Filipino Devotions and Other Religions

Part 1

Filipino Devotions

Ever Since Magellan landed in the Philippines, we had all turned to the light. The Filipinos, who at that time were participating in polytheistic religions, quickly turned to the light of Christianity. The Filipino people were unique thanks to their rich cultural background and this had made the Filipino Catholics unique.

The Filipino people, in general, are a very loyal people as they have great devotions to religious figures. The devotion that the Filipino people are most known for is their devotion to the Child Jesus or more popularly known locally as the Santo Nino.

Santo Niño

The Santo Niño, the Holy Child in English, is a figure of the Child Jesus which is venerated by Filipinos all over the world though most of its devotees are from the province of Cebu. The Santo Niño is usually clad with expensive and flashy clothing which is usually lined with jewelry. The statue has been in Cebu since 1565 and is the oldest relic in the country. It is housed in the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño which is located in Cebu City.

The Santo Nino is one of the most popular figures in the Philippines

The origins of the Santo Niño take us back to the Age of Exploration and Magellan’s journey to circumnavigate the world. After crossing the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean, Magellan and his fle et landed on Philippine soil in March of 1521. He baptized several locals in the island of Cebu, including their King, Humabon and his wife, Queen Juana. The Queen was given the image of the Santo Niño as a baptismal gift by Antonio Pigafetta, a companion of Magellan. The Spaniards then allied themselves with Cebu in an intense inter-island rivalry with Mactan, a small island known for its vicious soldiers. Upon invasion of Mactan, the Spaniards were overwhelmed by the warriors, led by a man known as Lapu-Lapu and Magellan was eventually killed. This caused the Spaniards to flee and the circumnavigation was completed by Juan Sebastian Elcano.

The Spaniards returned in 1565 and another war broke out though heavy artilleries and cannons forced the natives to flee which lead to the razing of their village. The soldiers then went through the ashes of the village and found the image of the Santo Niño. They authenticated their discovery through the diary of Pigafetta and upon its enshrinement; millions of people have flocked to Cebu in search of gifts from its miraculous powers. The Feast of the Santo Niño is celebrated on the Thursday after the Solemnity of the Epiphany.

Black Nazarene

The Black Nazarene is the patron saint of Quiapo, a small but popular area of Manila that is also home to many establishments such as the Quiapo market and several other stores that line the streets. The Black Nazarene is a life sized image of a “black” Jesus Christ carrying the cross and since the year 1787, it has been housed in the St. John de Baptist Church or the Minor Basilica. The statue is only brought out on two occasions, its Feast Day, which is celebrated on January 9 an d on Good Friday.

The statue was in the Philippines as early as 1607 when it was brought to our shores by the Spaniards aboard a ship. The statue was burned when the ship caught fire, thus the name Black Nazarene. Despite the burns and the damage, the people made an effort to preserve and honor it. Several miracles have been reported by those who have touched the image.

The Black Nazarene during its annual Feast Day procession

The feast is celebrated by the placing of the statue on a golden red carriage which is then pulled through the streets of Quiapo by male devotees dressed in maroon. Those who have touched the statue have been reported to have been healed of disease, encouraging Catholics to come from all over Manila in search of a miracle. Devotees throw towels or handkerchiefs to the statue’s guards then ask them to wipe them on the statue in an attempt to take the statue’s miraculous power away with them.

Our Lady of Penafrancia

Every third Saturday of September, Naga City, which is located in the Bicol Region, celebrates the feast of Our Lady of Peñafrancia. Whether rich or poor, Bicolanos will be in Naga City to meet their families and friends to celebrate the feast but most importantly, to venerate the Virgin of Peñafrancia, whom they fondly call Ina. On the first day of the novena, the image of the Virgin, which is a copy of the Madonna located in Peñafrancia, Spain, is transferred from its shrine to the Naga City Cathedral. On the last day of the novena, the image returns to her shrine through the Naga River route. This procession fills the banks of the river with spectators and devotees who chant “Viva La Virgen” upon the arrival of the image. After the flatboat reaches its destination, the devotees again chant"Viva la Virgen" and the image is carried back in a procession of thousands to the cathedral.

