The Parish of the Holy Sacrifice, also the Church of the Holy Sacrifice, is a landmark Catholic

Catholic

The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...

 chapel in the University of the Philippines Diliman. It belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cubao

Roman Catholic Diocese of Cubao

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Cubao is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines...

 and its present parish priest is Rev. Fr. Raymond Joseph Arre.

Known for its architectural design, the church is recognized as a National Historical Landmark and a Cultural Treasure by the National Historical Institute and the National Museum respectively. It was designed by the late National Artist

National Artist of the Philippines

A National Artist of the Philippines is a title given to a Filipino who has been given the highest recognition for having made significant contributions to the development of Philippine arts...

 for Architecture, Leandro Locsin

Leandro Locsin

Leandro V. Locsin was a Filipino architect, artist, and interior designer, known for his use of concrete, floating volume and simplistic design in his various projects. An avid collector, he was fond of modern painting and Chinese ceramics. He was proclaimed a National Artist of the Philippines...

, one of five National Artists who collaborated on the project. Alfredo Juinio

Alfredo Juinio

Alfredo Lazarte Juinio was a civil engineer, educator, and public official of the Philippines. He served as the dean of the College of Engineering of the University of the Philippines. Alfredo Juinio Hall, the building that houses the National Engineering Center, is named after him...

 served as the structural engineer for the project.

The church is adjacent to the U.P. Health Service Building and the U.P. Shopping Center, and is serviced by all of the university's jeepney routes.

History

Initially, Leandro Locsin designed the church for the Ossorio family, which was planning to build a chapel in Negros. Unfortunately, the plans for the chapel were scrapped when Frederic Ossorio left for the United States.

However, in 1955, Catholic Chaplain University of the Philippines Diliman John Delaney, S.J. commissioned Locsin to design a chapel that was open and could easily accommodate 1,000 people. The Church of Holy Sacrifice is the first circular chapel with the altar in its center in the country, and the first to have a thin shell concrete dome. The floor of the church was designed by Arturo Luz, the Stations of the Cross by Vicente Manansala

Vicente Manansala

Vicente Silva Manansala was a Philippine cubist painter and illustrator.Manansala was born in Macabebe, Pampanga. From 1926 to 1930, he studied at the U.P. School of Fine Arts. In 1949, Manansala received a six-month grant by UNESCO to study at the Ecole de Beaux Arts in Banff and Montreal, Canada...

 and Ang Kiukok

Ang Kiukok

Ang Kiukok was a leading Filipino painter and a National Artist for Visual Arts.-Profile of the Artist:He was born in Davao City, Philippines to Chinese-Filipino parents who had emigrated from Fukien...

, and the double-sided crucifix and altar base by Napoleon Abueva

Napoleón Abueva

Napoleón Isabelo Veloso-Abueva , more popularly known as Napoleón Abueva, is a Filipino artist. He is a sculptor given the distinction as the Philippines' National Artist for Sculpture. He is also entitled as the "Father of Modern Philippine Sculpture"...

, all of whom are now National Artists.

Being a pioneering structure, it almost suffered a setback during the construction of the dome when the weather suddenly changed as the concrete was being poured. If it had rained, the concrete would have not settled, and the whole project would have been in jeopardy.

The first mass in the church was celebrated on December 20, 1955. Since then, there have been modifications to the church and its surroundings. The gigantic dome, which used to be white, is now green. The altar base was also changed from wood to marble, still by Napoleon Abueva. Perhaps the most significant change is that the church is now fenced off, and the once open grounds that surrounded the church are now landscaped.

On January 12, 2005, the church was recognized as a National Historical Landmark and a Cultural Treasure by the National Historical Institute and the National Museum, respectively. During the recognition ceremony, National Historical Institute Chairman Ambeth R. Ocampo lauded the church as a "masterpiece of Filipino artistry and ingenuity". Currently, the parish is spearheading a project that aims to restore the dome of the historic church.

Architecture

The dome of the church is supported by pillars located at the sides of the church, so that there are no supports to block the space inside. The unique design of the dome allows natural lighting and ventilation. At the middle of the dome is a circular skylight, which supports the triangular bell tower. The bell tower, then extends to the interior, supporting the crucifix. The arrangement of the interior of the church is concentric, with the altar in the middle.

Profile

Name of Parish:

• Parish of the Holy Sacrifice

Feast Day:

• Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi)

Titular:

• Holy Sacrifice

Date of Established:

• May 30, 1977

Current Parish Priest

• Rev. Fr. Henry E. Ferreras (Appointed effective 16 January 2012)

Former Parish Priests

• 1977-1984 Msgr. Manuel G. Gabriel
• 1984-1986 Msgr. Chito Bernardo, Jr.
• 1986-1988 Most Rev. Ramon Arguelles
• 1988-1996 Msgr. Bayani Valenzuela
• 1996-2003 Fr. Roberto P. Reyes, Ph.L
• 2003-2006 Most Rev. Mylo Hubert C. Vergara, STD
  Doctor of Sacred Theology
  The Doctor of Sacred Theology is the final theological degree in the pontifical university system of the Catholic Church....
  
   (Bishop of Diocese of Pasig at present)
• 2005-2006 Fr. Arthur "Aytoy" Opiniano
• 2006-2012 Fr. Raymond Joseph L. Arre

Schedule of Services

Masses:

• Monday to Saturday: 6:00 am, 12:00 nn, 6:00 pm
• Sunday: 6:00 am, 7:00 am, 8:00 am, 9:00 am, 10:00 am, 11:00 am, 4:00 pm, 5:00 pm, 6:00 pm, 7:00 pm, 8:00 pm

Baptism:

• Tuesday to Saturday: Individual Baptism
• Saturday Group Baptism: 11:15 am
• Sunday: 2:30 pm

Weddings

• Tuesday to Saturday: 7:00 am, 8:30 am, 10:00 am, 2:00 pm, 4:00 pm

Devotions

• Novena to Our Mother of Perpetual Help: Wednesday before 12:00 nn Mass
• Novena to Sacred Heart: Friday after 6:00 pm Mass

Confessions:

• Monday to Friday: after 12:00 nn and 6:00 pm Mass

Mass in other places:

• UP Bliss: Sunday 8:00 am
• Hardin ng Rosas: Sunday 9:00 am
• Area Masses: Monthly

Adoration Chapel

• Monday to Sunday: 6:00 am to 11:00 pm

Facilities

Schools:

• Parish of the Holy Sacrifice Outreach Program UP Campus, Quezon City

Mortuary:

• Resurrection Mortuary

Pre-school Program:

While the University of the Philippines does not have a pre-school program in its system, the Parish of the Holy Sacrifice Outreach Program is open children ages 3-6 years old. Programs include Toddlers (3 y/o), Nursery (3.5-4 y/o), Kindergarten (4.5-5 y/o) and Preparatory (6 y/o).

External links

• Parish of the Holy Sacrifice official website
• Pre-School program
• Chapel of Sacrifice by Paulo Alcazaren
• UP Catholic Chaplaincy by Fr. JBoy Gonzales SJ