SANTISIMO ROSARIO PARISH CHURCH

By: Jo Erika TorredaDYNAREL – FFD2

The Santisimo Rosario Parish is located

at the heart of the 21.5 hectare lot of

The Royal & Pontifical University of

Santo Tomas. It is the only one in the

Philippines to have been visited by two

popes for three times: once by Pope

Paul VI on November 28, 1970, and

twice by Pope John Paul II on February

18, 1981 and January 13, 1995.

Manila Archbishop Michael

O’Doherty canonically inaugurated

the UST Chapel into the Santisimo

Rosario Church on April 26, 1942

during the height of the Second

World War.

During the Japanese Occupation

of Manila, the Chapel of the

University of Santo Tomas was

designated as a Parish Church

and has remained such to this

day.

However, on campus, it is still

identified as the UST Chapel

and serves as a spiritual

haven for the Thomasian

community. It is also the

venue for Eucharistic

Celebrations, recollections &

other religious activities.

The Santisimo Rosario Parish Church

was the temporary home of Our

Lady of Naval when its original

sanctuary in Intramuros was

bombed by the Japanese. The Virgin

stayed at the chapel for 12 years

before it was brought back to the

Sto. Domingo Church in Quezon City

through a solemn procession.

The Santisima Rosario Church

holds the annual novena for the

La Naval Festival, as well as a

lively classical song and dance

show or Heritage Christmas

Concert in December.

The Santisimo Parish Church is

actually quiet huge for a

chapel, but too small to be a

full pledged cathedral or

basilica. It’s somehow cross

between the two, large but

just enough not to take away

its intimate atmosphere.

The Church is a grand edifice of

stone that is in the middle of the

university’s lush greenery and

beautiful parks. Unpainted and

gray, bleached by the elements,

the rugged stonewalls have

acquired a character of its own.

CHURCH’S FACADE

CHURCH’S FACADE

CHURCH’S INTERIOR

CHURCH’S INTERIOR