Our Lady of Penafrancia traces her Philippine roots to the Spanish colonial period. In the 18^th century, the Covarrubias family, a Spanish political family, settled in Cavite and during their stay, one of their sons, Miguel, a seminarian studying in the Universidad de Santo Tomas, grew severely ill. He and his family prayed to Our Lady of Penafrancia for his recovery and made a vow that if he would be cured, he would erect a chapel by the bank of the Pasig River in Manila. He was eventually was ordained a priest, after his miraculous recovery, though not in Manila but in Naga City by Bishop Andres Gonzalez. In order to keep his promise, he asked the natives surrounding Mt. Isarog to construct a chapel built with local materials such as nipa and bamboo by the bank of the Bikol River in Naga. Stories of miraculous events began to spread and the devotees began to grow in number.

Our Lady of Perpetual Help

Our Lady of Perpetual Help is an image of the Virgin Mary holding the child Jesus in her arms as the Archangels Michael and Gabriel hold the articles of the passion, the cross and the nails. St. Luke is said to have been the original artist of this image.

Our Lady of Perpetual Help first came to the Philippines in 1906 through the Redemptorist priests as part of their mission to spread the devotion. American soldiers in Iloilo though popularized the habit of the novena after learning it from their respective parishes in Massachusetts and it was eventually adopted by St. Clement's Parish in Iloilo in 1948.

Novena prayers and mass every Wednesday are held to honor Our Lady of Perpetual Help. The Baclaran Church known as the Christian Church with the largest population and the Marian Shrine in the Philippines, attracts several hundred thousands of people who wish to show devotion. Our Lady of Perpetual Help celebrates her feast on June 27 and on this date, devotees gather in the National Shrine of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Baclaran for thanksgiving and to pray for their intercessions. There is also a University named after Our Lady of Perpetual Help, located in Las Pinas city in the Philippines.

Our Lady of Manaoag

The veneration of Our Lady of Manaoag began with the holy Augustinian fathers in charge of the spiritual administration of the Manaoag town in the early 17^th century. The ivory image of Our Lady of Manaoag was brought to Philippine shores by Padre Juan de San Jacinto from Spain via the Acapulco galleon trade.

According to folklore, a native man was journeying home and heard a Lady's mysterious voice. He was stunned upon seeing the radiant Lady clutching a Rosary on her right hand and a Child on her left as she stood on a cloud veiling a treetop. The man then fell on his knees and he soon told the people of what he had seen. After that incident, on the spot where the Lady appeared, a church was built in her honor. It was called "Manaoag" and a town quickly grew around it. Legend has it that the town was born from the Virgin’s call, thus the term, "taoag", which is Filipino for "to call", was used to name the town.

During World War II, the Church was damaged by four bombs that were planted above the church. Three bombs detonated on the plaza and the facade, destroying them both. The last bomb landed in the sanctuary, but miraculously failed to detonate.

Part 2

Other Filipino Religions

Though millions of Filipinos are devout Catholics, the love and belief of some for Christianity ended up getting lost in translation and some of these men turned to founding new heretic Christian religions. The two most prominent religions, Iglesia ni Cristo and the Aglipayan Church or Philippine independent Church, have thousands of followers throughout the nation.

The Aglipayan Church

The Philippine Revolution in 1896 to 1901 was a movement to separate Filipino and Spanish ties. Christianity was widespread in the Philippines by now and many Filipinos had become priests and la men of the faith. Filipino priests and friars were treated with less respect than that of the ruling Spanish at the time. Around this time a man named Gregorio Aglipay was studying to become a priest. He was denied priesthood for not following the code a man should follow to become a priest. He was angered by this and through unethical and unapproved ways became a priest. He soon came into a high-ranking position within the Catholic Church and tried to establish a national Church together with Don Isabelo de los Reyes. Together they formed the Philippine Independent Church or Aglipayan Church in 1902.

