Didn’t it all begin under an acacia tree? That’s where the story of Holy Family Parish Church in Manila starts. In 1949, residents of Roxas District yearned for a place to worship. They were part of the Sacred Heart Parish in Kamuning. The distance was difficult.
Fr. Tomas Pacano, SVD, answered their call. Every Sunday, he celebrated Mass. His altar was the shade of a large acacia tree. This tree stood where General Roxas Elementary School is now. The community then wanted something more permanent. They built a small chapel.
The Holy Family Parish Church was blessed in January 1953. This coincided with the Feast of the Holy Family. September 16, 1953, marked its establishment as a parish. It was officially under the patronage of the Holy Family.
Originally, Roxas District was part of President Quezon’s plan. The plan was to decongest Manila. World War II halted developments. President Roxas continued Quezon’s vision. By 1947, the area housed government employees. Streets were named after flowers.
Typhoon Fran destroyed the first chapel. Fr. Fernando de Pedro, SVD, took over from Fr. Pacano. He began building a larger chapel. Fr. Anselmo G. Bustos, SVD, completed it. The completion happened on January 27, 1953. This day was the feast day of the Holy Family.
Fr. Melchor Barcelona then became parish priest. The church was canonically erected. It became the Parish of the Holy Family on October 16, 1953.
Fr. Gorgonio L. Encarnación took over in 1955. The Roxas District was growing fast. The church was soon too small. Fr. Encarnación planned a larger church. Construction began in April 1966. Archbishop Rufino Jiao Santos blessed it on December 14, 1968.
Architects Simoun T. Soriano and Arturo C. Soriano designed the new Holy Family Parish Church. It has a modernist design. It uses features of the International Style. The church is shaped like an arrow.
Inside the Holy Family Parish Church, a stained-glass Nativity scene captivates. It’s above the choir loft. The ceiling boasts gold and copper accents. Four columns with Corinthian capitals line the nave. The retablo features a polychrome Christ.
The Holy Family Parish continues to evolve. In 2015, it became a “Holy Door of Mercy”. Archbishop Honesto Ongtioco opened it. This was part of the Jubilee Year of Mercy.
Near the belfry, a marker commemorates a special blessing. Archbishop Honesto Ongtioco dedicated the church. This happened on August 18, 2018.
The Holy Family Parochial School began in 1974. It’s near the church. The Holy Family Parish Convent and Parish Office were completed in 1973.
From humble beginnings under an acacia tree to its present form, the Holy Family Parish Church has deeply shaped the lives of Roxas District residents. It remains a vital spiritual center.