It was not the best of times when the Sacred Heart Parish-Shrine in the Kamuning area was established on October 3, 1941—eighty years ago. Barely six months after the cornerstone of the new church was laid, World War II broke out.
Most of the residents of Kamuning suddenly found themselves unemployed and were forced to return to their home provinces. When they came back after the Battle of Manila in the first quarter of 1945, they learned with sorrow that many of their relatives and friends who had stayed behind had perished during the war. They were also deeply saddened to hear about the abduction and execution of their beloved Cura Parroco, Padre Doro [Father Theodore Buttenbruch, a German SVD missionary], by the Japanese army.
Father Theodore Buttenbruch, an indefatigable missionary, had long been dedicated to serving the Tingguian people in Abra. He founded the Colegio del Sagrado Corazón in Abra, now known as Divine Word College of Bangued. In 1933, he established the Christ the King Mission Seminary in Quezon City, followed by the founding of the Parroquia del Sagrado Corazón in 1941, which would later become the Sacred Heart Parish Shrine.
Here’s a brief account of his story from the Christ the King Seminary website:
“During World War II, the Christ the King Mission Seminary was occupied by Japanese forces, effectively halting all operations. During this time, Fr. Buttenbruch used his German nationality to gain access to the prison camps at Camp O’Donnell in Capas, Tarlac; Camp Pangatian in Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija; the Carcel y Presidio Correccional in the port area of Manila; and the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa. Initially, Fr. Buttenbruch was able to move freely through the camps, bringing food and medical aid to American and Filipino prisoners of war.
In early 1944, however, he was arrested by Japanese soldiers, beaten, and confined for months at Fort Santiago in Manila for assisting the prisoners. He was accused of espionage and sentenced to death.
The sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment, but the charge was eventually dropped altogether. Upon his release, Fr. Buttenbruch returned to the seminary and resumed his priestly duties. However, on November 14, 1944, he was re-arrested by the Japanese army, tortured, and executed. His grave remains unknown.
In recognition of his courage, Fr. Buttenbruch was posthumously awarded the Medal of Freedom with Golden Palm in 1948 by the American Far East Command.”
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