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Immaculate Conception Cathedral, commonly known as Pasig Cathedral, is a
Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
church located in Plaza Rizal, Barangay Malinao,
Pasig Pasig, officially the City of Pasig (), is a highly-urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 803,159 people. It is located along the eastern border of Metro Mani ...
in
Metro Manila Metropolitan Manila ( ), commonly shortened to Metro Manila and formally the National Capital Region (NCR; ), is the capital region and largest List of metropolitan areas in the Philippines, metropolitan area of the Philippines. Located ...
,
Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
. It is the mother church, and serves as the episcopal seat of the Bishop of Pasig and is one of the oldest structures in the city. The church was founded as a parish by the Augustinian missionaries on July 2, 1573, coinciding with the foundation of the town of Pasig. Initially, the parish was consecrated to the Visitation of Our Lady, but on April 25, 1587, was changed to
Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception The Immaculate Conception is the doctrine that the Virgin Mary was free of original sin from the moment of her conception. It is one of the four Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church. Debated by medieval theologians, it was not defined as a ...
, the patroness of the Augustinian priests during that time. The parish was administered by the CICM Fathers from 1910 to 1979, after which the Filipino clergy took over the pastoral leadership of the parish. Until 2003, the parish was a part of the
Archdiocese of Manila In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...
. During the time of Manila Archbishop Cardinal
Jaime Sin Jaime Cardinal Lachica Sin, ( zh, t=辛海梅, 辛海棉, poj=Sin Hái-mûi, Sin Hái-mî; August 31, 1928 – June 21, 2005), commonly and also formally known as Cardinal Sin, was the 30th Catholic Archbishop of Manila and the third cardina ...
, the parish belonged to the Ecclesiastical District of Makati until October 2001, when it became part of the newly created Ecclesiastical District of Pasig. On August 21, 2003, the district was elevated as a separate and independent diocese, with the elevation of the parish into the status of a
cathedral A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...
. The present parish priest and rector of the cathedral is Mariano L. Baranda.


