The Immaculate Conception Cathedral of Cubao

On the place that used to be rice paddies seventy years ago now stands the Immaculate Conception Cathedral, the seat of the Diocese of Cubao.

In 1935, a small chapel was built on rice fields and was administered by Fr. Henry Desmond, a priest from the Society of the Divine Word.

The SVD priests attended to the pastoral and spiritual needs of a limited farming community. The chapel built was dedicated to San Isidro Labrador and belonged to Sacred Heart Parish in Kamuning.

On December 8, 1949 the patron San Isidro Labrador was changed to Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception. On July 15, 1950, the community chapel was canonically erected to become the Immaculate Conception Parish with Fr. Juan Simón as its first parish priest.

After many years, the SVD community passed on their legacy and turned over the administration of the Immaculate Conception Parish to the Archdiocese of Manila on April 30, 1990. Msgr. Reynaldo Celso was installed as the first diocesan Parish Priest by His Eminence Jaime Cardinal Sin.

With the continued growth of the Christian community that was becoming more and more diverse with the influx of Filipinos migrating from the provinces into the city, the Archdiocese of Manila recognized the ever-greater challenge of keeping the faithful together.  The archdiocese needed to give birth to suffragan dioceses.

On June 28, 2003, the Diocese of Cubao was established. However, a diocese doesn’t stand on its own without having a Cathedral.

In an interview with Most Rev. Bishop Honesto Ongtioco, the father of the Diocese of Cubao, he said that, “The word ‘cathedral’ comes from the Latin word ‘cathedra’. It means ‘a seat.” He further explained that the word cathedra does not literally mean a piece of chair or furniture, but more of an office or position of the person, “in the Catholic Church, we use the word ‘cathedral’ to signify the place where the bishop resides.”

The Immaculate Conception Cathedral of Cubao is also known for promoting the devotion to Mary. This focus is evident not only in the pastoral activities that build up the devotion but also through the art depicted on its walls.

The beautiful stained glass windows of the Cathedral exhibit the most important scenes of the life of Mary: The Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and Image of Our Lady of Pentecost.

Truly, the Immaculate Conception Cathedral of Cubao is not just rich in history, but also a perfect presentation of art and devotion.

The Cathedral that has withstood the test of time for seven decades has also been a place that witnessed remarkable events in the Diocese.

Ordinations, Weddings, the establishment of the Diocese’s Judicial Tribunal and the Solemn Rite for the Opening of the Cause for Beatification and Canonization of the Servant of God Darwin Ramos, on August 28, 2019.

And although a lot of memories have been made in the years past, we still have many things to look forward to.

Immaculate Conception

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