FR. RICK'S DOMAIN at St. Joseph's Church, 242 Wall Street, Kingston, NY 12401 US - Filipino Apostolate

Dear Friends: I extend my prayers and wisbes to you for a succesful campaign as you embark on your endowment effort for the Philippine Pastoral Center. As the first pastoral center outside of the Philippines, this new home of the Filipino Apostolate is a tribute to the many Philippine contributonms to the Archdiocese of New York. From its birth, the Church of New York has grown and flourished because of its immigrant family, Italians, Irish, German, Polish aand many others, all are part of the great mosaic that is the Archdiocese of New York. As we enter the new millenium it is now time for the Filipinos to be woven into the fabric of the Archdiocese of New York and the Philippine Pastoral Center is a symbol of this long-lasting relationship. Faith in the power of God is an important part cf the Filipino community everywhere. It is my hope you will share this faith and deepen your commitment to the Church through the fulfillment of your ministiries in your new home, the Philippine Pastoral Center. Thank you for your physical and spiritual presence in our Archdiocese. Through the Philippine Pastoral Center may your work continue to be a shining light for the Filipinos, and all Catholics, everywhere.

A. MISSION AND VISION 1. Eucharist-centered activities: the Eucharist is the center of our Christian life. 2. Meaningful Liturgies: that reflect our Filipino Catholic background and culture. 3. Devotions: which is a part of our religious upbringng and spiritual formation have to be given their proper role. 4. We have to reach out and extend our services to others especially the less privileged here and in the homeland. 5. our praying communities must always be a serving communities. PREAMBLE: We the Filipino Catholics believed that Christian Faith is a gift from the Almighty God, given to us abundantly in our homeland, The Philippines, and we believe that that same faith was brought by us to this adopted country, The United States of America. We believe that this faith has to be lived and shared to our families, communities and society in general. We believe that we are called by Jesus Christ to a mission to go and tell the world of His love, as echoed by the Holy Father Pope John Paul II during his visit to the Philippines for the 9th World Youth Day '95. We believe that we are a praying, worshiping and serving community and we are called to proclaim the Christian message by our example in word and deed. We believe that we the Filipino people are called to be"maka-Dios" (godly), "maka-tao" (people-oriented), "maka-bayan" (civic-spirited) and must develop the spirit of community and "bayanihan" among us.

December 1984 A.D. The humble beginnings of the association began with the vision of bringing together the numerous Americans of Filipino heritage living in the majesic and historical Mid-Hudson Valley Region of New York State. The region consists of the Dutchess, Columbia, Ulster, Orange and Putnam Counties. The area is filled with much history and Jurasaic artifacts. This region's many landmarks consists of the of Vanderbilt Estate, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's home and library, the Samuel F.B. Moorse retreat, and a host of other famous names and places. Through the assistance and goodness of the Mount Carmel's Pastor, who graciously offered the place to be used, we were able to assemble and group, which consisted of a dozen families from the Mid-Hudson Valley Region. The very first party began with a potluck festival of dishes, as dinuguan, pansit, lumpia, mouth-watering desserts, and pletora of other Filipino delicacies. It lasted for only a few hours, but it created a lasting desire to reach out all the Filipino-American in the region. The Aplaska clan was present, as well as the Pontian clique, the Dinio pair, the Castro contingency, the Gapay band, the Sambrano swarm, the Donato flank, and the Guilaran gang. The special group formed the nucleus of the newly born MHFAA from its beginnings up to its current base membership, which has exponentialy expanded and continues to grow at a torrid place. The MHFAA is an organization based on values and beliefs that are shared among each other. The activities run through the whole year round - as dinner dance in spring, annual picnic party on the fourth of July, Christmas party on December plus backyard picnic sponsored by some families of the group. The current president of the MHFAA who as served unwaveringly for 12 years is Remegio Dinio.

REV. ERNO B. DIAZ

Filipino Apostolate Coordinator Archdiocese of New York

REGIONAL COORDINATORS:

********************************************

 1. MANHATTAN: A. SOUTH MANHATTAN: Zeni Abbariao Karen Louie Patrick So B. EAST MANHATTAN: Susan Gasis Nannette Ong C. WEST MANHATTAN Bella Manalo

2. BRONX: Rex Hernandez Carmen Lugay Kay Kikuchi Remy Lazo

3. STATEN ISLAND: Nanie de los Reyes Rev. Nicholas Soares

4. HARLEM

5. WESTCHESTER COUNTY: Rudy Teng Cecilia Li Priscilla Parameswaran

6. ROCKLAND COUNTY: Flo Opulencia Marlene Fernandez

7. PUTNAM COUNTY:

8. DUTCHESS COUNTY:

9. ORANGE COUNTY:

10. SULLIVAN COUNTY:

11. ULSTER COUNTY: Fr. Rick , Jess Floresca

C. PASTORAL PROGRAM: The Philippine Program was envisioned to meet the pastoral needs of the growing Filipino community in the Archdioceses of New York by providing resources in terms of meeting space and apostolate materials that present and would-be Filipino pastoral workers need to carry out, in a more confident and effective way, their ministry to their fellow Filipino countrymen. The Pastoral Program, in this sense, serves both as a means for spiritual recollections or retreats, for prayer meetings, for seminars or workshops in pastoral leadership as well as a pastoral resource center for the Filipino Apostolate in the Mid-Hudson Valley.

