The document provides information about Mary Help of Christians Parish located in Paranaque City, Philippines. It details the parish's history, founding in 1975, mass schedules, organizations, and the devotion to Mary Help of Christians promoted by St. John Bosco and the establishment of the first shrine in the Philippines in 1969 and its designation as a National Shrine in 1985.

1. By: Jannica Anne H. Gaisano

2. Address : Barangay Don
Bosco, Betterliving
Subdivision, Parañaque City
Telephone : 823-9263
Parish Priest : Rev. Fr. Gerardo D.
Battad, SDB (Salesians of Don Bosco
Vicariate : Saint Martin de Porres
Year Founded : 1975
Confessions : at every Mass

3. Mass Schedules
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
06:00AM - 06:00AM - 06:00AM - 06:00AM - 06:00AM - 06:00AM - 06:00AM -
07:00AM 06:30AM 06:30AM 06:30AM 06:30AM 06:30AM 06:30AM
07:30AM - 07:00AM - 07:00AM - 07:00AM - 07:00AM - 07:00AM - 07:00AM -
08:30AM 07:30AM 07:30AM 07:30AM 07:30AM 07:30AM 07:30AM
09:00AM - 06:30PM - 06:30PM - 12:00PM - 06:30PM - 06:30PM - 06:30PM -
10:00AM 07:00PM 07:00PM 01:00PM* 07:00PM 07:00PM 07:00PM
10:30AM - 06:30PM -
11:30AM 07:00PM
12:00PM -
01:00PM
03:30PM -
04:30PM
05:00PM -
06:00PM
06:30PM -
07:30PM
08:00PM -
09:00PM
*Novena mass in honor of Mary Help of Christians

4. Organizations/ Programs
 Night School Program
 Training for Lectors and Servers
 Chorale
 Outreach Ministry
 Family Counseling

5.  St. John Bosco, the man destined by
God to be an Apostle of Mary Help of
Christians, was born on August
16, 1815 in Becchi, Italy – the same
year that the feast of MHC was
instituted

6. HOW DID DON BOSCO LEARN ABOUT MARY
HELP OF CHRISTIANS?
 March 1862 - a painting of Mary in a
rundown church near Spoletto in
Fratta had spoken to a little boy
Righetto Cionchi.
 March 19, 1862 - a young farmer
was miraculously cured by the
image. Crowds of people went to
the miraculous image and it was
seen by many to shed tears.
 The Archbishop Arnaldi of Spoletto
officially named the image, Our
Lady Help of Christians, “the most
suitable in every respect”.
 Don Bosco learned of these events
in Spoletto and he joyfully narrated
some of the miraculous events in
his Goodnight Talk on May 24,
1862.

7.  1863 - A vision of our lady appeared to
Don Bosco asking him to build a Church
to honor Her as Mary Help of Christians.
She said, “This is my house, from here
My Glory shall shine forth,”
 Don Bosco started working against all
odds
 1865 - Don Bosco asked the artist
Thomas Lorenzone to paint the picture
of Mary Help of Christians. It was places
at the main altar of the Basilica.
 1868 - Don Bosco completed the grand
Basilica of Mary Help of Christians in
Turin, Italy
 Its feast is celebrated starting last week
of April and closes on May 24, it is most
attended church service in Turin, Italy.

8.  1922 - Mary Help of
Christians (MHC) saw its
birth in the Philippines with
the appointment of
Salesian Archbishop William
Piani as apostolic delegate
to the Philippines, he
brought the statue of MHC
to Manila Cathedral.
 1942 - During the Japanese
occupation, the statue of
MHC was brought to our
Lady of Loreto church in
Sampaloc, Manila for
safekeeping.

9. FIRST SHRINE OF MHC IN THE
PHILIPPINES
 1951 - The first group of Salesians of
Don Bosco (SDB) first arrived in the
Philippines.
 1955 - The Daughters of Mary Help of
Christians (FMA) or Salesian Sisters
arrived in the Phils. and helped spread
the devotion to Mary Help of Christians
(MHC)
 1969 - The first MHC Shrine in the
Phils. was solemnly blessed and
inaugurated by Arch. Carmine Rocco,
and Bishop Pedro Batigua at the Don
Bosco seminary in Canlubang Laguna.
 1972 - In May 24, 1972, the
cornerstone of the temple in Metro
Manila where Mary could welcome
devotees was laid by Arch. Rocco in the
land donated by Serrano and Dolor
families in Better Living Subdivision,
Paranaque City.

10. NATIONAL SHRINE OF
MARY HELP OF CHRISTIANS
 June of 1975 - His Eminence
Jaime Cardinal
Sin, DO, Archbishop of
Manila, created the Parish of
Mary Help of Christians and
designated the Shrine as the
Parish of Mary Help and Fr.
Pierengelo
Quaranta, SDB, its first Parish
Priest.
 July 24, 1975 - the parish of
MHC was officially
inaugurated.
 December 4, 1976 - church
was solemnly consecrated
during the Silver Jubilee
celebrations of Salesians
presence in the Philippines.

11. August 15, 1985 - the Catholic
Bishop Conference of the
Philippines headed by
Archbishop Antonio
Mabutas, gave the approval of
the statutes bestowing upon the
church the title of a National
Shrine. Fr. Leo Drona, SDB was
appointed as its first Rector.
August 24, 1985 - the solemn
mass and official proclamation of
the National Shrine of the Mary
Help of Christians were
celebrated with Msgr. Bruno
Torpigliani, Jaime Cardinal
Sin, Salesian Family, friends and
devotees in attendance.
Then, during the celebration of
the great Jubilee celebration of
the Shrine as a Parish – the
National Shrine of Mary Help of
Christians had the privilege of
being a Jubilee Church (Pilgrim
Church).
September 4, 1994 - National
Shrine welcomed one of the
oldest known images of Mary
Help of Christians in the
Philippines – the statue brought
by Msgr. William Piani
Hic domus mea, inde Gloria mae.
“This is my house, my Glory shine from here.”

12. References
 http://www.mass-schedules.com/catholic-
church/589/mary-help-of-christians-national-shrine.html
 http://www.rcam.org/suffragans/para%F1aque.htm
 http://maps.google.com/maps/place?hl=en&gs_upl=1237l
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1&ie=UTF-
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gl=ph&hq=mary+help+of+christians+parish+paranaque&h
near=0x3397ca03571ec38b:0x69d1d5751069c11f,Manila
&cid=10230426035661858307
 http://www.facebook.com/pages/National-Shrine-of-Mary-
Help-of-Christians/173536905990174
 http://shrines.healthypinoy.com/manila/mary-help-of-
christians.html