Covering the area that comprises the neighboring Neopolitan Subdivisions of Casa Milan, Sitio Seville and Villa Vienna B-1, the St. Paul the Apostle Parish and Shrine for the New Evangelization was formally established by His Excellency, the Most Reverend Antonio R. Tobias, DD, on June 2, 2019, Feast of the Ascension of Our Lord. The date so chosen aims to highlight the birth and growth of the Parish from within the Vicariate of the Ascension of the Lord where significantly ten years prior, on June 13, 2009, towards the closing days of the Jubilee Year of the blessed Apostle Paul, the enormous albeit unfinished church structure sitting idly in Casa Milan came to be blessed and dedicated to the memory of the great Apostle to the Nations.

Long before its dedication the aforesaid church building in Casa Milan belonged juridically to the Divine Savior Parish, with the Casa Milan Subdivision within Lagro being such a major part of its parish community. Designed by the eminent Architect Susan Castillo of the famed St. James the Greater Parish Church in Ayala Alabang, and built by and during the incumbency of the first and founding parish priest of North Fairview, the Rev. Fr. Victor Emmanuel Clemen, the church project was really meant to replace the old chapel structure in North Fairview which by then had proved to be already too small for such a big and growing parish as the Divine Savior. However, after almost seven years of keen, sustained and painstaking construction under the able leadership of Fr. Clemen, beginning in 1998, the ambitious undertaking unfortunately fell apart, particularly with his transfer to San Bartolome Parish in 2005. Yet even prior to the transfer, the magnificent project already got hit by some falling out among supposedly the most active parishioner-residents of Casa Milan, a conflict that was further exacerbated and complicated by the involvement of non-church-going officers of the Homeowners Association of Casa Milan, who joined the fray and began to question the legality of the Church’s proprietorship of the piece of land upon which the church was being built. What started out as a minor individual misunderstanding soon turned into a major communal dispute that gravely affected and later put to a stoppage the erstwhile avid building construction.

During the incumbency of Rev. Fr. Ambrosio Nonato Legaspi who succeeded Fr. Clemen as pastor of the Divine Savior Parish in 2005, the project was temporarily shelved pending amicable resolutions of the moment’s burning issues related directly to the church building construction plans. Meanwhile, as the pursuit of peace and reconciliation was given more emphasis, the North Fairview Parish’s hold and control over its church property in nearby Casa Milan was slipping away. This with the Casa Milan Homeowners Association doggedly asserting its right of ownership over the land, even putting up unreasonable restrictions to the parish community’s continuous access and use of the place. With Fr. Legaspi’s own quiet ways and conciliatory approach, parish activities in Casa Milan gave in and found venue and focus elsewhere. A fresh start for the Divine Savior Parish in general and for Casa Milan in particular appeared on the horizon when the planned first Diocesan General Reshuffle of Parish Priests came in June of 2007. With the Diocesan Oeconome himself, the Rev. Fr. Marlou Lemaire, becoming appointed as the new parish priest of the Divine Savior Parish, and, along with the appointment obviously, as the man in charge of the disrupted church construction in Casa Milan.

Out to bring the grand church project in Casa Milan back on track, Fr. Lemaire went his way to win the support of the parishioners of the Divine Savior Parish in North Fairview and surrounding communities including Casa Milan. With his engaging charisma and well laid-out plans, with his strong will and determination and long experience in church-building, Fr. Lemaire went to galvanize the parishioners’ support for the losing project. On the day when all seemed ready and set for the total resumption of the project, the Homeowners Association suddenly and without warning closed down the only accessible gate along Regalado Avenue that leads people directly to the church, padlocking it for keeps. Amid protests, entreaties and pleadings of the Divine Savior Parish Pastoral Council and despite efforts at reconciliation and possible compromises, the Casa Milan Homeowners Association remained unbending. They refused entry to any of its subdivision’s gates for construction materials meant to be delivered to the church. With such intransigence, the hand of the incumbent Pastor was forced to try something drastic—sue the Association in court. In vehement response, the Association counter sued. What therefore was once only a simmering dispute among just a few resident parishioners in Casa Milan came to a head and flared up into an unexpectedly vicious legal battle that went as if in a series all the way to the Supreme Court.

With the slow litigation process that seemed to put things entirely on hold, Fr. Lemaire went to refocus his resources back to North Fairview. With the support of the Parish Pastoral Council of the Divine Savior, he soon decided to renovate instead, if not to entirely rebuild, the already existing albeit small and chapel scale parish church in the said subdivision. However, with that subsequent decision, the long-stalled church building project in Casa Milan was again left all as it was—uncompleted—and even now for all intents and purposes, abandoned. Fortuitously perhaps, or better still, providentially, less than two years later, even as the church building project in North Fairview moved apace towards a successful completion, the forlorn-looking church building back in Casa Milan was repurposed and given new life.

