The beginnings of St. Jude Thaddeus Archdiocesan Shrine can be traced back to the evangelization of the Chinese in Manila in 1588 under the Dominican Fathers which was very successufl so that in 1670, the number of baptized Chinese exceeded 70,000. Due to the so called Chinese revolts, the Chinese ministry was placed under the secular clergy in the middle of the 18th century. Because of this, it was deemed impractical to have a separate parish for the Chinese.
It was then decided that the Chinese parish be attached to the Binondo parish which was under the care of the Dominicans but without authority or independence. When the Americans came in 1898, the Binondo parish was endorsed to the secular clergy.
But as the Chinese communities in Manila and environs grew rapidly, one parish for them in Binondo was considered insufficient. Thus, then Manila Archbishop Rufino J. Santos, DD petitioned and obtained from the Roman Consistorial Congregation on July 23, 1954 the faculty to erect three more parishes for the Chinese: Paco, Pasay and North East Manila / Quezon City.
By virtue of this, the Espiritu Santo Chinese Parish in St. Cruz was erected with the following limitations: in the North, the boundary towards Bulacan province through Rizal Avenue extension down to the Pasig River; in the South, the line extended towards the East up to the boundary of Rizal province. All Chinese living within these limits were members of the new parish.
On October 13, 1954 Fr. Provincial Hermann Kondring SVD appointed Rev. Fr. Henry Windges, SVD, then procurator and teacher of the Sacred Heart Seminary in Tanauan, Leyte as the first parish priest of the Espiritu Santo Parish for the Chinese of Manila. He was installed by Manila Archbishop Rufino J. Santos DD on November 14, 1954. Rev. Fr. Peter Tsao, SVD was subsequently appointed assistant parish priest on December 7, 1954.
In January 1955, the parish erected its first rectory by renting part of the site of the former Riverside Hospital ( now St. Jude Catholic School ). The next month, Archbishop Rufino J. Santos, DD made St. Jude Thaddeus its patron saint as proposed by SVD Father Provincial Henry Kondring.
When Fr. Windges went on home to leave to Germany, Fr. Tsao was appointed quasi-parish priest on March 29, 1957 and officialy installed as parish priest on March 1, 1958, by Msgr. Jesus Tison. Rev. Fr. Bernard Doyle, SVD was appointed assistant parish priest on May 20, 1957 while Rev. Fr. Peter Yang, SVD was designtated parochial vicar on May 7, 1959 who were both appointed by His Eminence, Rufino Cardinal J. Santos, DD.
Archbishop Santos donated the present site of St. Jude Parish church with an area of 2,989.10 sq. meters. The blessing and laying of cornerstone was held on October 28, 1958.
The first midnight mass was celebrated on Christmas Eve of 1958 in the unfinished, windowless church. Two years later, the Most Rev. Juan Bautista Velasco, representing His Eminence Rufino Cardinal J. Santos, DD, blessed the new church on Oct 23, 1960. He was assisted by then First Lady Leonila D. Garcia who cut the ceremonial ribbon.
The weekly St. Jude novenas started in June 1959 and has since been held every Thursday with the number of devotees increasing dramatically who come from all over the country, especially those with seemingly hopeless cases. St. Jude Thaddeus, cousin and apostle of our Lord Jesus, is known as the patron of things despaired of.
On March 12, 1966, Cardinal Santos installed Rev. Fr. Peter Tsao, SVD as Vicar General for the Chinese in Manila.
Sometime in 1968, Rev. Fr. Charles Tchou was appointed assistant parish priest.
Upon completion, Msgr. Buenaventura Lopez blessed the St. jude annex building on February 27, 1968. The parish hall was blessed by His Eminence Jaime Cardinal Sin, DD, on November 13, 1983.
On June 20, 1986 St. Jude became a territorial parish and ceased to be part of San Miguel Parish. It serves four barangays.
On October 25, 1986 Cardinal Sin appointed Rev. Thomas Cassidy, SVD as assistant parish priest.
Through the petition of Msgr. Peter Tsao and the parishoners, St. Jude Church was conferred the title "Archdiocesan Shrine of St. Jude Thaddeus" on June 21, 1994.
From April 1995 to April 1999, Rev. Fr. Teodoro P. Gapuz, SVD was acting parish priest with Rev. Fr. Joseph Vu, SVD as parochial vicar. In May 1999, Rev. Fr. Teodor P. Gapuz, SVD, was appointed Director of St. Jude Catholic School, and Rev. Fr. John O'Mahony, SVD took over as acting parish priest of St. Jude Archdiocesan Shrine with the following parochial vicars: Rev. Fr. Isabelo San Luis, SVD; Rev. Rodgrigo Advincula, SVD; and Rev. Fr. Leopoldo C. Jaucian, SVD, with Rev. Roland Aquino, SVD, the deacon then who assisted on weekends.
One very significant and grace-filled event in St. Jude Archdiocesan Shrine during the Great Jubilee Year 2000 is the gift of a new pastor ( after Msgr. Peter Tsao, SVD ), on the person of Rev. Fr. Leopoldo C. Jaucian, SVD, who was appointed parish priest on July 25, 2000 and was installed by His Eminence Jaime Cardinal L. Sin, DD on August 19, 2000. The following year, on July 27, 2001, Rev. Fr. Ricardo C. Miranda, SVD and Rev. Fr. Joseph Xin Lu, SVD were appointed parochial vicar and attached priest respectively. While Rev. Fr. Isabelo San Luis, SVD is presently guest priest.
The Parish Pastoral Council which plays a pivotal role in the realization of the mission and goals of the parish is headed currently by Lawrence Y.L. See.
To further develop, enhance spiritual formation and apostolate, several mandated and parish organization are active in apostolic work. These are: The Catholic Women's League, St. Jude Men's Association, St. Jude Ladies Association, The Filipino Chinese Catholic Youth, the Kerygma Lectors, Mother Butler Guild, Legion of Mary, Ichthys Choir, Pax et Bonum Chorale, Couples for Christ, the Altar Servers and the St. Jude Special Ministers for Holy Communion.
St. Jude Parish Vision Statement looks forward to a dynamic and participative parish, relevant to the times and responsive to the needs of all sectors of the community, that is both evangelized and evangelizing, living the gospel values and working together with renewed hope for the kingdom of God.
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