Sacred Heart Parish Kamuning - History

History

Kamuning, formerly known as Barrio Obrero II, was a housing project site for government employees and their families. Late in 1939, the Kamuning Residents' Association sought pastoral care from the Society of the Divine World (SVD). The First Mass was celebrated where the Kamuning Public Market now stands, on that year's Christmas Eve. In the early 1940s, the parish boundaries reached as far east toward Loyola Heights and westward up to the Mabuhay Rotonda. About a year later, on October 1, 1941, the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish was established, and it has been in the care of the SVD missionaries since then. Today, the parish covers five barangays – Kamuning, Sacred Heart, South Triangle, Kristong Hari, Kalusugan, and part of Obrero. According to Philippines 2000 Census, the parish jurisdiction has a resident population of 43,074 people.

The Society of the Divine Word (SVD) was founded on September 8, 1875 by St. Arnold Janssen in Steyl, Netherlands. The SVD is one of the largest Ad Gentes Catholic religious male congregations in the world with over 6,000 members (priests and brothers) worldwide. The current Superior-General of the SVD is Rev. Fr. Antonio Pernia, SVD. The Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish - Kamuning is in the SVD Philippine Central Province, which is headed by a Provincial Superior. The current Provincial Superior of SVD PHC is Rev. Fr. Nielo Cantilado, SVD and he holds office at the provincialate in Tayuman, Manila.

A recent significant development in the history of the parish is the canonical dedication of the Shrine of the Divine Word, which is the chapel in the Christ the King Mission Seminary located along E. Rodriguez Sr. Avenue. The chapel became the Shrine on December 25, 2006 and Bishop Honesto F. Ongtioco of the Diocese of Cubao presided over the dedication rites. The Christ the King Mission Seminary is of the Society of the Divine Word and was established in 1933.