Pasig Cathedral

Immaculate Conception Cathedral
Location	Plaza Rizal, Malinao, Pasig City
Country	Philippines
Denomination	Roman Catholic
History
Founded	July 2, 1573 (1573-07-02)
Dedication	Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception of Pasig
Administration
Diocese	Diocese of Pasig
Province	Metropolitan Archdiocese of Manila
Clergy
Bishop(s)	Most Rev. Mylo Hubert C. Vergara, DD
Pastor(s)	Very Rev. Fr. Orlando B. Cantillon. VG

Pasig Cathedral, formally known as the Immaculate Conception Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic church located at Plaza Rizal in Barangay Malinao, Pasig City in the Philippines. It is the cathedral or seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pasig, belonging to the Vicariate of the Immaculate Conception. It was established as a mission-parish by the Augustinian missionaries on July 2, 1573, coinciding the foundation of the town of Pasig (now, Pasig City. The former Immaculate Conception 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. On August 21, 2003, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pasig was inaugurated, with the elevation of the parish into the status of a cathedral. The present rector of the cathedral is the Very Rev. Fr. Orlando B. Cantillon, Vicar General of the Diocese of Pasig.

Address

Plaza Rizal, Barangay Malinao, Pasig City, Philippines 1600

Ecclesiastical Territory

Previously, the Immaculate Conception Cathedral belonged to the Archdiocese of Manila. It became the seat of the Diocese of Pasig in 2003.

Jurisdiction

The Immaculate Conception Cathedral comprises the following barangays in Pasig City

• Malinao

• San Jose

• Bambang

• Bagong Katipunan

• Santa Rosa

• Sumilang

• San Nicolas

• Santa Cruz

• Kapasigan

Some of the Public and Religious establishments are located within the jurisdiction of the parish

• Pasig Catholic College

• Pasig City Hall

• Pasig Public Market

• Colegio Del Buen Consejo

• Pasig Library

• Pasig Museum

• La Immaculada Concepcion School

The Parish Pastoral Council consists of 6 Ministries namely:

Worship Ministry, Education and Formation Committee, Social Service and Development Ministry, Temporalities, Family and Life Ministry and Parish Youth Council

Pastors

Below is the list of Filipino parish priests.

Name	Years of Pastorship	Present Assignment
Most Rev. Manuel Sobreviñas, DD	1979 to 1993	Bishop-emeritus of Imus
Rev. Msgr. Emmanuel "Manny" Sunga, PC, STL	1993 to 1997	Our Lady of Loreto Parish-Archdiocesan Shrine (Sampaloc, Manila)
Rev. Msgr. Manuel "Manny" Gabriel, PC, STD	1997 to 2003	Resurrection of Our Lord Parish (BF Homes, Paranaque City)
Rev. Msgr. Rodolfo "Rudy" Gallardo, PC	2003 to 2005	Retired, abroad
Rev. Fr. Roy M. Rosales, STL	2005 to 2010	San Roque Parish-Sta. Marta Diocesan Shrine (Pateros)
Very Rev. Fr. Orlando "Orly" B. Cantillon, V.G.	May 2010-present

History

The Immaculate Conception Parish was established as a mission-parish by the Augustinians on July 8, 1573. The new church was dedicated in honor of Our Lady of the Visitation, which was later renamed to the Immaculate Conception.

After the Augustinians, the CICM missionaries 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 took over the supervision of the parish, and Bishop Manuel Sobreviñas, then auxiliary bishop of Manila, became the first Filipino parish priest. Assisting him as parochial administrator was Fr. Andres Desmet, CICM.

In 1993, Sobreviñas became the bishop of the Diocese of Imus. Msgr. Emmanuel Sunga became the new pastor, and was transferred to Sto. Niño Parish in Tondo, Manila four years later. Msgr. Manuel Gabriel came to Pasig in 1997 from the Most Holy Trinity Parish in Balic-balic, Sampaloc, Manila, and it was during his term that the parish had electronic chromatically-tuned carillon bells installed in its belfry and would be prepared for its future recognition as cathedral.

The Immaculate Conception Parish was declared one of the Jubilee churches in the Archdiocese of Manila in the year 2000. Three years later, a papal bull of Pope John Paul II, entitled Deus Caritas, was issued, decreeing the establishment of a new diocese comprising Pasig City, Pateros, and Taguig City. The parish, as the oldest Marian church in Asia and as one known for its historical legacy, was designated to be the cathedral of the Diocese of Pasig. Bishop Francisco San Diego became the founding bishop of the diocese on August 21, 2003. Msgr. Gabriel became its first rector.

Concurrently the first Vicar-General of the diocese, Msgr. Rodolfo Gallardo was installed as the second rector of the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in December of 2003. He retired on February 2005, and was succeeded by Fr. Roy Rosales as the new rector.

Fr. Roy spearheaded the restoration of most of the cathedral's artifacts, like the image of Our Lady of the Apocalypse, the Baptistery, the Cathedral Facade, the processional image of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, the retablos and the original image of the Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, patroness of Pasig.

It was also through the efforts of Fr. Rosales as Rector that the Immaculate Conception Cathedral witnessed the Solemn Canonical Coronation of its patron as Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception of Pasig last December 7, 2008. The celebration was led by the Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines, Most Rev. Edward Joseph Adams, the Bishop of Pasig, and the entire faithful in the diocese.

In May 2010, Fr. Roy was assigned at the Parish of San Roque, recently inaugurated as the Diocesan Shrine of Santa Marta, in Pateros, Metro Manila. He was succeeded by Very Rev. Fr. Orlando 'Orly' B. Cantillon, Vicar General of the Diocese of Pasig as Rector and Parish Priest of the Cathedral.

See also

• Diocese of Pasig
• Francisco San Diego
• Archdiocese of Manila

Resources

• The 2010–2011 Catholic Directory of the Philippines (published by Claretian Publications for the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines, June 2008)