Towards the end of the Jubilee Year of St. Paul in June 2009, as the pilgrim image of the Saint was completing the final rounds of its missionary visitation of the parishes and communities spread across the whole of the Diocese of Novaliches, and as deliberations were being finalized as to how the Jubilee should come to an appropriately glorious culmination, the Organizing Committee in charge of the Jubilee chaired by Rev. Msgr. Jesus Romulo Rañada of the Our Lady of the Annunciation Parish, proposed to consider making the unfinished church in Casa Milan serve as a home and a shrine for the blessed Apostle Paul. To this suggestion, Fr. Marlou Lemaire of the Divine Savior Parish, who by this time had almost completed the new parish church building in North Fairview, agreed and wholeheartedly threw his support. With the concurrence of the Curia and the final approval and blessing of Bishop Tobias, the plan to dedicate the existing church in Casa Milan to the memory of blessed Paul and to make of it a Diocesan Shrine in honor of the glorious Apostle was set. Accordingly on June 13, 2009 which happened to be the 68th Birth Anniversary of Bishop Tobias, in the early hours of the morning of that same day, from the church of St. Peter’s Parish and Shrine of Leaders along Commonwealth Avenue, where the pilgrim image of St. Paul had made his final stay, the said icon of the great Saint was brought out and paraded to the sound of drums and bugles through the lengths of Commonwealth and Regalado Avenues by a huge and jubilant throng of priests, religious and lay, and thus so splendidly brought to his own home (or home base) in Casa Milan.

Four years later, in June of 2013, during the second Diocesan General Reshuffle of Parish Priests, a new arrangement was put into effect for the pastoral administration of Casa Milan in particular, including what had become of the Shrine. So timed to perfectly coincide with the change of assignments of pastors all over the Diocese, the pastoral control and administration of Casa Milan was transferred from the Parish of the Divine Savior to that of Mary the Queen. This in effect to the new and incoming parish priest of Mary the Queen, the Rev. Msgr. Jesus Romulo C. Rañada who four years earlier in 2009 as head of the Jubilee Year of St. Paul was partly instrumental in the repurposing and transformation of the church in Casa Milan into a Shrine so dedicated to the Apostle. The aforesaid change in pastoral administrative control of Casa Milan could not have been simply incidental and practical. Although on its own the said move might look like a simple alteration and natural development, it was in fact decisively complex and one with long-term ramification especially for this community’s eventual development. It must be noted, for instance, that despite proximity, the people of Casa Milan were never ever oriented to actually nearby Mary the Queen Parish, just across the Subdivision’s Gate 2, toward the other end of Belfast Avenue, but rather to the Divine Savior Parish in North Fairview which, after all, started the community in this nascent gated village. Having developed and nurtured this community, even choosing it and its home ground as the site for the building up of an enormous church projected to become its future parish church and community center, must have definitely made an impact on Casa Milan even then. In short, all of this undoubtedly shaped Casa Milan’s own particular consciousness, identity and history as a “would-be” and now a “would-have-been” center of a living faith community of the Divine Savior Parish.

In a way things would have turned out differently for Casa Milan had it rather become a new and separate parish right away, entirely on its own, rather than getting transferred to another parish such as that of Mary the Queen. In that way, Casa Milan would have organically or naturally proceeded and got to develop from its own original mother parish of the Divine Savior even as it moved forward on its own and carried within itself the vestiges of its noble origin and essential purpose. But history instead has made it so that its immediate future and ultimate destiny took a different turn as the hands so in charge of its administration changed dramatically. Thus it came to pass that Casa Milan and the Shrine amidst this fledgling community moved away from one parish territorial jurisdiction to another, that is, from the Parish of the Divine Savior to that of Mary the Queen. Perhaps in plain human terms, this must have meant for the community of Casa Milan an abrupt disruption of so important a relationship it had long built and even so a confusing and painful separation with long term consequences for itself, hence much like that of a child separated from its own parent and made to live away and much far removed from one’s own personal roots and origins. Consequently, a veritable dissociation from one’s own identity and history must have ensued. Still, on the one hand, with no real choice as in with no or little consultation, this could only mean leaving everything behind and getting on with it no matter how difficult it might be. In the end it meant allowing oneself to be adopted by a new ecclesial parent and new ecclesial family, and getting itself adapted to a new environment and new community. And yet it must be said that the half-forsaken community of Casa Milan was not bereft as it was but even so endowed with something quite precious all its own. Indeed, it had for itself such an enormous gift and significant asset: the unfinished, yes, but nonetheless already existing Shrine of St. Paul. Indeed, given the actual enormity and magnificent possibility of the existing church building amid this community of Casa Milan, and, more importantly, given the very significant status of that same church building as a Shrine dedicated to the blessed memory of St. Paul the Apostle, it looked—as it was at least to the new parish priest of the Mary the Queen Parish, that is, Msgr. Rañada—that what Casa Milan really needed at that very moment was a break, that is to say, a break in more ways than one but particularly so in terms of the way it would or should be pastorally managed. For Msgr. Rañada this is crucial to enable the Casa Milan community to grow even more faithfully and to prosper more ministerially or pastorally.

