Name of Parish: Mary Immaculate Quasi-Parish

Address: Don Lauro St., Levitown Estate, Brgy. Don Bosco, 1700 Paranaque City, Philippines

Parish Priest: Rev. Fr. Eric P. Gonzales SHMI (Sons of Holy Mary Immaculate)

Diocese of Paranaque  Bishop Jesse Mercado

Vision and Mission:

We, the parishioners of Mary Immaculate Quasi-Parish, envision ourselves as a Eucharistic community living in faith, hope and love, worshipping and breaking bread together in our new church, closely being with Jesus in His mission to proclaim the Kingdom of God, constantly formed and renewed by the Holy Spirit and under the guidance and motherly love of Mary Immaculate, our Patroness

Brief Profile of Parish Patron Saint: N/A

Youth Organization: Youth Ministry, YFC

          Other Orgs: Knights of Columbus, CFC, Handmaids of the Lord

Schedule of Services:

Masses:

Monday-Friday 7:00pm           

Saturday Morning: 7:00am

Saturday Evening: 5:45 pm and 7:00pm

Sunday: 7:00am, 8:30am, 10:00am, 5:30pm, 7:00pm

Feast Day: December 8 (Feast of the Immaculate Conception)

Brief History:

          The Mary Immaculate Quasi-Parish (MIQP), formerly known as Mary Immaculate Chapel (MIC), was part of Mary Help of Christians Parish, which is run by the Salesian Fathers. The process of creating a new parish, in view of providing a better spiritual service for the growing population of the place- at that time estimated at 15,000 faithful- was initiated by the Congregation of the Sons of Holy Mary Immaculate at the beginning of 2002. The project met with the blessings and support of the Archdiocese of Manila, represented by Bishop Socrates B. Villegas; of the PPLM District Bishop, our very own Jesse E. Mercado; and the Salesian Society of Don Bosco, with Rev. Fr. Gaudencio T. Carandang Jr as Parish Priest of MHCP and by Rev. Fr. Francis Gustillo as Provincial Superior. The process continued and prospered also after the creation of the Diocese of Paranaque on December 2002.

          In July 2003, Rev. Fr. Michael F. Mata SHMI, was appointed as chaplain. He is credited with the construction of the Fr. Frassinetti Hall, and the institution of the basic ministries and a regular sacramental life. For the record, the Knights of Columbus was the first organization established in the parish; their enthusiasm was a driving force for all other associations. In 2004, Fr. Saul P. Maquinto SHMI took over the position of Fr. Mata, and continued the development of ministries, movements, and pastoral work.

          The birthday of Mary Immaculate Quasi-Parish was on December 7, 2004, with the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement between the Diocese of Paranaque and the Congregation of the Sons of Holy Mary Immaculate, and the proclamation of the Decree of Erection. The existing chapel, built a decade earlier with the generous contributions of the people, was to serve as a temporary church; in the meantime, plans for purchasing additional land for a new church and better facilities went underway. On January 7, 2007, Fr. Eric P. Gonzales, SHMI, a Paranaqueno by birth and heart, was appointed as parish priest. So dar, he has implemented a comfortable confessional room, the regular visit to the sick, and has established a Church Construction Committee

         

          At first, my relationship with the parish is an outcast because I have never been so close to my parish and my community. My chosen parish was not the place where we usually go to mass but I was only transferred there because our house was covered by its range. I was new in that parish and I don’t even know the people around me. People say that the parish priest is scary so I must follow everything that he says. So I started from scratch. First I questioned myself what is my relationship with the church?

 Growing from a catholic school, I learned so many things about religion. The church is the most sacred place for Christians but for me everywhere can be a sacred place as long as you have faith. The parish is not merely a place of worship but a place where the community gathers. Every Sunday we go to mass but we forget what we must cherish and that is the passion, death, and resurrection of Christ Jesus. Each and every member of the parish recognizes that the community is indeed a blessing form God. Some see it as their second family. Some see it as a source of joy.

          As time goes by, I have learned to interact with my fellow parishioners and somehow step out of my comfort zone in order to have a meaningful connection between me and my parish.