Reverend Father Siegfred Dosdos read the Decree of Establishment of St. Joseph Cathedral as a Diocesan Shrine during the May 19 Pontifical Fiesta Mass.
Such declaration was approved by His Excellency Juan de Dios Pueblos, Catholic Bishop of Butuan and Parish Priest of the Cathedral.
To many catholic devotees of Butuan City, this is another history in the making, aside from the fact that the church in Butuan was the first church that was established in Mindanao.
Also, during the Pontifical Fiesta Mass, Bishop Juan de Dios Pueblos handed over the cane of St. Joseph, which symbolises the naming of Congressman Jose Aquino II and wife Salome as the new Hermano and Hermana Mayor of the Diocesan Shrine.
Historically, the Parish Church of St. Joseph in Butuan already has its milestones to include: First Easter Mass in 1521, Mission founded by the Jesuits in 1596, Blessing First church in Mindanao in 1597, St. Joseph as Titular Patron in 1622, St. Francis de Sales as Second patron in 1792, Blessing of the old parish church in 1883, consecration of the present church in 1954, elevated cathedral by Pope Paul VI in 1967, appointed church for the great jubilee in year 2000, dedicated cathedral by Ricardo Cardinal Vidal in 2007 and now as Diocesan Shrine.
