OFTEN CALLED THE BLACK BELTERS OF CHRIST, the specialists in difficult missions –– the Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) has been continuously faithful to its objective of preaching the gospel to the poorest of the poor, as well as uplifting human conditions. With fifty – four fruitful years of Ecclesial existence, Our Lady of Grace Parish is the oldest among the five parishes under the Vicariate of the Our Lady of Grace. The creation of the parish on May 5, 1946 on a 3,964 sq. m donated lot on 11th Avenue marked the beginning of the OMI evangelization in the heart of Kalookan City. The Our Lady of Grace Parish was once a small hut where religious services were held in the presence of few people. It commenced when the Archbishop of Manila, Most Rev. O’ Doherty, granted the request of the OMI Superior in the Philippines, Rev. Gerard Mongeau, to establish a house in Grace Park. The Philippine Realty Corporation, administrators of the Grace Park Subdivision, donated the use of eight lots in Block 171 for the church. With the help of the U.S. Signal Corps, a temporary chapel was built. The first Eucharistic Celebration was done on May 16, 1946, by Rev. Boyd, OMI, attended by thirty–five people. The small church was blessed on September 1946, with the Good Shepherd Convent taking care of the choir and the church decoration. But as early as mid–1949, just three years after the inauguration of the church, the need for a bigger space was seen because the number of parishioners can no longer be accommodated. In response to this necessity, the people of Grace Park launched a fund–raising campaign. After two years, a new church was ready to be blessed by the Archbishop of Manila, Rev. Gabriel Reyes. The parish, a product of the Second Vatican Council (1963 – 1965), responded to the call of mounting the dignity of man, being the “People of God”, by renewing the way of Christian Life and Church Structure. Through the active leadership of the OMI Fathers and the Oblates of Notre Dame (OND) Sisters, Basic Ecclesial Communities were organized in eight specific areas of the parish, in order to aid the people regarding the political, environmental, and socio–economical issues. It is also in this period that, the Notre Dame of Greater Manila was established, a school governed by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate that aims to form people of aptitude and morals. Today, Our Lady of Grace Parish is a clear reflection of what people living in Kalookan are like; industrious, helpful, loving, and faithful. Time may move on, but the spirit of St. Eugene de Mazenod and of our Mother will continue to stir through the lives of his priests and her parishioners.
