Sacred Heart Parish at 60 proclaimed a shrine

CEBU, Philippines - The Sacred Heart Parish started in 1952 as Our Lady Queen of China Parish, established by the late Julio Cardinal Rosales, D.D., as a parish for the Chinese. The Jesuits who were expelled from Communist China, headed by Fr. Pardinas, S.J., were entrusted by Cardinal Rosales to run the parish.

The parish nurtured by the Jesuits of the China mission with the enthusiastic support of the Cebu Chinese community grew and flourished. By 1963, parish priest Fr. Arthur Baur, S.J. constructed the present church, transfering the parish to its present site at Jakosalem Street. Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, D.D. made it a territorial parish.

This year, on its 60th Anniversary, Archbishop Jose Palma, D.D. has made the Sacred Heart Parish an Archdiocesan Shrine of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus (May 10, 2012). Formal proclamation was done in a solemn liturgy on May 25, Feast of the Pentecost. There has been a gradual growth from being a parish for the Chinese to being a territorial parish to include all the people in its area, to being Archdiocesan Shrine for pilgrims from all over the world.

A shrine is a special place of worship and devotion for pilgrims. The Sacred Heart devotion is one of the earliest and most fundamental devotions of the Catholic Church. It finds its roots in the infinite burning love of God for man, as symbolized by the burning heart of Jesus Christ.

Archbishop Palma has attached indulgences for pilgrims visiting the Shrine, plenary indulgences at every Friday Masses, the Feast of the Sacred Heart, and many other feast days.

Sacred Heart Parish launched its year-long Jubilee Celebration last May 27, together with the city-wide celebration of the Gabii sa Kabilin – an evening to visit museums and heritage sites.

The Sugbu Chinese Heritage Museum, a project initiated by the parish, was also launched on the night of the Gabii sa Kabilin.

The next Jubilee event was the "Way Sukod" concert at the Sacred Heart Church last June 14 featuring the Sacred Heart Choir and the Cebu Philharmonic Orchestra.

Delegates and visitors of the six Jesuit institutions involved with the Chinese Apostolate, namely: Xavier School and Mary the Queen Parish in Greenhills (Metro Manila), Ateneo de Iloilo and Sta. Maria Parish in Iloilo, and our own Ateneo de Cebu and Sacred Heart Parish gathered in Cebu for a meeting last June 14-17.

The height of the celebration was the Sacred Heart Fiesta itself, starting with a procession at 4:00 P.M., followed by a Jubilee Mass presided over by Bishop Leopoldo Jaucian, D.D., concelebrated with a great number of priests from the different parts of the country.

The solemn liturgy was followed by a "Fiesta Extravaganza". Food was donated by different organizations and ministries. A program of Chinese Dragon and Lion dances ensued with an an impressive highlight of 60 lanterns released to the sky.

A Mass Wedding for 12 couples was held in the morning of June 21, and a Parish Medical Mission took place on June 23.

In July, a conference on the spirituality of the Sacred Heart Devotion and the Immaculate Heart of Mary will be conducted by Rev. Fr. Catalino Arevalo, a well known theologian from the Loyola School of Theology, and the former Ambassador to the Vatican Mr. Howard Dee. This will be on July 6 and 7.

Another coming big event is the concert "Hearts on Fire," on July 13, depicting the history of the parish - with original music composed by Fr. Manoling Francisco, S.J. Direction is by Msgr. Agustin V. Ancajas.

The Feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits on July 31 will culminate this phase of the Jubilee celebration.