by Joel V. Ocampo
More than a month before the end of the Year 2022, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Manila, His Eminence Cardinal Jose F. Advincula decreed the erection of two new archdiocesan shrines in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The first is the Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Socorro Parish (NSPSP) in Sampaloc, elevated and received the title “Archdiocesan Shrine of Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Socorro''. The decree was given on November 2, 2022, but it was made public only on November 27, 2022, through the Facebook post of the former parish priest, Rev. Fr. Jerome R. Secillano.
Photo from Fr. Jerome Secillano
In the said Facebook post, Father Secillano said, “God’s grace…was in abundance. Not only were we able to build an elegant and beautiful church in NSPS, it was also declared as an archdiocesan shrine upon our petition. A feat we achieved before I left what I considered ‘home’.”
The second is the San Vicente de Paul Parish, located at 959 San Marcelino St., Ermita, Manila. The said par