Santolan's 200-year-old patron saint is Thomas of Villanova,[1] an Augustinian bishop and man of charity but unknown in the Manila area.

[2] The jurisdiction of the parish is as follows: Santolan (North), Marikina River (West), Maybunga San Miguel (South), Cainta, Rizal (East).

[3] In 1798, the first chapel made of wood and cogon was built in Santolan by siblings Don Luis and Antonio Victorino.

Santo Tomas de Villanueva Church was declared a pilgrim church by Pope Francis in a papal decree dated April 17, 2013, to mark its 60th anniversary and to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee year.

The other three pilgrim churches covered by the Pasig diocese are the Shrine of Saint Anne in Santa Ana, Taguig; Sto.