Gregorio Aglipay, founder of the Aglipayan Church

There are two main teachings that the Aglipayan Church allows that differ from that of the Catholic Faith. The Aglipayan Church is independent and rejects any authority from the Bishop of Rome or in common language, the Pope. These peoples leader would be the Obispo Maximo. The Church also allows its clergy to marry. This would be because Aglipay himself was first denied priesthood when he was engaging with some immoral actions with women in the seminary.

It’s been over 100 years since the Aglipayan Church has been formed and has changed the course of Philippine history. The Aglipayan Church takes up about 4 percent of the Philippine population. It may be a small number as compared to Catholics but it is something we cannot ignore. We as fellow Filipinos and brothers in Christ should treat our Aglipayan Brothers and sisters with respect and dignity.

“The Aglipayan Church” Joseph Giaime, Sinag-Tala publishers Manila, 1979

Iglesia ni Cristo

The first Iglesia ni Cristo chapel

The Filipino people have a very diverse and beautiful culture. The Philippines is a country with an ever-evolving religious scene averaging about 25 new groups per year. People say it is because of need for a religion to fit the Filipino culture and the values that come along with it such as intimacy and close family ties. One religion that falls under these parameters is Iglesia ni Cristo. The religion of Iglesia ni Cristo was founded by Felix Y. Manalo who was a man that drifted from one religion to another in his days. At one point in his life he started preaching to whomever he could and from then on his religion grew and was formally established in 1914.

Iglesia ni Cristo is Catholic in its roots but has very different beliefs than its source. The Church teaches that there is only one true God who is God the Father. They believe Jesus Christ was the true God’s son and man in his nature. The Holy Spirit for them is the True God’s power and not a person in God. The Members of Iglesia ni Cristo do not venerate the Virgin Mary. They believe that unity is essential and shows they are the true religion of God. The last major teaching of Iglesia that goes against the faith says that those who are not part of the faith are damned to hell.

Igelsia ni Cristo has over 1 million members. They span from the Philippines all the way to America. They are a group within our country that we cannot deny and after nearly 100 years the religion is still going strong and continues to grow in number. The church continues to be unified in this day and age and that is one thing the Catholic Church in the Philippines and all over parts of the world must emulate.

Adventists

Adventist work started slowly in the Philippines, when the first Adventist missionary, a literature evangelist, arrived in the Philippines in 1905. And he was followed by several more missionary families the next year. And now today there are nearly 600,000 Adventists that live and worship in the Philippines. As the Adventist Church grew, many educational and health-care institutions sprang up, such as the Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies, that serves the Adventists in the Philippines.

Domesday is what they call the second coming of Christ. From the early days even until now, they have had an uncountable number of predictions for the day that the world would end, and since we are all still alive, that means that they are very flawed. Adventism is the belief in the return of Christ, who would the world to an end and judge mankind. This belief was based on a false interpretation of some passages in the Bible. Modern day Adventism originated from a man named William Miller, who came from low Hampton, New York and he prophesized that Advent(the coming of Jesus Christ) would come at 1843.

The Adventist movement split into seven groups or “churches” and the most prominent one is the Seventh-day Adventists or the Marantha. These Adventists comprise a protestant sect that relies on the Bible as its sole authority on faith and practice. They also believed that the seventh day of the week, Saturday, should be the Holy day of rest. Adventism can be traced back to the time of the apostles, because at around that time they were already expecting imminent the return of Jesus Christ. This is why some of these Adventists sold their properties and some stopped working, and to think that this happened because of some misinterpretations of the words of Christ. It was because of St. Paul that Christians stayed loyal and faithful during that time and weren’t confused by these Adventist ideas, and they eagerly awaited the coming of Jesus Christ.

Mormonism

The Mormons, also known as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, is a church that is very similar to the Lutheran Church. The term "Mormon" is taken from the title of the Book of Mormon, which was a sacred text that the Mormons believe to have been translated from golden plates revealed by an angel to Joseph Smith, Jr. and it was published in 1830. According to the text of the Book of Mormon, Mormon was the name of a fourth century prophet who compiled and prepeared many records of his ancestors into the Book of Mormon.

