Mount Carmel Shrine (Quezon City)

{{Short description|Roman Catholic church in Quezon City, Philippines}}

{{Infobox church

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| name = Mount Carmel Shrine

| fullname = Minor Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel

| native_name = {{unbulleted list|{{native name|es|Basilica Menor de Santuario Nacional de Nuestra Señora del Monte Carmelo}}|{{native name|fil|Basilika Menor ng Pambansang Dambana ng Mahal na Birhen ng Bundok del Carmen}}}}

| other name = Our Lady of Mount Carmel Shrine

| image = Mount Carmel Shrine facade 2023-05-07.jpg

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| caption = Basilica facade in 2023

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| map caption = Location in Metro Manila##Location in Luzon##Location in the Philippines

| coordinates = {{coord|14.614387|N|121.030782|E|dim:30_region:PH-00_type:landmark|format=dms|display=inline,title}}

| location = Quezon City

| country = Philippines

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| denomination = Roman Catholic

| previous denomination =

| religious order = Discalced Carmelites

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| website = {{URL|https://mtcarmelshrine.com.ph}}

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| dedication = Our Lady of Mount Carmel

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| consecrated date = {{start date|1964|7|16}}

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| status = Minor Basilica and National Shrine

| functional status = Active

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| architect = Maximo Vicente, Jr.

| architectural type = Cruciform church

| style = Modern

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| groundbreaking = {{start date|1954|12|30}}

| completed date = {{start date|1964|7|16}}

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| length = {{cvt|84.5|m}}Measured using Google Earth.

| width nave = {{cvt|28.3|m}}

| width transepts = {{cvt|45.9|m}}

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| other dimensions = Façade facing northeast

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| parish = Our Lady of Mount Carmel

| deanery = Holy Family{{Cite web|title=Diocese of Cubao |url=https://catholink.ph/cubao/ |website=Catholink |access-date=April 27, 2023}}

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| archdiocese = Manila

| metropolis = Manila

| diocese = Cubao

| diocese start = 2003

| province = Manila

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| rector = Dionesio N. Balute{{Cite web|title=Diocese of Cubao |url=https://catholink.ph/cubao/ |website=Catholink |access-date=June 10, 2023}}

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The Minor Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, commonly known as Mount Carmel Shrine, is a Roman Catholic minor basilica and national shrine located in Barangay Mariana, Quezon City in the Philippines. Dedicated to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, it is under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Cubao under the Vicariate of the Holy Family. The church opened in 1964 after a decade of construction and was declared a parish church in 1975 and a national shrine in 2015.{{Cite news|title=QC's Mt. Carmel church now a national shrine |first=Butch |last=Francisco |newspaper=Philippine Daily Inquirer |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/747101/qcs-mt-carmel-church-now-a-national-shrine |date=December 13, 2015 |access-date=March 16, 2023}} In 2019, it was declared a minor basilica, making it the fifteenth minor basilica in the country.{{Cite news|title=Mt. Carmel church in QC declared as Minor Basilica |first=Ferdinand |last=Patinio |date=March 26, 2019 |work=Philippine News Agency |url=https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1065585 |access-date=March 16, 2023}}

The church celebrates its liturgical feast every July 16.

History

=Early devotion and missionaries=

The devotion of the Filipinos to Our Lady of Mount Carmel started in the 1600s when the Augustinian Recollects received an image of Our Lady of Mount Carmel from the Carmelites in New Spain (present-day Mexico).

In 1923, a group of four Carmelite nuns arrived in the Philippines, and they set up a convent in Jaro, Iloilo City. The Carmelite fathers followed in 1947, focusing their missionary work in a part of Quezon province (present-day Aurora). In 1952, during a meeting with Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines Archbishop Egidio Vagnozzi and the Prior General of the Carmelite Order, the former asked for more Carmelites to be sent to the country to establish a monastery and church in Manila.

In response to Vagnozzi's request, a group of Irish Carmelite friars sent to the Philippines initially considered building at either Horseshoe Drive or Gregorio Araneta Avenue, both in Quezon City. However, in 1954, the Carmelites decided to build it at a lot along Broadway Avenue. The land where the basilica stands today was a cogon field that was part of the original estate owned by Magdalena Hemady, the balae or in-law of then-senator Claro M. Recto.

During the 1950s, residents of New Manila would eagerly walk to attend Mass at the nearby Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Cubao, which served as the parish church of New Manila. Other residents would also attend Mass at the Christ the King Mission Seminary along E. Rodriguez Sr. Avenue or at the Carmelite Convent along Gilmore Avenue. But other residents would also walk or drive as far as the Santa Mesa Parish (now Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish) in Santa Mesa, Manila or the Santo Domingo Church further north.

=Construction and opening=

The cornerstone of the Mount Carmel Parish was blessed on December 30, 1954. It took a decade for the church to be completed, with the inauguration taking place on July 16, 1964, the feast day of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, with Cardinal-Archbishop of Manila Rufino Santos leading the inauguration.