Feast of St. Lornezo Ruiz A message from Rev. Anthony E. McGuire Director of the Office of the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Refugees Celebrant of the Fourth Annual Filipino Apostolate Mass in honor of San Lorenzo Ruiz de Manila It was both an honor and a delight for me to be with you on the feast of St. Lorenzo Ruiz in the great Cathedral of St. Patrick's. I was inspired by the devotion of your community, the beauty of the choir, and the good orders of the liturgy. You are to be congratulated. The Homily of Fr. McGuire Today as we come to the end of the twentieth century we carry a statue of St. Lorenzo Ruiz who lived and died in the seventeenth century into a Cathedral built in the nineteenth century in honor of a saint who lived and died in the fifth century. We hear the Word of God and celebrate the Eucharist given to us in the first century. The World of God, the Eucharist, the saints and this Cathedral help us reach back over the centuries into our collective memories as members of the Catholic Church to remind us of what is the center of our faith and how we are called to live it. In this cathedral built as a sign of faith by poor immigrants, St. Lorenzo Ruiz speaks to us about what is most important in our faith and what God's will is for us to build up the Church of His Son. St. Lorenzo Ruiz was not a great writer or eloquent speaker. He was a poor layman who because of an unjust system had to leave his wife and children and his Filipino homeland and ended up in the hostile territory of Japan. The few words that are recorded are taken from the chronicles of his martyrdom. Among them are these words: "If I had a thousand lives to give, I would give them for my faith." His faith is the same faith in Jesus which is so beautifully written in the second reading today in which St Paul uses a hymn of his day to describe how the Son of God so loved His Father and all of us that He emptied Himself and entered fully into the human condition, into the pain of loneliness and rejection, into suffering and servanthood, even to death as a criminal. But in the midst of all that human suffering Jesus had a heart full of love for which God exalted Him and gave Him a name above every other name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend in heaven and on earth. Today St. Lorenzo's life and death points us to Jesus and His loving obedience to the Father's will, His triumph over death, His glorious resurrection and His presence with us here today. Today St. Lorenzo Ruiz calls on us to renew our faith in Jesus Who in the Gospel calls on us to do the Father's will as He did it in His life. Here we are today, in the same situation as St. Lorenzo Ruiz, away from family away from homeland, in the same situation as the poor immigrants who built this magnificent cathedral. What is God calling us to do? What is God's will for us? It is the same as God's will for them, to give witness to the presence of the Risen Christ by daily acts of love and service, by daily prayer and devotion, by daily efforts to build up Christ's Church by living lives of integrity and being willing to speak openly of our faith. I remember when I was working in Hong Kong for a few years, there were Filipinas working as amahs in the houses of the Chinese and the expatriots. At the beginning only a few came to the church. They joined the choir, then more came. Then some of the fallen away Catholics, their employers, came. Then some of the non-Catholic children, then their parents came. Each Sunday they would sing a joyful song, a hymn of praise to others of the presence of the Risen Christ. I know that when I felt discouraged or homesick, I was always renewed by their faith and joy. The Gospel tells us of the son who says he will work in the father's vineyard, but does not. That is not the kind of faith which will build up Christ's Church, a faith that is only lip service, a faith that goes through motions, but inside is filled with selfishness and indifference, pleasure-seeking and violence. The faith which will build up Christ's Church is the kind of faith that penetrates the daily life, a faith which expresses itself in love for others, in generous service, in prayer, in concern for the poor. A faith that evangelizes in the informal dialogue of daily life. A faith which is faithful to marriage promises and open to life and love for children. A faith which confronts the idols of possessions, pleasure and pretensions. A faith that is from the heart, warm and loving, willing to sacrifice self for others. As St. Paul says, "Humbly regard others as better than your selves, each looking out not for his own interests but for those of others." On this day when the Risen Lord speaks to us through His Word and feeds us with His own Body and Blood in the Eucharist and sets before us the powerful example of St. Lorenzo Ruiz we pray for a renewal of faith, a desire to built up the Church of Christ by giving witness in a daily way to our faith so that the world will come to believe in Jesus' Name. We remember the words of the Filipino bishops in their 1987 message to migrants and overseas workers: "We exhort you, our Filipino brothers and sister abroad, to live your Christian faith wherever you are. In that way, like St. Lorenzo Ruiz de Manila, our migrant saint, you are giving witness for Christ before all the world." Launching of Pastoral 'Tree of Life' Foundation: The Filipino Apostolate of the Archdiocese of New York has launched an endowment cam-paign called the "Tree of Life" in support of its newly-opened Philippine Pastoral Center on Last 62nd Street in New York City. The projects with full approval of the Archdiocese of New York will giv donors the opportunity to have their names or their departed loved ones, anniversaries or anv significant occasion be engraved and memorialized forever in the Tree of Life. Crafted bv artisans in bronze and Plexiglas~ the Tree of Life -with 2,0O0 leaves - has been installed on the wall of the Chapel of San Lorenzo Ruiz at the Philippine Pastoral Center. It will remain there as a lasting tribute and memorial to those whose names are eneraved on its beautiful bronze leaves," said Father Erno Diaz, Archdiocesan coordinator and director of the pastoral center. Alone with the Tree of Life, there is all the "Memorial Rooms" campaign involving the different rooms of the four-story building of the Philippine Pastoral Center to be memorialized for major gift donations. The campaign got an early boost with the pledge of $35,000 from former Sen. Helena Benitez, chairman of the Philippine Women's University (PWU). Dr. Benitez, an avid supporter of the Filipino Apostolate, chose the receiving room of the pastoral center to memorialize her gift of $25,000, and a statue for Birheng Maria, Ina ng Poon at the garden of saints for a gift of $10,000. Dr. Dolly Lasan. PWU chancellor, also pledged $10,000 for one of the retreat rooms. Singer/composer and businessman Jose Marie Chan promised to stage a concert for the benefit of the pastoral center, It' a meeting with Fr. Diaz in Manila early this year, Chan agreed to raise funds for the large meeting room of the pas-toral which he intends to dedicate to Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin. In the Tree of Life, the offering for a bronze leaf bearing your name or personalized message permanently is $600. For an offering of $1,000, your message will be carved on a plaque to be placed near the Tree of Life. And for 53.000, your message will be engraved on a foundation stone placed around the base of the Tree of Life. The Philippine Pastoral Center was established to meet the pas-toral and spiritual needs of the big Filipino community in the Archdiocese of New York by providing them resources in terms of meeting spaces, pastoral programs and apostolate materials that current and future Filipino pastoral workers need to carry out their respective ministry in a more confident and effective way. With initial programs and activities like the 'Couples of Christ, the Charismatic prayer meetings, third Friday of the month all-night vigil, youth and adult recollections, and conferences and clergy support groups. The Center has truly become a 'home' and "spiritual watering hole" to many Filipinos in the area. Fr. Diaz said the formal blessing and dedication of the Center will be on June 13, to coincide with the visit of Bishop Ramon Arguelles, chairman of the Episcopal Commission on Immigration of the Philippines, and the national conference of Filipino pastoral workers to be held in New York. A whole-week "open house' to the public will be held immediately after the dedication. For more information about the Tree of Life and the major gift opportunities, call the Pastoral Center at (212) 838-6998. Fr. Erno Diaz at (212)358-9804 or 475-1966, or write to the Filipino Apostolate C/O Rev. Erno Diaz. 239 East 21st Street, New York, New York 10010.

