Monday, September 2, 2019

Historical Milestone of Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish



1972  

First Mass was held in Brookside Subdivision with a handful of Catholic devotees. Subsequent community prayers and Masses were held in a nipa hut at the Area IV open space.


June 6, 1973  

Deed of Assignment of the open space was signed between Mr. Louis Bernasconi, former President of St. Louis Realty Corporation and Mr. Pete Alojado, former President of Brookside Residents Association, Inc. The open space, where the church currently stands, has an area of 1,863 sq. m.


1974  

Construction of the initial structure, originally intended to be an ecumenical chapel and youth center, was completed. Renovations and expansions were subsequently done to accommodate the growing number of parishioners.


1998  

The open space property was finally ceded to the Diocese of Antipolo, through the representation of then Parish Pastoral Council President, Mrs. Lourdes Hernandez, with the approval of the BRAI Board and its former President, Mr. Pete Petisme. This was a canonical requirement for the chapel to be raised to the status of a parish church. 

The Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish used to be a chapel under the canonical jurisdiction of the Our Lady of Light Parish in downtown Cainta. With the increasing need for pastoral care and the growing number of parishioners of our Lady of Light Parish, the former Bishop of the Diocese of Antipolo, His Excellency Bishop Protacio G. Gungon, D. D., divided the parish into two parishes and one quasi-parish, one of them, the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish.


April 24, 1999 

The Canonical erection of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish and the installation of its first parish priest, Rev. Fr. Rosalio C. Olaybal, was officiated by His Excellency Bishop Gungon. The subdivisions under the pastoral care of the first parish priest were Brookside, (the seat of the parish then and now), Cypress Village, Don Mariano, Gruar I, Park Place, Gruar II (Riverside), St. Joseph, Village East, Villarica, Barangay Bulao and Country Homes.











November 29 2000 

Cypress Village Gruar I, Gruar II (Riverside), and Village East became part of a newly created quasi-parish, with Village East as the main church.

April 15, 2001 

Rev. Fr. Dave Onilongo replaced Rev. Fr. Rosalio C. Olaybal as the second Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish priest.









September 14, 2003 

Rev. Fr. Arnold L. Layoc, succeeded Rev. Fr. Dave Onilongo as the third Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish priest.








October 1, 2009 

Rev. Fr. Gerry Evarola was installed as the fourth parish priest of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish. Currently, the parish is composed of Bayanihan Village, Country Homes, Don Mariano, Park Place, St. Joseph, Villarica, Birmingham Place, Basic Ecclesial Communities (composed of San Buena, Muntindilaw, Majayjay), and Brookside Hills Subd., being the seat of the parish.


 January 10, 2011 

The construction of the newly designed church, conceptualized by Arch. Alfredo Caritativo, finally took off on January 10, 2011, under the guidance of Rev. Fr Gerry Evarola, assisted by the Parish Pastoral Council, Construction Committee, Finance Council, all ministries and church organizations.
The vision for the new SHJP church started as early as in 1999 during Fr. Ross Olaybal’s term, though the initial focus was on the building up of its gathered people. This dream continued until the term of Fr. Dave Onilongo. Then, during Fr. Arnold Layoc’s term, he led the ground breaking rite for the renovation of the chapel on September 30, 2009. Its design retained the original facade of the old chapel. 

Before the church construction took place, Fr. Gerry requested the team of church builders to replace the dilapidated rectory and build a parish office. Embarking on a frenzy of initial fund-raising projects, the SHJP church builders were able to raise P4M to complete the rectory and another P1.5M to build the multi-purpose building in one year. This gave the team a foretaste of trail blazing series of fund-raising projects that paved the way to the new church construction.       


October 1, 2016 

After more than five (5) years, the new SHJP church was dedicated and blessed by the new Bishop of the Diocese of Antipolo, Most Rev. Francis de Leon, with the assistance of Rev. Fr. Gerry Evarola, Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish Priest, Msgr. Rigoberto de Guzman, Fr. Mike Balatbat and other co-celebrants. 



March 6, 2017

Rev. Fr. Jaime P. Padilla became the fifth parish priest of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish.















July 1, 2018

St. Joseph Chapel, in St. Joseph Subdivision, Our Lady of Fatima Chapel of Villarica Subdivision and Queenship of Mary Chapel in Country Homes became part of a new quasi-parish. Christ the King chapel, of Sampalucan, became part of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish.



September 17, 2018

Fr. Sandy Anonuevo was assigned as assistant parish priest of Rev. Fr. Jaime P. Padilla.















November 1, 2018

Rev. Fr. Jaime P. Padilla held the first Mass in the columbary.



Today, the Catholic community of Brookside Hills, mini-parishes, and adjoining subdivisions, enjoy the daily Eucharistic celebrations and other sacraments like Baptism, Confirmation, and Marriage in a more spacious, more comfortable and devotion-inspiring beautiful church. The parish is very much alive with the active participation of the parishioners in all its parish activities.