RESURRECTION OF OUR LORD PARISH:

A JOURNEY WHICH HAS BEGUN, A JOURNEY WHICH GOES ON

The year was 1972. BF Homes Paranaque was a small, albeit sprawling community with
clusters of houses here and there. There were only a few stores in what passed as a commercial
center. Water problems were unheard of. Road barriers with security guards did not exist. Travel
time from BF to Makati was only fifteen minutes. BF also had no church of its own. There was just a
makeshift chapel with only twenty pews donated by the BF management. The nearest church, San
Antonio de Padua, was some 10 kilometers away.

On February of that same year, His Eminence Rufino J. Cardinal Santos, Archbishop of
Manila, canonically erected the Parokya ng Simbahan ng Pagkabuhay, or the Parish of the
Resurrection, based in BF Homes, with Fr. Ceferino Sanchez as its first parish priest. Comprising the
new parish, aside from BF Homes, were Tahanan Village, RGC Village, Ireneville Subdivision,
Teoville Subdivision, Sta. Rita Compound, and Goodwill Subdivision, all located along Sucat in
Paranaque.

Over the years these neighboring subdivisions were given their own new parishes Jesus
the Divine Healer Parish in Tahanan, Our Lady of Grace Parish in Ireneville, Ascension of Our Lord
Parish in Goodwill Subdivision, plus a second one within BF Homes the Presentation of the Child
Jesus Parish in Phase 3. The jurisdiction of the Parish of the Resurrection was thus officially
trimmed down to its present area bounded on the North by Elizalde St. from Presidents Ave. all the
way to and including Ipil and Clinic sites; on the West by Dela Rama St.; on the East by Presidents
Ave. from Elizalde St. up to and including Phase 6-A; and on the South by Inner Circle
Homeowners Association just before the Alabang Zapote road.

Initial plans to improve the makeshift chapel were made in the early years of the parish,
with ground breaking ceremonies held in 1979. Construction and completion of the new church
building took place in 1981. Taking almost two years to build, the Church of the Resurrection was
transformed into a basilica-like edifice. It was again improved, and in December 1985 the new
church structure was inaugurated with no less than the Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines,
Archbishop Bruno Torpigliani, and His Eminence Jaime Cardinal Sin as main celebrants, and with a
number of bishops, monsignori and priests as concelebrants.

With the help of educator Mrs. Loreto Tomelden-Herrera, Msgr. Sanchez put up the Veritas
Parochial School to bring quality Catholic education to the children of the parish. A Perpetual
Eucharistic Adoration was also inaugurated in 1986 the first such prayer room in the entire
country to deepen the spirituality of the parishioners. This prayer room within the church would
later become a separate chapel across the street. The new PEA Chapel provided parishioners and
visitors with a welcome respite in times of trouble, and a place to express the joys of their daily life
to the Lord.

Msgr. Sanchez ended his term in 1989 and he was succeeded as parish priest by Msgr.
Agerico Galang, but the latter stayed only for less than a year.

In January 1990, the parish, now under the new leadership of Msgr. Feliciano S. Santos, saw
the renewal of the laitys commitment to participate in the spiritual enrichment of the community. In
order to accommodate the ever-growing number of parishioners attending Sunday Masses and
other activities, the church needed to be further expanded. Prior to his retirement in 1997, Msgr.
Santos initiated the renovation work on the church structure and along with it came the installation
of a prominent feature which remains to this daythe striking stained glass mural of the
Resurrection scene filling up almost the entire upper faade of the church.

In October 1997, Msgr. Ernesto A. Joaquin was appointed as the new parish priest. Msgr.
Joaquins installation also marked the rededication of the renovated church of the Parish of the
Resurrection and the silver jubilee of the Parish, making it a truly significant day, indeed, for the
parish. The parish continued to grow under his watch. During the latter part of his term, the parish
was deeply involved in preparations for the First Diocesan Pastoral Assembly (DPA) of the Diocese
of Paranaque.

Msgr. Mario F. Martinez took over as parish priest in 2005. His term as pastor saw a dynamic
transformation at the diocesan level where many activities were taking shape in our then two-year-
old Diocese of Paranaque. In Feb. 20-24, 2006, the First Diocesan Pastoral Assembly (DPA) was
convened, participated in by over 400 clergy, religious and lay people from the 50 parishes.
Following this, parish priority commissions and parish-based organizations were refocused and
realigned to conform to our DOP DPA vision and mission. It was during this time also that the
parish was officially renamed Resurrection of Our Lord Parish, or ROLP for short.

In July 2011, Msgr. Manuel Gabriel was installed as the sixth parish priest of ROLP. His
expertise as a pastor, educator, BEC promoter and builder enabled him to direct the parish into a
new way of being a Church. He accelerated the creation and animation of BECs in the various
enclaves and developed formation and evangelization programs for the parish. Healing Masses and
home visitations for the sick were conducted in the various enclaves. But he still had a bigger vision
for the parish.

Under Msgr. Gabriel, ROLP undertook what may be the boldest physical transformation
initiative ever to take place in its historythe Air-conditioning Project (Phase 1) and Church
Improvements Project (Phase 2). Powerful air-conditioning units and electrical conduits were
installed within its structure, along with aluminum and glass enclosures and acoustic panels. New
retablos with hand-carved designs were installed behind and on both sides of the altar, and the
baptistery was renovated. The Gallery of Saints was converted into a side chapel and renamed
Chapel of the Agony, where Masses for small groups can be held. An Infant Care Room was also
put up for out of control kids and infants. All of these were done to make ROLP Church a
prayer-conditioned place of worship.

In 2015, to mark the first Apostolic Visit of Pope Francis to the country and having in mind
the concern for the elderly, the abandoned, the sick and handicapped, the least, the last and the
lost, Msgr. Gabriel initiated the creation of various pastoral flagship programs to take care of both
the corporal and spiritual needs of the people: Kasalang Bayan, Kumpilang Bayan, Malasakitang Bayan,
Handog sa Pagkabuhay ng Kabataan (Church of the Poor Apostolate for the Youth). Plans are also being
finalized for the putting up of a five-story building across the street, to be named Home of Gods
Mercy, which will house the Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Chapel, parish office, meeting and
function rooms, and residence for priests.

These, indeed, are just some of ROLPs ways going back to its true identity as A Poor
Church for the Poor.

From 1972 to the present, from being a small makeshift chapel to a big prayer-conditioned
church, from a tiny and simple place of worship to a parish complete with clear Mission-Vision-
Goals, pioneering infrastructures, well-planned and tested pastoral and formation programsthis
Journey in Faith has now become part of ROLPs evolving rich and dynamic history, a journey
which has begun and goes on.