Following thus a different path and obviously uncharted course at that, the new Pastor of Mary the Queen Parish that had assumed adoption of Casa Milan deemed it wise to treat the community of St. Paul differently, that is to say, to not simply treat it as an ordinary and regular member community much like any other satellite faith communities existing in the various subdivisions under its wings but more so as a sort of unique chaplaincy. For having an entirely different and significant history to boot, firstly, as one forged from a real deep and close association, even intimacy, with the Divine Savior Parish, its original mother parish, and secondly, as one wherein its inner growth and fundamental development was so fueled by its own subsequent establishment as a Shrine albeit one that obviously was still weak and remained such a work in progress. Accordingly, both these aspects and factors of its own historical development were so very important to consider in the administrative-pastoral pursuit of Casa Milan’s further growth and development and true relevance and mission as a church community with its own unique consciousness and different identity. That was why the Shrine community, for Msgr. Rañada, required an enormously different treatment or approach. As a Shrine, it should truly enjoy the full services of a Rector, and with a church building even far much bigger than that of its new mother parish and community of Mary the Queen, it stood as one truly able of its own to be of service to a much bigger and wider community such as the Diocese. Even so, when things are done and the church building works complete, as so Msgr. Rañada thought then, the Shrine community of Casa Milan would stand—from the ground up—able to perform such an important and incomparable role of service in the future.

From 2014 to 2018 the Shrine of St. Paul served humbly yet graciously as a unique religious venue for important and significant events in the Diocese such as, among other things, its annual Theological-Pastoral Congresses in November and likewise its annual Pentecost Recollections in May. Similarly, it also served as the place for special celebrations such as the 50th Sacerdotal Anniversary and the 35th Episcopal Anniversary of Bishop Tobias in 2015 and 2018 respectively, and of that of his Formal Farewell and Retirement Year in 2019. All these big diocesan occasions were held at the Shrine even as the Shrine itself, structurally speaking, remained incomplete and still was a work in progress. Meanwhile, the small Shrine community enjoyed the benefit of two Masses on Sundays, i.e., one in the morning at ten-thirty and another in the afternoon at five o’clock. Masses were also regularly celebrated at the Shrine on solemn days such as Christmas and Easter, and on special days such as Ash Wednesday and All Saints Day. Above all, the Feast of St. Paul in January and that of Saints Peter and Paul in June were institutionalized and solemnly observed at the Shrine, with Novenaria and processions, as well as with special fiesta programs and community events. In short, even as it was juridically part of Mary the Queen Parish, the Casa Milan community of the Shrine of St. Paul enjoyed itself as a singularly intact Catholic community—like a chaplaincy indeed—with strong and ever-growing awareness of its own identity built this time around on the blessed memory, preaching, teaching and exemplary life of missionary discipleship of St. Paul the Apostle. Happily, with the sacramental-spiritual and socio-pastoral needs and requirements of the community so taken care of and sustained by the constant presence of its Shrine (i.e., St. Paul) Rector and Parish Pastor (i.e., Mary the Queen), so soon enough the Casa Milan Catholic community was able to reestablish itself and bounced back. Once on their feet, the long-stalled church building project was restarted. Thankfully, at this time and by this time the Casa Milan community had already completely realized and fully appreciated the unfinished church building project as now being under their responsibility and sole responsibility.