History

The Immaculate Conception Parish was initially established as a mission-parish by an Augustinian friar, Alonso de Alvarado, on January 20, 1572, in the village of Pinagbuhatan. However, frequent flooding in the original site prompted the Augustinian priests to relocate it to higher ground, where the cathedral now currently stands. On July 2, 1573, coinciding with the establishment of the town (now city) of Pasig, the church was consecrated to the Our Lady of the Visitation, which served as the first patroness of Pasig. The town patroness was eventually changed into the Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception on April 25, 1587. During the brief
British occupation of Manila The British occupation of Manila was an episode in the History of the Philippines (1565–1898), colonial history of the Philippines when the Kingdom of Great Britain occupied the Spanish colonial capital of Manila and the nearby Cavite City, ...
in 1762 to 1764, the
church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a place/building for Christian religious activities and praying * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian comm ...
served as the British military headquarters, its
belfry The belfry /ˈbɛlfri/ is a structure enclosing bells for ringing as part of a building, usually as part of a bell tower or steeple. It can also refer to the entire tower or building, particularly in continental Europe for such a tower attached ...
used as a watchtower against the Spanish defenders. After the Augustinians, the
CICM missionaries The CICM Missionaries, officially known as the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary () and often abbreviated as C.I.C.M, is a Catholic Church, Catholic clerical religious congregation of Pontifical Right for men established in 1862 by th ...
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 In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...
took over the supervision of the parish, and Manuel Sobreviñas, then auxiliary bishop of Manila, became the first Filipino parish priest. Assisting him as parochial administrator was Andres Desmet. In 1993, Sobreviñas became the bishop of the
Diocese of Imus The Diocese of Imus (; Tagalog: ''Diyosesis ng Imus''; Spanish and Chavacano: ''Diócesis de Imus'') is a Catholic diocese in the Philippines that comprises the entire province of Cavite. By the virtue of the apostolic constitution ''Christi F ...
. Emmanuel Sunga became the new pastor, and was transferred to Santo Niño Parish in
Tondo, Manila Tondo is a district located in Manila, Philippines. It is the largest, in terms of area and population, of Manila's sixteen districts, with a census-estimated 654,220 people in 2020. It consists of two congressional districts. It is also the se ...
four years later. Manuel Gabriel came to Pasig in 1997 from the Most Holy Trinity Parish in Balic-balic,
Sampaloc, Manila Sampaloc is a district of Manila, Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of is ...
, and it was during his term that the parish had electronic chromatically tuned carillon bells installed in its belfry. The Immaculate Conception Parish was declared one of the Jubilee churches in the Archdiocese of Manila in the year 2000. In October 2001, the Ecclesiastical District of Pasig was created, covering the Vicariate of the Immaculate Conception, along with the parishes of Pateros and Taguig. Nestor Cariño served as the only district bishop. Two years later,
Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...
signed his
Papal Bull A papal bull is a type of public decree, letters patent, or charter issued by the pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the leaden Seal (emblem), seal (''bulla (seal), bulla'') traditionally appended to authenticate it. History Papal ...
, , decreeing the establishment of a new diocese comprising
Pasig Pasig, officially the City of Pasig (), is a highly-urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 803,159 people. It is located along the eastern border of Metro Mani ...
,
Pateros Pateros, officially the Municipality of Pateros (; ), is the lone municipality of the Philippines, municipality of Metropolitan Manila, Metro Manila, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 65,227 people. This munic ...
, and
Taguig Taguig (), officially the City of Taguig (), is the List of cities in the Philippines, fifth-most populous city in the Philippines situated on the eastern shores of Metro Manila, the national capital region. It is a center for culture, finance ...
. The parish was designated to be the cathedral and seat of the Bishop of
Pasig Pasig, officially the City of Pasig (), is a highly-urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 803,159 people. It is located along the eastern border of Metro Mani ...
. Francisco San Diego became the founding bishop of the diocese on August 21, 2003. Gabriel became its first rector. After Gabriel resigned some weeks after, San Diego named the Vicar-General, Rodolfo Gallardo, as the new rector of the cathedral. Gallardo was installed rector. During his short stint as rector, he mobilized the church's PPCRV awareness campaign for the May 2004 national presidential elections and started the ''Simbamahalaan'' encounter between parish lay leaders and LGU leaders and workers of Pasig Hall. Upon his retirement in February 2005, San Diego took over as acting parish priest and rector. In June 2005, Roy Rosales was named fourth rector of the cathedral. He spearheaded the restoration of most of the cathedral's artifacts, like the image of Our Lady of the Apocalypse, the
baptistery In Church architecture, Christian architecture the baptistery or baptistry (Old French ''baptisterie''; Latin ''baptisterium''; Greek language, Greek , 'bathing-place, baptistery', from , baptízein, 'to baptize') is the separate centrally planned ...
, the cathedral facade, the processional image of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, the ''retablo''s and the original image of the Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, patroness of Pasig. It was also through the efforts of Rosales that the Immaculate Conception Cathedral-Parish witnessed the Solemn Canonical Coronation of its patron as Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception of Pasig on December 7, 2008. The celebration was led by the Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines, Edward Joseph Adams, the Bishop of Pasig, and the entire faithful in the diocese. In May 2010, Orlando Cantillon was named fifth rector of the cathedral. In February 2015, Bishop
Mylo Hubert Vergara Mylo Hubert Claudio Vergara (born October 23, 1962) is a Filipino bishop of the Catholic Church. He is the second and current Bishop of Pasig since 2011, Vice President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines since 2021. He had ...
named Joselito I. Jopson, parish priest of Santo Rosario de Pasig Parish, as the sixth rector and eighth Filipino parish priest of the cathedral. In February 2021, Mariano L. Baranda was named the new rector and parish priest. In February 2021, as part of the Celebration of the 500th Year Anniversary of the Arrival of
Christianity in the Philippines The Philippines is ranked as the 5th largest Christian-majority country on Earth , with about 93% of the population being adherents. , it was the Catholicism by country#By country, third largest Catholic country in the world and was one of two ...
, the Cathedral-Parish was named as a Jubilee Church in the Diocese of Pasig along with the Diocesan Shrine of St. Martha and Parish of St. Roch in
Pateros Pateros, officially the Municipality of Pateros (; ), is the lone municipality of the Philippines, municipality of Metropolitan Manila, Metro Manila, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 65,227 people. This munic ...
and the Minor Basilica and Archdiocesan Shrine Parish of St. Anne in
Taguig Taguig (), officially the City of Taguig (), is the List of cities in the Philippines, fifth-most populous city in the Philippines situated on the eastern shores of Metro Manila, the national capital region. It is a center for culture, finance ...
. On March 25, 2022, the 7 year-long restoration and renovation of the cathedral (including the addition of ceiling paintings) concluded with a grand inauguration and blessing officiated by Bishop Mylo Hubert Vergara. The restoration and renovation was done under the under the supervision of Camarera Mayor Wilfrieda Legaspi. Along with this came the world premiere of 'Fresca Rosa Novella (Fresh New Rose),' an
aria In music, an aria (, ; : , ; ''arias'' in common usage; diminutive form: arietta, ; : ariette; in English simply air (music), air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrument (music), instrumental or orchestral accompan ...
for
tenor A tenor is a type of male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. Composers typically write music for this voice in the range from the second B below m ...
, composed by the youngest member of the , Gabriel L. Legaspi.


