Saint Andrew the Apostle Church

Coordinates: 14°33′58″N 121°01′25″E / 14.5661°N 121.02365°E / 14.5661; 121.02365

Saint Andrew the Apostle Parish Church
Basic information
Location #62 Constellation St., Nicanor Garcia cor. Neptune Streets, Bel-Air Village, Makati, Metro Manila
Affiliation Roman Catholic
District Archdiocese of Manila
Ecclesiastical or organizational status Parish church
Website www.saaparish.com
Architectural description
Architectural style Modern Architecture
Groundbreaking 1967
Completed 1968

The Saint Andrew the Apostle Parish is a Roman Catholic Church in Bel-Air Village, Makati, Philippines. It is one of the known Modern Edifices designed by Leandro V. Locsin in Makati. This Parish is dedicated to Saint Andrew the Apostle, the patron saint of Metro Manila and Bel-Air Village. Its Parish Territories are Bel-Air Village (Barangay Bel-Air), San Miguel Village (Barangay Poblacion), Rizal Village and Santiago Village (Barangay Valenzuela), and Salcedo village (Barangay Bel-Air).

Church Description

Built by National Artist for Architecture Leandro Locsin in 1968, the design of this parish church in Bel-Air Makati is symbolic of the manner the martyr died crucified on an X-shaped cross. The butterfly shaped floor plan emanates from this cruciform. Many other symbolic features mark the tent-like structure, including the giant chandelier over the altar which serves as a halo over the copper cross by National Artist for Visual Art, Vicente Manansala.[1]

History

The proposal of St. Andrew the Apostle Parish began in 1965 when a group of residents belonging to the villages of San Miguel and Bel-Air dreamed of having a parish that they could call their own.

The community did not have to wait long. Don Andres Soriano Jr. offered to have a church built in honor of his late father Don Andres Sr. who was loved and respected by the people of San Miguel Corporation. Thus, the parish was named after the patriarch’s namesake, St. Andrew the Apostle.

With the approval of the establishment and formation of the parish by Rufino Cardinal Santos came the appointment of Fr. Emilio Bularan as the first Parish Priest.

On February 8, 1967, the 69th birthday of the late Don Andres Soriano, the cornerstone was laid at the 3,494 square meter lot donated by the Ayala family through the Makati Development Corporation.

On November 30, 1968, St. Andrew the Apostle Parish was opened. At half past eight in the morning, the community gathered to witness the unveiling of the church marker by the people whose generosity made the occasion possible: Andres Soriano Jr., President of San Miguel Corporation; Jose Ma. Soriano, Chairman and President of A. Soriano y Cia; Enrique Zobel, President of the Ayala Corporation; and other donors from Roxas y Cia.[2]

In 2002, Msgr. Emmanuel Sunga made some various redevelopments in the Parish such as the improvement of flooring, air-conditioning, building of Parish Office annex, refurbishment of halo chandelier, the Altar of the Church, and Building of the Carillon Bell Tower.

Pastors

Name Years of Pastorship Present Assignment
Rev. Msgr. Emilio Bularan † 1967 to 1969 deceased priest of the Diocese of Antipolo
Rev. Fr. Wilfredo Ipapo 1969 to 1972 deceased
Rev. Msgr. Jesus Arcellana † 1972 to 1982
Most Rev. Severino Pelayo † 1982 to 1986 deceased Military Ordinary of the Philippines
Most Rev. Leoncio Lat † 1986 deceased Auxiliary Bishop of Manila
Rev. Msgr. Jose "Chito" Bernardo Jr., HP 1986 to 1991 Vicar-General emeritus of the Diocese of Paranaque
Most Rev. Francisco De Leon, DD 1991 to 1993 Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Antipolo
Rev. Msgr. Claro Matt Garcia, PC 1993 to 2002 Pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish in Tayuman, Tondo, Manila
Rev. Msgr. Emmanuel V. Sunga, PC 2002 to 2011 Pastor/rector of the Archdiocesan Shrine Our Lady of Loreto, Sampaloc, Manila
Rev. Msgr. Peter Eymard Mercelino Dennis S. Odiver, PC February 1, 2011 – Present

Other Present Priests

Name Year Started Present Assignment
Rev. Fr. Victor Allan B. Dichoso 2004 Parochial Vicar/Asst. Parish Priest
Rev. Fr. Patrick B. Paraiso 2011 Resident Guest Priest
Rev. Fr. Milan Ted Torralba 2011 Guest Priest

Former Priests

* not yet complete

Name Previous Assignment
Rev. Fr. Erwin B. Blasa Resident Guest Priest
Rev. Fr. Jeffrey T. Jamias Parochial Vicar/Asst. Parish Priest
Rev. Fr. Peter Trong Tran Resident Guest Priest
Rev. Fr. Stephen K. Jantuah Resident Guest Priest
Rev. Fr. Dennis Sudla Resident Guest Priest

Schedule of Services

Masses:

Holy Hours

Gallery

References

  1. ↑
  2. ↑

External links

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