Sacred Heart of Jesus of Santa Mesa, Manila - The Lord and Protector of Santa Mesa, Manila

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Sacred Heart of Jesus of Santa Mesa, Manila
In the busy district of Santa Mesa, Manila, behind its modern facade, it was in this place that the first parish dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus was established and became the erstwhile center of the devotion next to Intramuros. The parish became a haven to the people of Santa Mesa, where most of its population are composed of emigrants from different provinces who are looking for better opportunities in the Capital.

The image

The venerable image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus of Santa Mesa, Manila is presented in its standard iconography based from the visions of St. Margaret Mary Alacocque: Our Lord Jesus standing presenting his Sacred Heart, his left hand on a gesture of blessing the beholder, wears a white robe and a red tunic. The face of the image is one of the most serene depiction of the Sacred Heart image in the country. The sculptor of the image was unknown.

Humble beginnings

The pioneering parish dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus began as a humble chapel that a Jesuit priest used to celebrate Mass and administer some baptisms with the license coming from Msgr. Jeremiah Harty, the Archbishop of Manila in 1903. The Parish of the Sacred Heart of Jesus was then formally erected on February 11, 1911, the care of which was entrusted to the Franciscan Capuchins.

Sacred Heart of Jesus of Santa Mesa, Manila
The superior of the Catalonian Capuchins, Fr. Marcelino de Solt, formally accepted “the direction and administration of the church of Santa Mesa” on March 18, 1911 priests from the Fransiscan Capuchin Order built the first edifice, repaired and renovated the church as needed and revolutionized the parish into action. They organized religious groups and formed lay leaders who later worked hard hand in hand with them in serving the needs of the people of Sta. Mesa. The Franciscan Capuchins served the Parish from 1911 to 1955.

The Sacred heart of Jesus Parish has a Parochial School which started offering elementary education in 1947 and in school year 2003-2004, it started offering secondary education. At present it has changed its name to Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic School. On March 31,1995, the administration of the parish was given to the Archdiocese of Manila with Msgr. Mario D. Enriquez as Parish Priest.

The Devotion

The devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Santa Mesa continues to flourish over the years. Aside from the residents of Santa Mesa, students from the parochial school, the surrounding college and university students, workers from different sectors located in the area flock the parish to find solace from the Sacred Heart of Our Lord as he promised to St. Margaret Mary and other saints whom he appeared for centuries.

Reference:

The History of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, Retrieved from https://shjpstamesa.com/about/ on June 30, 2019.

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