One of the more famous mormons was Brigham Young and he was known as the "American Moses," because, like the Biblical figure, Young led his followers, the Mormon pioneers, in an exodus through a desert, to what they saw as a promised land. He was one the more influential Mormons.

The Mormons believe in the fullness of the Everlasting Gospel. They show their absolute trust only in the Bible and they study it intensely. Their members are very knowledgeable of the Bible and many of them quote the Bible by heart, a very powerful skill that helps them convert people and bring them to their Church,

The population of the Mormons has grown to over 10 millions people all over the world, and surprisingly 600 thousand of those people come from the Philippines. Mormonism in the Philippines is the 4^rd largest population in the world and it is still growing.

“Mormons” Joseph Giaime, Sinag-Tala publishers Manila, 1980

Born Again Christian

“Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born again.”, that is where the Born Again label comes from. However only outsiders call them Born Again Christians, to each other they refer to themselves as Christians.

The following is an interview between one of our editors, Kevin Habaluyas and a Born Again Christian, Raphael Mutuc;

Habaluyas: So how does it feel to be a born again Christian in a school like Southridge?

Mutuc: It’s pretty normal, there are a lot of us in Southridge too.

Habaluyas: Anyway, so what is the most important teaching in your belief?

Mutuc: That the Bible is the sole authority, Sola Scriptura.

Habaluyas: So what about the Pope? Do you believe in his power?

Mutuc: Well not really, he is a good leader but not infallible and not the church authority.

Habaluyas: So is your religion something that is only here in the Philippines?

Mutuc: No there are many other all over the world.

Habaluyas: So where did it originate from?

Mutuc: Well it can be traced back to Luther.

Habaluyas: So do you believe that Jesus Christ is both God and man?

Mutuc: Yes.

Habaluyas: So does that make Mary the Mother of God?

Mutuc: Yes but we do not venerate her.

Habaluyas: How about the saints?

Mutuc: Yes we do, but not the same as your saints. Not necessarily those canonized by the Pope.

Habaluyas: Oh and how about the veneration of icons and images of God?

Mutuc: We do, but not for the home.

Habaluyas: Do you follow the sacraments? Like Baptism?

Mutuc: Yes but it’s not for Original Sin, it’s so a person is aware that he is a Christian.

Habaluyas: So how do you get rid of Original Sin?

Mutuc: We have this thing called an Acceptance Prayer.

Habaluyas: Any other sacraments you have?

Mutuc: We have Eucharist and Confession too.

Conclusion

In this section we've learned about the various devotions that people participate in and other religious sects that have come up in the Philippines. The important thing that we should do is to fortify our our faith and our beliefs. The devotions are a good practice because they show the sacrifice that people are willing to do and it brings us closer to God. On the other hand when it comes to other religious sects we should know our religion well so we do not fall into other erroneous beliefs. All in all the Philippines is a great example of a Catholic nation because of the various devotions and it being dominantly Catholic.

Study Questions

1. From what country did the Santo Nino, Black Nazarene and Our Lady of Penafrancia originally come from? Answer: Spain

2. Which shrine in the Philippines houses Our Lady of Perpetual Help? Answer: Baclaran Church

3. What is the equivalence of the Pope in the Aglipayan Church? Answer: Obispo Maximo

4. Who is the founder of Iglesia ni Cristo? Answer: Felix Manalo

Practical Exercises

1. Based on what you have read regarding the different religions in the Philippines, make a table which lists down their beliefs and splits them into heresy and truth. Identify which religions come closest to Catholicism and which heretic religions are similar to one another.

2. The Philippine church is one with millions of followers and several rivals. Using what you have read in this chapter as a basis, formulate a written defense method against the other religions that have sprung up. Use as many examples as possible in your defense.

