish priests assigned here, namely:
* Mariano Montero, OFM(1932-1933)
* Jose Agundez, OFM (1933-1935)
* Francisco Santos, OFM (1935-1938)
* Blas Garcia, OFM (1938-1939),
* Alejandro Carrasco, OFM (1939-1943)
* Angel Portalatin, OFM (1943-1945)
* Gerardo Chicano, OFM (1945-1954)
* Roberto Mangubat, OFM (1954-1960)
* Silvestre Murillo, OFM (1960-1964)
* Segundino Blanco, OFM (1964-1966)
* Jesus Martinez, OFM (1966-1967)
* Agapito Diez, OFM (1967)
* Jose Barullo, OFM (1967-1968)
* Leon Ramos, OFM (1968-1969)
* Agapito Diez, OFM (1969-1983)
* Alberto Baldo, OFM (1983-1989)
* Jimmy Giron, OFM (1989-1995)
* Romeo Gil Abesamis, OFM (April 1995-November 1995)
* Cielo Almasan, OFM (1995-April 1996)
* Roberto Manansala, OFM (1996-2002)
* Reu Jose Galoy, OFM (April 2002-2006)
* Carlos Santos, OFM (2006-present)

The Pastoral Team

There are 6 priests assigned here(including the Parish Priest), namely:

Carlos Santos, OFM (Parish Priest), Rolie Pimentero, OFM (Asst. Parish Priest), Romy Floralde, OFM (Guardian), Mario Evangelista, OFM, Jose Femilou Gutay, OFM, and Renato Dameg, OFM

Jurisdiction

Santuario de San Pedro Bautista covers six barangays, namely:

Damayan, Del Monte, Mariblo, Paraiso, Sta. Cruz, and Talayan

Liturgical Services

Daily Masses: 5:30 am, 6:30 am, 6:00 pm(Anticipated Mass on Saturdays);Sunday Masses: 5:00 am, 6:15 am, 7:30 am, 8:45 am, 10:00 am, 4:00 pm, 5:15 pm, 6:30 pm, 7:45 pm

References

* Santuario de San Pedro Bautista (http://www.geocities.com/spbp70/index.html)
* The Roman Catholic Diocese of Cubao (http://www.dioceseofcubao.org/)