Our Parish Priest and Shrine Rector is Rev. Teodorico "Rico" L. 𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐇 𝐎𝐅 𝐍𝐔𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐎 𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐎𝐑 𝐉𝐄𝐒𝐔𝐂𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐎 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐈𝐎𝐂𝐄𝐒𝐀𝐍 𝐒𝐇𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐒𝐓. 𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐖 𝐊𝐈𝐌 𝐓𝐀𝐄-𝐆𝐎𝐍
Since the establishment of the town of Bocaue by the Franciscan friars in 1606, Lolomboy had always been under the jurisdiction of its parish – Saint Martin of Tours. During that time, Lolomboy was a hacienda run by the Dominican friars that covered a large portion of the province of Bulacan. When the towns of Pandi and Bigaa (now Balagtas) were separated from Bocaue, Lolomboy was reduced to a barrio, the largest and most populous in Bocaue. The faithful of Lolomboy went to the Bocaue Church to celebrate sacraments there, most especially during important occasions while looking after a simple chapel at the center of the barrio that housed an image of the crucified Christ. The ecclesiastical status of Lolomboy remained that way until on May 14, 1959, through the decree of His Eminence Rufino Cardinal Santos, archbishop of Manila, Lolomboy became the first parish-daughter of Saint Martin of Tours Parish under the title of Paroquia de Nuestro Señor Jesucristo de Lolomboy. Immediately, Rev. Emilio del Rosario, the first parish pastor, had the chapel reconstructed to become a small Church. Several renovations followed through the efforts of his five successors. The major renovation took place during the tenure of Rev. Reynaldo Fernando, Jr. On May 22, 1986, two years after the canonization of the 103 Martyrs of Korea, His Excellency Most Rev. Cirilo Almario, Jr. D.D., then Bishop of Malolos, and His Eminence Stephen Cardinal Kim, then archbishop of Seoul, with Rev. Rey Fernando, installed Saint Andrew Kim Tae-gon as the secondary patron of the parish. They also blessed the site believed to have been the place where Andrew Kim stayed when he was still a seminarian. They inaugurated a bronze monument of the Korean saint in that area. This became Saint Andrew Kim Shrine. Further developments in the shrine started to take place in 2001 when the Korean religious congregation of the Sisters of Saint Andrew Kim arrived. More adjacent pieces of land were purchased and building with Korean inspired architecture was erected. In the same year of the arrival of the Korean sisters, Rev. Avelino Sampana, Fr, Rey’s successor realized that the size and location of the Church is no longer fit for the spiritual needs of the community. Thus, he spearheaded the construction of a new and larger Church, dubbed Project Pangarap. Thousands of people generously donated whatever they can to help the parish achieve its dream. It was during his term that the large area where the new Church now stands was purchased and officially turned over to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Malolos. Vicente Robles was later assigned to our parish. He took on the responsibility of having the Church building constructed. It took the parish several more years before the structure was ready. On November 30, 2017, the dedication of the new Parish Church, the realization of the pangarap, took place. The solemn ceremony was presided by His Eminence Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales, archbishop emeritus of Manila, who was assisted by His Excellency Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez, bishop emeritus of Caloocan. On January 30, 2021, Most Rev. Dennis C. Villarojo, Bishop of Malolos, elevated our Parish as the Diocesan Shrine of St. Andrew Kim Tae-gon and appointing our Parish Priest, Rev. Vicente Robles as the First Rector of the Shrine.
