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To be a Diocesan Shrine, a church must be a place of historical significance, prayer and pilgrimage for a special reason of piety.<\/span><\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Main News Article \/ Blog \/ Content” _builder_version=”4.9.3″ hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″] MARIKINA City – The country\u2019s first parish church under the patronage of St. Paul of the Cross has been declared a diocesan shrine.<\/p>\n In a decree made public on March 19, the Solemnity of St. Joseph, Bishop Francisco De Leon of Antipolo approved a petition to elevate the parish to such status.<\/p>\n Located in the city of Marikina\u2019s SSS village, it also holds the distinction of being the diocese\u2019s only parish dedicated to a male patron saint.<\/p>\n The bishop\u2019s approval came five months after a petition to declare the church as a shrine was filed by Fr. Vicentico Flores, Jr., its parish priest.<\/p>\n The declaration also coincided with the 300th foundation anniversary of the Passionist Congregation, which administered the parish for 29 years.<\/p>\n Established in 1975, the parish was turned over by the Passionist Fathers to the pastoral care of the Antipolo diocese in 2004.<\/p>\n The new diocesan shrine, the eighth in the diocese, keeps a first-class relic of St. Paul of the Cross, which was acquired in 2010.<\/p>\n