Pasig Cathedral - History

History

The Immaculate Conception Parish was established as a mission-parish by the Augustinians on July 8, 1573. The new church was dedicated in honor of Our Lady of the Visitation, which was later renamed to the Immaculate Conception.

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.

In 1993, Sobreviñas became the bishop of the Diocese of Imus. Msgr. Emmanuel Sunga became the new pastor, and was transferred to Sto. 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 and would be prepared for its future recognition as cathedral.

The Immaculate Conception Parish was declared one of the Jubilee churches in the Archdiocese of Manila in the year 2000. Three years later, a papal bull of Pope John Paul II, entitled Deus Caritas, was issued, decreeing the establishment of a new diocese comprising Pasig City, Pateros, and Taguig City. The parish, as the oldest Marian church in Asia and as one known for its historical legacy, was designated to be the cathedral of the Diocese of Pasig. Bishop Francisco San Diego became the founding bishop of the diocese on August 21, 2003. Msgr. Gabriel became its first rector.

Concurrently the first Vicar-General of the diocese, Msgr. Rodolfo Gallardo was installed as the second rector of the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in December of 2003. He retired on February 2005, and was succeeded by Fr. Roy Rosales as the new rector.

Fr. Roy 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 as Rector that the Immaculate Conception Cathedral 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. Roy was assigned at the Parish of San Roque, recently inaugurated as the Diocesan Shrine of Santa Marta, in Pateros, Metro Manila. He was succeeded by Very Rev. Fr. Orlando 'Orly' B. Cantillon, Vicar General of the Diocese of Pasig as Rector and Parish Priest of the Cathedral.