A BRIEF HISTORY

The Santisimo Rosario Parish, UST was established on March 21, 1942 by a decree issued by Msgr. Michael O’Doherty, D.D., Archbishop of Manila. On April 26, 1942, it was canonically inaugurated with a pontifical high mass celebrated by the Archbishop himself.

Seeing the influx of residences being built adjacent to the university campus, it was deemed necessary to put up a parish for the pastoral needs of the people. The Dominican Community of St. Thomas Aquinas Priory was given the task to care for the spiritual welfare of the burgeoning local church.

The Parish became one of the earliest parishes situated within a university, making it unique from the other parishes in the country. The chapel of the University of Santo Tomas in which the spiritual, moral and pastoral needs of the university populace are cared for, and where official religious and academic functions are held, also became the seat of parish activities. Here, the parishioners come to receive the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, matrimony and others.

On September 28, 1942, the image of Our Lady of La Naval de Manila was brought from Santo Domingo Church, Intramuros to UST because of the heavy bombings during World War II. It took temporary shelter in the Parish Church of Santisimo Rosario. That year, the novena of the La Naval was held for the first time in the parish church. The novena became a tradition and henceforth, the parish fiesta began being celebrated every 7th day of October. After staying for twelve years in the parish church, the image was borne in procession to the newly constructed Santo Domingo Church , Quezon City on October 10, 1954. It was then that the original image of Our Lady of the Rosary, the Patroness of the parish was restored to its former place at the main altar. The same image is now enthroned at the left side of the altar above the tabernacle.

Since the transfer of the image of La Naval to Santo Domingo church, the celebration of the parish fiesta has been permanently scheduled to the first Sunday of October. This was made so in order not to overlap with the feast of La Naval.

On September 2007, Fr. Jaime Alamillo, O.P. has appointed as Vicar Forane of Vicariete of the Our Lady of Loreto. It is first time that religious priest serve in this position.

In journeying for almost sixty six years while providing Marian and Dominican spirituality to its parishioners numbering to around fifty five thousand souls, the parish was accompanied by the following as parish priests:

Fr. Emiliano Serrano, O.P. (1942-1952)
Fr. Honario Muñoz, O.P. (1952-1954)
Fr. Santos Galende, O.P. (1954-1958)
Fr. Patricio Rodrigo, O.P. (1958-1969)
Fr. Guillermo Tejon, O.P. (1969-1970)
Fr. Lamberto Pasion, O.P. (1970-1971)
Fr. Pedro Escudero, O.P. (1971-1972)
Fr. Ramon Perez, O.P. (1973-1985)
Fr. Gallardo Bombase, O.P. (1985-1993)
Msgr. Jose Salazar, O.P., D.D. (1993-1996)
Fr. Eugene Cabillon, O.P. (1996-2003)
Fr. Jaime Alamillo, O.P. (2003-present)



Parish Territorial Jurisdiction

A. Geographical Location:

The parish is situated in North Sampaloc, one of the most thickly populated area of Manila. This is also known as the University Belt. Sampaloc is under the 4th Congressional District of Manila.

To the Northeast of the parish is Algeciras Street which is along the railway of the Philippine National Railway (PNR);
To the Southeast is Espana Boulevard, down to M. Earnshaw Street which traverses A. H. Lacson Street, then to S. H. Loyola Street;
To the South is Claro M. Recto Street;
To the Southwest is Quezon Boulevard and Andalucia Street;
To the Northwest is Laon-laan Street.

B. The Parishioners:

The area of jurisdiction here at Sampaloc district may be small but it is one of the most thickly populated areas in the metropolis. Approximately, the parish is host to almost fifty five thousand souls. More than half of the parishioners are residents and the remaining number are students, reviewees or employees.

The parish is blessed with the presence of twelve religious communities and pious religious groups mostly with schools and/or dormitories.

Religious Communities and Groups

  1. Dominican Sisters of the Most Holy Rosary of the Philippines
  2. Religious Missionaries of St. Dominic
  3. Dominican Sisters of the Trinity
  4. Missionary Dominican Sisters of the Rosary
  5. Religious of Mary Immaculate
  6. Religious of the Virgin Mary
  7. Mission Congregation of the Servants of the Holy Spirit
  8. Augustinian Missionaries of the Philippines
  9. Augustinian Sisters of Our Lady of Consolacion
  10. Carmelite Sisters of charity
  11. Teresian Association
  12. Opus Dei

Within the area are numerous educational institutions, review centers, hospitals, dormitories, and other business establishments catering to the needs of the people.

Educational Institutions:

  1. University of Santo Tomas (UST)
  2. Far Eastern University (FEU)
  3. Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP Annex)
  4. Perpetual Help College - Manila
  5. St. Augustine School of Nursing
  6. ACLC of AMA Group of Institutions
  7. Central Institute of Technology (CIT)
  8. Asian Institute of Computer Studies (AICS)
  9. Informatics International College - Manila
  10. Ramon Magsaysay High School
  11. Dominican School of Manila
  12. Juan Luna Elementary School
  13. Mary Jane School of Manila (Pre-school)
  14. Datamex Computer School

Review Centers:

  1. CRC-ACE Review School
  2. Golden Success Maritime Review Center
  3. Padilla Review Center
  4. Besavilla Review Center
  5. R.A. Gapuz Review Center (Millenium)
  6. Carl E. Balita Review Center (formerly St. Louis Review Center)
  7. NC-Clex Review Center
  8. Pentagon Review Center
  9. East West Review Center
  10. Florence Nightingale Review Center
  11. CPAR
  12. Sea Med
  13. Edgeworth Review and Educational Center
  14. CENE Nursing Review Center
  15. Excel review Center

Hospitals and Clinics

  1. Santo Tomas University Hospital
  2. Perpetual Succor Hospital
  3. Perpetual Help Hospital
  4. Hospital of the Infant Jesus
  5. Belmonte Health Center