The statue of La Inmaculada Concepción de Pasig

The cathedral main altar features a beautifully carved statue of the
Immaculate Conception The Immaculate Conception is the doctrine that the Virgin Mary was free of original sin from the moment of her conception. It is one of the four Mariology, Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church. Debated by medieval theologians, it was not def ...
. The said statue was carved in the late 1900 as a replacement for the original statue which was destroyed during the Philippine-American War. The statue might have been copied to a painting which was commissioned by
Pope Pius X Pope Pius X (; born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto; 2 June 1835 – 20 August 1914) was head of the Catholic Church from 4 August 1903 to his death in August 1914. Pius X is known for vigorously opposing Modernism in the Catholic Church, modern ...
for the golden jubilee of the dogmatic definition of the Immaculate Conception of Mary. Miracles were attributed to the image. One of the known miracles was that when the statue was being restored for her Pontifical Coronation, a choir of angels was heard singing, but only the restorers were present during that time and there were no choir at that time. Due to numerous miracles, the statue was granted a decree of Pontifical coronation with a decree from
Pope Benedict XVI Pope BenedictXVI (born Joseph Alois Ratzinger; 16 April 1927 – 31 December 2022) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 19 April 2005 until his resignation on 28 February 2013. Benedict's election as p ...
. The Pope also blessed the crown when the representatives of the Diocese of Pasig attended the Papal Audience in
Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
. The coronation took place on December 7, 2008.


Ecclesiastical territory

Previously, the Immaculate Conception Cathedral belonged to the
Archdiocese of Manila In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...
; it became the seat of the Diocese of Pasig in 2003. The Immaculate Conception Cathedral comprises nine communities divided according to the patron of the chapel in the community: * * * * * * * * *


Jurisdiction

The Immaculate Conception Cathedral comprises the following barangays in
Pasig Pasig, officially the City of Pasig (), is a highly-urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 803,159 people. It is located along the eastern border of Metro Mani ...
: * Malinao * San Jose * Bambang * Bagong Katipunan * Santa Rosa * Sumilang * San Nicolas * Santa Cruz * Kapasigan


Pastors

Below is the list of Filipino parish priests.


Pasig Catholic Cemetery heritage tree

In April 2022, Pasig's 450th founding anniversary, the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR; ) is the Executive Departments of the Philippines, executive department of the Philippine government responsible for the conservation, management, development, and proper use of the cou ...
,
Roman Romulo Roman Tecson Romulo (born February 28, 1967) is a Filipino people, Filipino politician and lawyer. He served as a member of House of Representatives (Philippines), House of Representatives representing the Legislative district of Pasig, Lone D ...
, Robert Jaworski Jr. and Pasig Cathedral's Rev. Fr. Roy Rosales, ICC, led the declaration ceremony, including the installation of a historical marker on the 100-year-old
acacia ''Acacia'', commonly known as wattles or acacias, is a genus of about of shrubs and trees in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the pea family Fabaceae. Initially, it comprised a group of plant species native to Africa, South America, and Austral ...
as
heritage tree A heritage tree is typically a large, individual tree with unique value, which is considered irreplaceable. The major criteria for heritage tree designation are age, rarity, and size, as well as aesthetic, botanical, ecological, and historical val ...
in Pasig Catholic Cemetery, A. Luna Street-Caruncho Ave Intersection, F. Antonio, Barangay Malinao,
Pasig Pasig, officially the City of Pasig (), is a highly-urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 803,159 people. It is located along the eastern border of Metro Mani ...
. It is 8.6 meters by 5 meters, with circumference and diameter. Planted circa 1722 and 1760, it is a boundary marker of the new and old cemetery under the Belgian priests.


Gallery

File:01342jfPasig Boulevard Church Rotunda Cityfvf 14.jpg, Cathedral altar and
reredos A reredos ( , , ) is a large altarpiece, a screen, or decoration placed behind the altar in a Church (building), church. It often includes religious images. The term ''reredos'' may also be used for similar structures, if elaborate, in secular a ...
File:Pasig Cathedral Exterior belltower 2021.jpg,
Bell tower A bell tower is a tower that contains one or more bells, or that is designed to hold bells even if it has none. Such a tower commonly serves as part of a Christian church, and will contain church bells, but there are also many secular bell to ...
File:PasigCathedraljf2409 03.JPG,
Pediment Pediments are a form of gable in classical architecture, usually of a triangular shape. Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the cornice (an elaborated lintel), or entablature if supported by columns.Summerson, 130 In an ...
detail and niche File:PasigCathedraljf9994 08.JPG, File:Porta Sancta, Pasig Cathedral, Feb 2024.jpg,


See also

* Diocese of Pasig * Francisco San Diego *
Archdiocese of Manila In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...


References


Resources

* The 2010–2011 Catholic Directory of the Philippines (published by Claretian Publications for the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines, June 2008) * Updated Diocese of Pasig Directory * Aviso (Notice) by the Roman Catholic Bishop of Pasig dated February 22, 2021


External links

* * * {{Roman Catholic churches in Manila Roman Catholic churches in Metro Manila Roman Catholic cathedrals in the Philippines Cultural Properties of the Philippines in Metro Manila Buildings and structures in Pasig Churches in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pasig