From the Catechism

842 “The Church's bond with non-Christian religions is in the first place the common origin and end of the human race: All nations form but one community. This is so because all stem from the one stock which God created to people the entire earth, and also because all share a common destiny, namely God. His providence, evident goodness, and saving designs extend to all against the day when the elect are gathered together in the holy city. . .”

832 "The Church of Christ is really present in all legitimately organized local groups of the faithful, which, in so far as they are united to their pastors, are also quite appropriately called Churches in the New Testament.... In them the faithful are gathered together through the preaching of the Gospel of Christ, and the mystery of the Lord's Supper is celebrated.... In these communities, though they may often be small and poor, or existing in the diaspora, Christ is present, through whose power and influence the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church is constituted."

References

http://www.santoninodecebu.org/history.html

http://www.rcam.org/feastday/feast_black_nazarene.htm

http://www.philippinecountry.com/philippine_festivals/penafrancia_viva_la_virgen.html

“The Aglipayan Church” Joseph Giaime, Sinag-Tala publishers Manila, 1979

“Ni Iglesia Ni Cristo” Joseph Giaime, Sinag-Tala publishers Manila, 1980

Credits

(Manzano, Ronaldo Federico S.)

Part 1

Study Questions 1-4

Practical Exercises 1 & 2

(Habaluyas, Kevin Robert R.)

Sub Section: Mormons

Sub Section: Born Again

References

Conclusion

(Puno, Ricardo Luis S.)

Sub Section: Iglesia ni Cristo

Sub Section: Aglipayan Church

References

Introduction

(De Leon, Luis Miguel P.)

Sub Section: Marantha

References

Catechism Points

The Religious Congregations

The Religious Congregations

Aside from the multiple religious orders that came to the Philippines, they were accompanied by the religious congregations. These religious congregations added more depth into the multi-faceted Christian life of the Filipinos. The Filipinos have got to thank these Religious congregations for their deep rooted faith in God and the quality education they have enjoyed throughout these years.

The religious congregations allowed for more choice in service in the Catholic Faith in the Philippines. They have innovated the ways that Filipinos can worship God, enlightened the minds of the faithful, and protected the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines from attacks.

Great minds have stemmed from institutions like founded by these congregations such as the Philippine National Hero, Jose Rizal and various others. The products of these institutions have fed the Philippines with a number of achievements. The prestige of these institutions in terms of performance still holds up and continues to improve today.

Part I

The Jesuits

The Society of Jesus began with St. Ignatius of Loyola in the 16^th Century. He was a soldier who became bedridden when he got injured during a battle. He named in Compana de Hesus, meaning company of Jesus. He and six others vowed chastity and poverty in Paris. Their first goal was the conversion of Muslims. They couldn’t go to Turkey and so they were brought to Rome and were ordained. They then started to grow.

St. Ignatius of Loyola

St. Ignatius of Loyola was a person of nobility but he became a soldier. He was injured by a French cannonball and while recovering from his injuries, he received visions that inspired him to go to Jerusalem. After his pilgrimage, he studied the faith in France and in Spain. He started with six disciples to protect the faith and to respect the Pope’s orders. The Society of Jesus have one goal in mind: to protect the interests of the Pope and with that, the whole Catholic Church. They take, aside from the usual vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, another vow of subservience to the Pope.

History in the Philippines

The Jesuits came in during 1581. Not much was said about them. Their records were deleted after they left the Philippines in 1768. The first school the Jesuits opened in the Philippines was the College of San Ildefonso in 1595 at the request of Bishop Pedro de Agurto of Cebu. The school offered free education as good as European education could get at that time. However, when the Jesuits were expelled and banned, the school became Colegio de San Carlos.

	The College of San Ildefonso made in 1595 requested to be made by Bishop Pedro de Agurto, the first Jesuit school in the Philippines.

There were also schools set up in Manila, such as the College of Manila in 1595 (which became the first Philippine University, the University of San Ignacio) and the College of San Jose. These schools were for free but they needed funding. So each family had to pay 100 pesos each year in 1601. These schools run by Jesuits implemented many innovations to Philippine education, such as making the students live on campus and adding new classes.

