Our History

The late patriarch of the Dizon Family and Chairman of Magnificat Ventures Corporation, Mr. Rafael “Boy” Dizon, Jr., and his wife, Mrs. Rosaline “Shalene” Dizon are devout Catholics who both nurtured a dream to build an impressive shrine as a gift to the Church that helped them grow in faith and love.

For many years, Boy’s physical health suffered and Shalene remained faithful by his side. Throughout countless trials and obstacles, their commitment to this dream never wavered. They continued to help many people and even assisted in the construction of numerous churches in the Philippines despite Boy’s ailments. Their steadfast love and devotion to the Lord inspired their whole family to share their desire to see the dream fulfilled.

Through a series of fortuitous events and certainly with Divine blessing and intervention, the Dizons crossed paths with then Bishop of the Military Ordinariate of the Philippines (MOP), Most Rev. Ramon C. Arguelles, D.D. who wished to build a bigger church in honor of his beloved Patron Saint, St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, in Villamor, Pasay City.

It took two years to construct the Shrine which features an unobstructed view of the altar, impressive stained glass artwork, and a seating capacity of 2000. Right below the Shrine is the St. Thérèse Columbarium which houses exactly 38,776 vaults with a Remembering Chapel and an Ecclesiastical Museum.

On May 17, 2007, during the 82nd Anniversary of the Canonization of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, the Shrine was solemnly dedicated and consecrated in honor of the “greatest Saint of modern times”.

The ceremony was presided by then Archbishop of Cebu, His Eminence Ricardo J. Cardinal Vidal, D.D. Among the other co-celebrating bishops were Most Rev. Angel N. Lagdameo, D.D., then President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines and Most Rev. Leopoldo S. Tumulak, D.D., the newly installed Bishop of the MOP. Also present were President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who unveiled the historical marker; top brass military officials of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine National Police (PNP) and other uniformed services under the canonical jurisdiction of the MOP.