The church later became a popular location for wedding scenes in the movies. It also became a popular church for actual wedding ceremonies; this is attributed to the lower fees charged at the shrine compared to other churches and the long aisle walk favored by many brides.

On February 17, 1975, the church was established as a parish by Cardinal-Archbishop of Manila Jaime Sin.

=Contemporary=

From 2015 to 2016, the altar was renovated. Its interior has also been coated with paint for the first time since it was built in 1954. On December 14, 2015, the parish was solemnly declared a national shrine.{{Cite news|title=Our Lady of Mount Carmel declared a national shrine |first=Lyn |last=Resurreccion |url=https://businessmirror.com.ph/2015/12/20/our-lady-of-mount-carmel-declared-a-national-shrine/ |work=BusinessMirror |date=December 20, 2015 |access-date=March 16, 2023}}

On February 20, 2017, the shrine was granted a special bond of spiritual affinity with the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome, along with plenary indulgences for pilgrims in perpetuity. On November 30, 2018, the Holy See approved the petition from the Diocese of Cubao to elevate the shrine to a minor basilica; it was officially declared a basilica on March 25, 2019 (coinciding with the Solemnity of the Annunciation), making it the first church in the Diocese of Cubao to be granted such status.{{Cite news|title=Mount Carmel national shrine now a minor basilica |first=Lyn |last=Resurreccion |url=https://businessmirror.com.ph/2019/03/31/mount-carmel-national-shrine-now-a-minor-basilica/ |work=BusinessMirror |date=March 31, 2019 |access-date=March 16, 2023}}

Shrine details

File:Mount Carmel Shrine high altar 2023-05-07.jpg]]

Designed by Architect Maximo Vicente Jr.{{Cite web|title=Minor Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel |url=https://philippinefaithandheritagetours.com/minor-basilica-of-the-national-shrine-of-our-lady-of-mt-carmel-new-manila-quezon-city/ |website=Philippine Faith and Heritage Tours |access-date=May 8, 2023}} and built in the Modernist style on a Latin cross (cruciform) layout, the shrine is located on a {{convert|17,155|sqm|sp=us|adj=on}} lot along Broadway Avenue in between 4th and 5th Streets. Behind the church is the St. John of the Cross Seminary.

Aside from the main altar, the church has two side altars: the Saint Joseph altar on the left and the Our Lady of Mount Carmel altar on the right. Since 2019, a medallion bearing the papal arms has been placed above the right side altar, as well at the main façade on top of the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary – signifying its status as a minor basilica. It also has three air-conditioned mortuary chapels with a capacity of 50 to 150 seats.{{Cite web|title=Mt. Carmel Shrine Mortuary Chapel Rates |url=http://www.mtcarmelshrine.com.ph/mortuary.html |website=Mt. Carmel Shrine |access-date=March 16, 2023}}

The story of the life of the Virgin Mary is depicted in the stained glass windows of the church, starting from her early life until her Assumption.

The shrine also contains a columbarium at its lower level.

Venerated Marian image

File:NS del Carmen de Nueva Manila.jpg

The venerated image of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is placed at the right side altar of the basilica. The de tallado image was designed and sculpted by Vicente Jr.'s father, Maximo Vicente, Sr. (1885–1964), who is hailed as a master sculptor of religious images. He is also the founder of his shop of religious images, the Talleres de Maximo Vicente.{{Cite news|title=Exhibit focuses on the religious images of the Talleres de Maximo Vicente |url=https://www.bworldonline.com/editors-picks/2019/04/15/225802/exhibit-focuses-on-the-religious-images-of-the-talleres-de-maximo-vicente/ |work=BusinesWorld |date=April 15, 2019 |access-date=May 8, 2023}}

The de tallado image depicts Mary with the Child Jesus on her left arm and a scepter on her right hand. Both the Madonna and the Child wear golden crowns, with the Madonna wearing the colors of the Carmelite order: brown, pale caramel, and white. A golden ring with stars serves as the halo of the Madonna.

On February 20, 2017, the venerated image had its episcopal coronation (images that are crowned through a decree from the diocesan bishop or archbishop).

On May 13, 2020, the feast day of Our Lady of Fátima, Pope Francis approved the petition for its canonical coronation, although the Diocese of Cubao announced it two months later, on July 9.{{Cite web|url=https://cbcpnews.net/cbcpnews/pope-approves-canonical-coronation-of-our-lady-of-mount-carmel/|title=Pope approves canonical coronation of Our Lady of Mount Carmel|date=July 10, 2020|website=CBCP News|access-date=March 16, 2023}} The image was canonically crowned on August 15 (coinciding with the Feast of the Assumption of Mary).{{Cite news|title=Our Lady of Mount Carmel receives papal crown |url=https://businessmirror.com.ph/2020/08/16/our-lady-of-mount-carmel-receives-papal-crown/ |work=BusinessMirror |date=August 16, 2020 |access-date=March 16, 2023}}