The Jesuits had a conflict with the Dominicans in their College of San Jose for the faculty of that College were assigned front seats of honor at the funeral rite of the recently deceased queen. The Dominicans took offense and stated that they deserved the privilege more for they were a royal foundation. The Jesuits retorted that they too were a royal foundation and included that their school was founded before the Dominican school. The Dominicans appealed to higher authority then and they lost their appeal in 1647. San Jose was to precede Santo Tomas at all public functions because of its seniority.

In Manila, learning was slow and limited. There were no law schools, so the King of Spain established a university in Manila dedicated to the study of civil, canon, and Roman law. Even though the salaries were pegged high, no lawyer from Spain came. So the Government asked the Jesuits to absorb the “law university” into their university. So in the University of San Ignacio, two departments were opened; one for civil law, and the other for canon law. The first professor of these subjects was Father Pedro Murillo Velarde.

Once again, the Dominicans complained about the plan. Yet they were silenced when the law school of San Ignacio produced lawyers and also when Father Pedro Murillo Velarde urged the royal court to open up similar law centers in the University of Santo Tomas.

Another achievement of the Jesuits was that they were the first to have texts printed in the Philippines. This was the two volume “Cursus iuris cononici hispani et indici” which Father Pedro Murillo Velarde used in his teaching of law. Then also Father Pedro Murillo Velarde wrote a book, “Practica de Testamentos”, which was, of course, printed in the Philippines.

Other than that, the Jesuit schools were the first to commission Tagalog and Visaya translations of foreign texts. The Jesuits were also the first to teach Hebrew, Greek, and Latin in the Philippines. Then when they were asked to leave, their legacy lived on in how the other schools of the Philippines copied these innovations to Philippine education.

On the Jesuits’ return, they established the Ateneo de Manila University, which stands today. This school would be very vital to Philippine history because this school would produce most of the heroes during the Philippine Revolution like Andres Bonifacio and Jose Rizal.

Aside from achievements in education, the Jesuits often mediated between Spain and aggressors in the Philippines, notably the French and the English

Part II

The Christian Brothers

The Christian brothers also called the Lasallian brothers was a society made by St. John Baptiste de La Salle. St. John Baptiste de La Salle requested for a school in which he and some others could educate people who could not afford nor have the means to get an education. He trained a group of lay brothers to conduct schools and he ensured the good of the student and did not allow corporal punishment in his schools. The first Institution he had founded was made on 1680. The whole society consists of only lay brothers and no members of clergy.

Lasallians in the Philippines

After the Philippine revolution and the phil-am war, against the spaniards, protestantism began to spread through the country due to the anti-spanish movements during the previous wars and revolutions. Due to the spread of protestantism, Archbishop Jeremiah James Harty, a lasallian brother, requested to set up a school where they could be able to give education as well as spread the christian faith.

The first request of Archbishop Harty was rejected, due to the lack of funds of the brothers, but after some time they were able to establish the school. As soon as they arrived in the Philippines, many filipino people joined them and the school was able to grow. During the japanese occupation, a group of japanese soldiers invaded the college and massacred and raped its inhabitants of 70 people, with only 10 survivors.

Impact

The Lasallian brothers were able to open up many schools in the Philippines such as the De La Salle Andres Soriano Memorial College, De La Salle Araneta University, De La Salle Canlubang, De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, De La Salle Health Sciences Institute, De La Salle John Bosco College, De La Salle Lipa, De La Salle-Santiago Zobel School, De La Salle University-Dasmariñas, De La Salle University, Jaime Hilario Integrated School-La Salle, La Salle Academy, La Salle College Antipolo, La Salle Green Hills, La Salle University-Ozamiz, St. Joseph School-La Salle, University of St. La Salle. Today, they continue to educate as well as spread the Christian faith in over 82 countries with more than 1,000 establishments and 1,000,000 students throughout the Philippines

Part III

The Daughters of Saint Paul

The Daughters of Saint Paul, an international religious congregation was started by Father James Alberione in Italy. The Daughters of St. Paul are made up of consecrated women determined to serve God in anyway possible

It was the year 1915, and as a young priest, Father James Alberione directed a weekly newspaper called Gazzetta d’Alba, which can still be found circulating today. He also founded the Typographical School, which led to the beginning of the “Society of St. Paul”, which later turned into what is called today as the Daughters of St. Paul.

