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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider National shrine status conferred on St. Therese Parish in Antipolo

National shrine status conferred on St. Therese Parish in Antipolo

Published Jul 6, 2025 12:03 pm
St. Therese of the Child Jesus Diocesan Shrine and Parish in Antipolo City (Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines)
St. Therese of the Child Jesus Diocesan Shrine and Parish in Antipolo City (Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines)
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has elevated the Diocesan Shrine and Parish of St. Therese of the Child Jesus in Antipolo City to the status of a national shrine.
The designation was approved on Saturday, July 5, during the opening day of the CBCP’s three-day plenary assembly in Anda, Bohol, after the bishops voted in favor of the Antipolo Diocese’s petition for recognition.
St. Therese Parish becomes the second national shrine in the Diocese of Antipolo, following the Shrine of Our Lady of Aranzazu in San Mateo, Rizal. 
The diocese is also home to the Philippines’ only international shrine, the Antipolo Cathedral.
“This is not merely an honor—it is a divine affirmation of Saint Therese’s gentle and powerful presence among us, and a call to embrace her little way of love,” Bishop Ruperto Santos of Antipolo said in a statement posted on CBCP’s website on Sunday, July 6.
“May this new chapter invite every pilgrim and soul to encounter Christ through the simplicity, humility, and burning love that defined her life,” he added.
A national shrine is a sacred site recognized by the CBCP for its historical, spiritual, or cultural significance, often serving as a destination for pilgrimages.
To qualify, a church must first be declared a diocesan shrine by the local bishop and must demonstrate a strong record of liturgical life, catechesis, and social outreach. 
The CBCP grants final approval for national status.
St. Therese Parish traces its origins to 2002, when then Antipolo Bishop Crisostomo Yalung proposed the creation of a new parish along Marcos Highway, an area at the time without a visible Catholic church. 
The community chose St. Therese of the Child Jesus as its patron, linking her missionary zeal to that of St. Francis Xavier, patron of the mother parish.
Following a community survey, the Filinvest East Chapel was selected as the parish’s temporary worship site. 
In October 2003, 17 pilgrims from the parish traveled to Lisieux, France, and brought home a primary relic of St. Therese, deepening local devotion. 
On Dec. 7, 2003, Bishop Gabriel Reyes formally elevated the community to full parish status.
Construction of a permanent church began in 2005. 
The church was declared a diocesan shrine on Sept. 1, 2011, and was solemnly dedicated on October 1 of the same year, coinciding with the feast of St. Therese.

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CBCP NATIONAL SHRINE ST. THERESE PARISH OF ANTIPOLO
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