San Jose de Trozo parish now archdiocesan shrine

MANILA, Philippines — The 89-year-old San Jose de Trozo Parish in Santa Cruz, Manila is now an archdiocesan shrine.

Manila Archbishop Cardinal Jose Advincula issued the decree of erection to elevate the parish to archdiocesan shrine status on Nov. 30, although the parish only made it public on Friday.

By tradition, shrines are churches that attract pilgrims due to wonderworking images or relics.

“After having considered the petition of the Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Peterson Tieng, LRMS, and the parish community of San Jose de Trozo Parish, after having consulted the Presbyteral Council and convinced of the merits of the said petition; by these presents, we hereby decree (the parish) be conferred the title of the Archdiocesan Shrine of Saint Joseph,” Advincula wrote in the decree.

Trozo – Spanish for lumber or logs – was attached to the parish’s moniker to distinguish it from other parishes that carry St. Joseph’s name. In the 1930s, logging and woodcraft were the prominent means of livelihood of people living in the area.

According to the archdiocese, loggers were grateful for the success of their businesses that they decided to build a chapel. They chose St. Joseph, the carpenter of Nazareth, for their patron saint to signify and put meaning and inspiration to their livelihood.

“Thus, the name San Jose de Trozo, which when paraphrased means St. Joseph of the Lumberyard, came into existence,” the archdiocese said.

In 1998, the archdiocese offered the parish to the Lorenzo Ruiz Mission Society (LRMS) to care for the pastoral needs of the growing population of the Filipino-Chinese in the area.

“Indeed, God works in ways we cannot fathom. He makes things possible as we silently wait for him,” the parish said in a statement.

“And now, he has given this perfect gift to our parish as we also prepare for the celebration of our 90th anniversary in March 2023,” it added.