The first Daughters of St. Paul stayed in a small sewing room in a small house in Alba. They spent most of their time in this small house making clothes for soldiers. Then they started teaching Catechism at San Damiano church. They also opened a bookstore with religious articles. This impressed many people and it led to more girls joining the Daughters of St. Paul.

The Daughters of St. Paul are known to have a strong devotion to Jesus Christ, the Holy Eucharist, and Mother Mary. However, they have a very special devotion to St. Paul, one Jesus’s very intense supporters. One of the main goals of the Daughters of St. Paul is to convert people. Because of this, the Daughters of St. Paul are known to use any means to spread God’s word, just like how St. Paul wrote many letters and traveled a lot to convert people. Today, the Daughters of St. Paul are known to use the press, motion pictures, radio, and television as a way of spreading the word of God.

In 1937, three Daughters of St. Paul left Italy. They were making their way to Asia to spread the word of God. They came to China, however they were unwanted by the Bishop of Shanghai. The same thing happened in Hankow. But then they were eventually Bishop Yu Pin to stay in Nanking. They stayed there for a while, however a war broke out and they had to leave. They tried going to India but again, they were unwanted there as well. This is when they tried going to the Philippines. Although the Philippines was already a Catholic country, they opted to stay. They continued their work in Lipa, Batangas supported by bishop Verzosa , a province in the Philippines. However, World War II came and this threatened the existence of the Daughters of St. Paul in the Philippines. However these Italian missionaries survived and they were able to once again start anew after the war. People then started joining the Daughters of St. Paul and they slowly spread through the Philippines. They were found in many provinces such as Cebu, Davao, Naga, Cagayan de Oro, Iloilo, Legaspi, Baguio, Bacolod, Tacloban, Zamboanga, Tuguegarao, and Marikina. Today, many Daughters of St. Paul are coming from the Philippines to do missionary work in many different countries such as Pakistan, India, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Papua New Guinea, Thailand, Italy, Britain, and Austrailia.

Part IV

Salesians of Don Bosco

Many Congregations had come to the Philippines and one of the latest congregations to come was the Salesians. The Salesian order was originally called the Society of St. Francis de Sales named which was founded during the nineteenth century by St. John Bosco. His goals were to care for the poor children, during the industrial revolution, through many works of charity. Their mission is "the Christian perfection of its associates obtained by the exercise of spiritual and corporal works of charity towards the young, especially the poor, and the education of boys to the priesthood".

Salesians in the Philippines

The Salesians were first invited to the Philippines by Governor-General Eulogio Despujol in the year 1891. The Salesians first arrived in the Philippines in 1951 and the first school opened was in Tarlac. Throughout the years more and more schools were being set up in the Philippines such as the schools in Victorias established on 1952, then in Mandaluyong on 1953, Cebu Boy’s Town on 1954, Makati on 1954, Bacolor on 1958, Canlubang on 1963, Tondo on 1967, Cebu Pasil on 1977, Cebu Boys’ Home on 1988, Mati on 1989, San Jose City on 1993, and Borongan on 1993. These Don Bosco schools have quality education which adheres to the views of Saint Don Bosco and their curriculum included both academic and technical courses. For 50 years Don Bosco has been teaching Filipinos technical skills such as electronics, automotive, mechanics, welding skills, and many more through their training centers.

Don Bosco Schools

Don Bosco schools also focus on the development of Christian values together with their training of technical skills. Just like Saint Don Bosco’s dream the schools teach the children Christian values so that they can use the technical skills they learn to earn their food for the day. Salesian’s have managed to establish the ideal of Don Bosco ,in making boys into good Christians and up right citizens turning people into servant-leaders, through their schools in the Philippines.

