MANDAUE CITY, Cebu—Among the oldest churches in Cebu is the National Shrine of St. Joseph located in barangay Centro, here.
The Shrine is the only National Shrine in the Philippines dedicated to St. Joseph, said Archbishop Midiphyl “Dodong” Billones, the church’s team moderator.
READ: Visita Iglesia: National Shrine of St. Joseph in Mandaue City
The church became the center of the celebration of the year of St. Joseph in December 8, 2020 to December 8, 2021.
In Christianity, St. Joseph is the husband and earthily father of Jesus. The gospel described him as tekton, which means carpenter. He is the Patron of the dying because he died with Mary and Jesus close to him, the same way Christians would want to depart their earthily lives.
“We are praying that here in this parish, people find in St. Joseph the heart of a father that loves Jesus, that they can also go to Jesus through Joseph and find support and accompaniment in their graces,” said Billones.
The church was placed under the Jesuits, Augustinians, Augustinians Recollects, and finally the Archdiocesan priests.
It is believed that Jesuits brought the image of St.Joseph the Patriach to Mandaue City and built a church in honor of him in 1601.
Church’s transformation
Based on the church’s pilgrimage booklet, the Jesuits were in charge of managing the parish for more than a century in a half since 1599. They constructed a temporary church made out of hardwood and nipa but is was “sufficiently detoriated” according to an excerpt from 1789 report.
The church had a Greek cross plan with a feature of a pair of octagonal chapels as described by Felipe Redondo in 1886.
As years passed, it experienced different natural and man made disasters. An earthquake crushed the church in 1922. It took 14 years to finish the repairs from that earthquake.
The same year it was completed in 1936, a bell tower was added on the top of the church facade.
But the church was severely damage when an american bomb blew its roof during the World War II. This resulted in the removal of the central bell tower as it was considered not safe and to avoid any untoward incident.
In 1950, during the incumbency of His Eminence, Bishop Manuel Yap, it was successfulully rebuilt through the donations and efforts of the faithful Mandauehanons.
It now featured two symmetrical towers at the both sides of the facade of the church
Since then, it never experienced any transformation until 1995, during the time of Most Reverent Antonio Rañola as parish priest, when the church was closed for four years for renovations.
The old ceiling and half century old roof were both replaced. The huge posts that supported the roof were also replaced because they blocked the sight of the parishioners facing the altar. The modification took six years to be completed.
On January 30, 2002, a fire that started in the Mandaue Public Market damaged the church’s altar but it was repaired immediately.
National Shrine
Bishop Rañola, with the support of his Eminence Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, worked for the declaration of the Church as a National Shrine.
It was dedicated and consecrated on August 8, 2001.
“We thank the great work of Bishop Tony Rañola nga siya ang nitabang nga marecognize ni as a National Shrine of St. Joseph, the only one in the Philippines actually and we are mentioned by Gallieo in his book consecration of St. Joseph in the year of St. Joseph, that’s why the prayer of commitment to the renewal of the consecrated of St. Joseph was done here by Archbishop Valles when he was the president and the mass was done here during the year of St. Joseph,” said Billones.
Life-sized Senor de Cena (The Last Supper) featuring Jesus Christ and the 12 apostles inside the compound of the National Shrine of St. Joseph. CDN Digital photo | Emmariel Ares
Gallery of Saints
On February 2, 2022, the National Shrine inaugurated its “Gallery of Saints” as part of the celebration of the 500 years of Christianity. The Gallery of Saints and dagkutanan were blessed by His Grace, Most Reverent Jose Palma.
Located at the right side, the gallery features images of the shrine including four images of Christ, six Marian Statues, five images of patron saints of the Province of Cebu.
The gallery also features the life-sized images of Jesus at the Last Supper together with his 12 disciples, making the church unique.
Panagtagbo Festival
The National Shrine of St. Joseph also plays very important role in the celebration of the Sinulog, which is celebrated in Cebu every third Sunday of January.
Mandaue City celebrates Panagtagbo Festival on the Friday before Sinulog.
The festival, which is inspired by the translacion, is the transfer of the images of the Sto. Niño from the Basilica Minore Del Sto. Niño and Our lady of Guadalupe from the Guadalupe Shrine to the National Shrine of St. Joseph.
/bmjo
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