At the beginning the building construction only proceeded slowly and even haltingly, often silently and without much fanfare. This was so not only because of the very limited funds available at that time, ostensibly due to the still limited support the Shrine was getting, coming as all this was from and only from the same limited number of families who frequented church services at the Shrine in Casa Milan, but also because of the still pending legal cases in court coming as these were, as earlier indicated, from both sides of the litigation process. For in fact there was not only one case in court but rather two; one each against another, and both cases were going up one after another like a double ladder through the ascending ranks of the Regional Trial Court, the Court of Appeals, and the Supreme Court. However, in 2017, when the Church’s ownership of the land was upheld first by the Court of Appeals and then eventually and with absolute finality by the Supreme Court, thanks to the patience, dedication, and determination of one Atty. Faustino Madriaga, Jr. and his pro bono legal services to the Church, the Casa Milan church building project went on to proceed totally unhindered, and because of that, in a much more open way and once again with a much greater earnest on the part of the people. Thus, two years prior to it becoming a parish all its own in 2019, and even more so today, with the new church building complete, the Shrine of St. Paul the Apostle or the Santuario di San Paolo as it has come to be lovingly called, stands majestically as a sure symbol of the strong, indubitable and resilient faith, hope and love of the Catholic community of Casa Milan.

Thus, way back on June 2, 2019, as Casa Milan was joined by Sitio Seville and Villa Vienna B-1, i.e., subdivisions and communities formerly belonging to the Divine Savior Parish and the Ascension of the Lord Parish respectively, the newly constituted parish community of St. Paul was created and, having arisen, soon embarked on an internal missionary journey towards greater integration, i.e., of greater communion, participation and mission. Inspired by St. Paul and guided continuously by his own exemplary relationship with Christ as Lord and of his teachings on Him and His Church, the newborn parish community that was originally conceived as a Shrine community during the time of the Apostle’s Great Jubilee Year of 2008-2009, has aspired and continue to aspire to become what the Apostle himself thinks of the Church as such—the Body of Christ—with many parts and many members, indeed, with various gifts and various talents, and yet everyone, with everything they have, places themselves at the service of the community and of further building it up for the greater glory of God and of His Son Jesus Christ. Allowing themselves to be led by the Holy Spirit who had so inspired St. Paul in his missionary journeys, the community resolves to seek to act and move towards a communion of life and love together—with God the Father through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit—reaching out in loving service to one another and to other communities outside of the parish as well, seeking wholeheartedly to share with them the Good News that is Jesus Christ and to participating even so in His great mission: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).

In God’s time and so too with God’s grace, on January 24, 2021, during the parish celebration of the Feast of St. Paul, Msgr. Jesus Romulo Rañada, former Parish Priest of Mary the Queen Parish and Rector of St. Paul Shrine, was, by virtue of his 2019 appointment, installed by His Excellency, the Most Rev. Roberto O. Gaa, DD, Bishop of Novaliches, as the first Parish Priest of this newly created St. Paul the Apostle Parish and Shrine for the New Evangelization.

Less than five months later, on June 6, 2021, amid the ongoing threat of the Covid-19 Pandemic, as if to console and bring hope to his Parish-Shrine community, the Santuario received a first-class relic of the Apostle Paul ex ossibus, that is, from the bones of the saint himself, courtesy of the Rev. Fr. Dennis D. Ruiz, OAD—the current Postulator General of the Order of Discalced Augustinians based in Rome—in favorable response to a formal request from his friends at the Shrine. Together with the relics (also ex ossibus) of his fellow Apostle—St. Peter—as well as those of his ancient collaborators and friends, Saints Mark and Luke, and his own devoted disciples, Saints Timothy and Titus, the sacred relic of the blessed Apostle Paul was enshrined fittingly at the sanctuary of the Shrine of St. Paul itself in Casa Milan. So much with that enshrinement it can be said that the long missionary journey that St. Paul began in ancient Jerusalem some two thousand years ago has finally made its way to reach this part of the world, indeed this part of our beloved land and within this our own beloved local church of Novaliches. And with this special gift of his own sacred relic, representing not only his spiritual but also concrete bodily presence with us, St. Paul has indeed come very near to us in concrete person and to stay among us and to found a real home in our midst much as he did so in ancient places like Corinth, Galatia, Colossae, Thessalonica, Philippi, Ephesus, and Rome, reaching out to all and blessing everyone along the way and in a way only this blessed and eminent Apostle of Christ can do, promising to transform, by faith and by the grace of God, each and every one of us into becoming another Christ such as he was and continues to be for us! Much so, four days prior, on June 2, 2021, what was such a wonderful day to us, parishioners and devotees of St. Paul alike, as we marked at the Shrine of St. Paul the 500 Years of the arrival of the Christian Faith in our beloved homeland, the Philippines, and celebrating such a Momentous Jubilee Year of our time as Filipino Christians, we did so with much grace and blessing, praise and thanksgiving! Although delayed by four days, St. Paul capped this celebration with his gracious coming and with his new and ever assuring presence and closeness to and among us.