Conclusion

As more and more congregations came to the Philippines even more schools were set up. These catholic congregations wanted to bring education and learning to teach the people. Throughout the years they were able to set up schools with their own society’s ideals and led to a diversity of schools in the Philippines. Currently they are top of the line schools and raise students modeled after their own ideals making them good Christians and productive members of Society. They have contributed much to Filipino culture and have raised students that help improve Filipino society.

Study Questions

1. Who was the first lasallian brother in the Philippines to set up a school?
   
   
2. Where was the first mission of the Daughters of Saint Paul and who supported them in the Philippines.
   
   
3. What was teaching that the Bosconians integrated into their school?
   
   
4. What was the first Jesuit school established in the Philippines and who requested for it to be made?

Practical Exercises

1. What are religious congregations and why did they come to the Philippines; what was their purpose in doing so? What problems did they face in the Philippines?
   
   
2. What schools did the religious congregations respectively set up? How did the religious congregations affect the Philippines and do we still feel the impact today? In what ways?
   
   

From the Catechism

Many different types of people are called to evangelize and thus many different types of people have made congregations to help the Church.

873 The very differences which the Lord has willed to put between the members of his body serve its unity and mission. For "in the Church there is diversity of ministry but unity of mission. To the apostles and their successors Christ has entrusted the office of teaching, sanctifying and governing in his name and by his power. But the laity are made to share in the priestly, prophetical, and kingly office of Christ; they have therefore, in the Church and in the world, their own assignment in the mission of the whole People of God." Finally, "from both groups [hierarchy and laity] there exist Christian faithful who are consecrated to God in their own special manner and serve the salvific mission of the Church through the profession of the evangelical counsels."

It is the mission of all Roman Catholics to evangelize the world even if they are not all priests. They must follow this call to be good Christians and can help through congregations like the Lasallian brothers.

898 "By reason of their special vocation it belongs to the laity to seek the kingdom of God by engaging in temporal affairs and directing them according to God's will. . . . It pertains to them in a special way so to illuminate and order all temporal things with which they are closely associated that these may always be effected and grow according to Christ and maybe to the glory of the Creator and Redeemer."

References

Kasaysayan: the story of the Filipino people vol 5

Guerrero, Milagros, and John Schumacher. Reform and. S.J. Asia publishing company ltd. 1998. Hong Kong.

www.paulines.ph/about_us/fsp_phil.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Society_of_Jesus#Asia

www.phjesuits.org

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_La_Salle_Brothers

http://www.sdb.ph/sdb4/

http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p123a9p4.htm

http://www.lasallehs.org/s/639/images/editor/Philosophy%20Page-%20Saint%20John%20Baptist%20de%20La%20Salle.jpg

http://media.photobucket.com/image/Colegio%20san%20Carlos%20jesuits/arnoldsa/CebuHeritageWalk/Old_Photos/12.jpg

http://www.catholicchurchsolomonislands.com/userimages/Don_Bosco_logo.gif

Credits

Capulong, Christopher A.

Part IV: Salesians

Electronic Sources

Conclusion

Study Questions

Catehcism Points

Practical Excercises

Formatting

Fernandez, Francis O.

Part III: Lasallian Brothers

Bellen, Mark

References

Goseco, Miko

Part II: Daughters of Saint Paul

Parrenas, Derek

Introduction

Book Sources

Electronic sources

Part I: Jesuits

Answers to study questions:

1. The first one to request for a school was Archbishop Jeremiah James Harty whose request was originally reject, but eventually he was able to set a school up.
   
   
2. The first mission was set up in Lipa, Batangas and the congregation was supported by and even invited by Bishop Verzosa.
   
   
3. They ensured that the kids would not only be good intelligent Christians, but good workers as well. Thus, they taught both academics and technical works in school.
   
   
4. The first school set up was the College of San Ildefonso in 1595 at the request of Bishop Pedro de Agurto of Cebu