Draft:St. Joseph Shrine (Quezon City)

St. Joseph Shrine
Diocesan Shrine of St. Joseph of Quezon City
Diyosesanong Dambana ng San Jose de Quezon City (Filipino)
Façade of St. Joseph Shrine in 2023
14°37′41″N 121°03′51″E
Location	965 Aurora Boulevard, Barangay Quirino 3-A, Project 3, 1102 Quezon City
Country	Philippines
Language(s)	Filipino English Filipino Sign Language
Denomination	Catholic
Website	San Jose de Quezon City - St. Joseph Shrine (Facebook page)
History
Dedication	San Jose de Quezon City
Dedicated	November 23, 1951 (as Parish) December 3, 1999 (as Archdiocesan Shrine)
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Style	Modern Baroque Art Deco Brutalist
Groundbreaking	March 1, 1952
Completed	1954
Administration
Archdiocese	Manila
Diocese	Cubao (since June 28, 2003)
Clergy
Rector	Gilberto Fortunato Dumlao
Vicar(s)	Victor Angelo Parlan

The Diocesan Shrine of St. Joseph of Quezon City (Filipino: Diyosesanong Dambana ng San Jose de Quezon City), also known as St. Joseph Shrine, is a Catholic shrine and parish church located in Aurora Boulevard, Quezon City, Philippines. It is part of the Diocese of Cubao (since 2003), under the Vicariate of Saint Joseph, who serves as its patron saint.

History

Beginnings

San Jose de Quezon City

After World War II, the residents of Manila became displaced, and they were relocated to the Quirino Government's housing projects in Quezon City in 1949. The emerging community in initially lacked its own parish church, so two women named Francisca Tamesis Capacillo and Catalina Caseñas petitioned the Archdiocese of Manila's Vicar General, the Most Rev. Vicente P. Reyes, D.D., for a parish priest.

The petition was approved by the Archbishop of Manila himself, the Most. Rev. Gabriel Reyes, who established the parish on November 23, 1951 by dismembering the community from the parishes of Sacred Heart and Immaculate Conception, which formerly held jurisdiction over the it. Meanwhile, the Vicar General sent Fr. Jose S. Sunga to be the founding parish priest.

Fr. Sunga leased a quonset hut in Durian Street (within Quirino Elementary School) to be the parish's original location and the first mass was celebrated on December 7, 1951 by the Most. Rev. Hernando Antiporda, a former vicar forane. Because most of the residents are from the working class (which is also the etymology of the area's former name: Barrio Obrero), the parish was dedicated to Saint Joseph, the patron saint of workers, under the title of San Jose de Quezon City. As such, enthroned within the chapel was a St. Joseph image, carved by the acclaimed santero Maximo Vicente in the 1940s.

Current Shrine

The Shrine in 2016

Nave

Adoration Chapel

Chapel of Saints

The lease of the Quirino Elementary School area was only temporary, so Fr. Sunga decided to find a permanent location. In January 1952, he acquired two adjoining lots (with an area totaling 1,700 square meters) bounded by Calle Quezon (now Aurora Boulevard) and Molave Street. The parish broke ground on March 1, 1952, presided by the Most Rev. Theodore Schu, S.V.D., and it was completed in 1954.

On December 3, 1974, the parish became part of the Vicariate of St. Joseph. From October 13, 1978 to December 19, 1985, the church underwent a major renovation, with the help of Rosita G. Tuason and engineer Emmanuel Kimwell. The parish was expanded from one to two floors. The ground floor was where the adoration chapel was constructed until its inauguration on December 14, 1982. Minor renovations took place in succeeding years, such as in 1994, 2011, and from 2020 to 2023.

On December 3, 1999, the parish was bestowed the title of "Archdiocesan Shrine of St. Joseph" by Jaime Cardinal Sin. It became part of the Diocese of Cubao upon its establishment on June 28, 2003.

In 2021, the shrine, the first parish in Quezon City dedicated to Saint Joseph, petitioned the city's local government unit to declare their patron saint as Protector of Quezon City, as well as to add his feast day to the Quezon City Cultural Calendar. Within the same year, the petition was approved on December 1 and confirmed five days later. The formal recognition took place within the shrine on February 16, 2022.

Historical Markers

• 
  Dedication of the Church as Parish (November 23, 1951)
• 
  First Mass Held in the Church (December 7, 1951)
• 
  Dedication as of the Church as Archdiocesean Shrine (December 3, 1999)
• 
  Blessing of the Elevator 2.7 (August 15, 2019)
• 
  Opening of the Porta Sancta (March 19, 2021)
• 
  Declaration of St. Joseph as the Protector of Quezon City (December 6, 2021)

Architechture

St. Joseph Shrine's architecture is a mix of Modernist and Baroque accents, a result of the 1978-1985 renovation. The nave and façade contain stained glass panels of St. Joseph's life. Though it has no transepts and crossing, it has a dome, located directly above the sanctuary. In 2023, the sanctuary was renovated and it is more focused on Art Deco with Brutalist elements which designed by Rafael del Casal.

As mentioned previously, the main church is located on the second floor, while the ground floor is where the adoration chapel is located. Aside from stairs, the floors are connected by an elevator called Elevator 2.7, installed in 2019 for the physically disabled churchgoers.

• Interior
• 
  Porta Sancta
• 
  Nave Stained Glass in the Epistle Side
• 
  Nave Stained Glass in the Gospel Side
• 
  Narthex and Choir Loft
• 
  Altar and Sanctuary
• 
  Adoration Chapel
• 
  Elevator 2.7

List of Parish Priests

1. Jose S. Sunga (1951−1970)
2. Maximo A. Ocampo (acting, 1970−1971)
3. Protacio G. Gungon (1971−1977)
4. Arsenio R. Bautista (1977−1989)
5. Romerico A. Prieto (1989−1993)
6. Alfonso A. Bugaoan Jr. (1993−2006); first rector
7. Alfredo G. Guerrero (2006−2012)
8. Ramon N. Eloriaga (2012−2018)
9. Ronaldo M. Macale (2018−2024)
10. Gilberto Fortunato II C. Dumlao (2024–present)

Transportation Links

The shrine is located near Anonas station of LRT Line 2.

External Links

• San Jose de Quezon City - St. Joseph Shrine (Facebook page)