A. MEETINGS: Filipino Clergy Meetings Apostolate Meetings Pastoral Leadership Seminars Youth Retreats Charismatic Prayer Groups Choir Rehearsals Bible Study Groups Pastoral Planning Meetings Marriage Encounter Couples for Christ Spiritual Lectures B. PASTORAL RESOURCES: Library - *Philippine Resource Materials *Video Catechesis Media for Evangelization Philippine Church Directory Philippine Religious Items C. COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAMS: Research on Filipino Pastoral Issues Free Clinic/ Health Fair Immigration Counseling Spiritual Counseling English Proficiency Class Learn-a-Filipino-Dialect Filipino Apostolate Website Journal of Philippine Studies Philippine Ecumenical Undertaking Multi-cultural Collaboration Music-cultural Activities Community Forums Filipino Apostolate Newsletter Philippine Clergy Support Group D. PREAMBLE: We the Filipino Catholics believed that Christian Faith is a gift from the Almighty God, given to us abundantly in our homeland, The Philippines, and we believe that that same faith was brought by us to this adopted country, The United States of America. We believe that this faith has to be lived and shared to our families, communities and society in general. We believe that we are called by Jesus Christ to a mission to go and tell the world of His love, as echoed by the Holy Father Pope John Paul II during his visit to the Philippines for the 9th World Youth Day '95. We believe that we are a praying, worshiping and serving community and we are called to proclaim the Christian message by our example in word and deed. We believe that we the Filipino people are called to be"maka-Dios" (godly), "maka-tao" (people-oriented), "maka-bayan" (civic-spirited) and must develop the spirit of community and "bayanihan" among us.

A. ADMINISTRATION:

Rev. Erno B. Diaz Coordinator, Filipino Apostolate Ex-officio Director Mr. Leo Clemente, CFO Susan Gasis Secretary Erlinda Molano Assistant Secretary Fredie Alandy Treasurer Maria Gahol Assistant Treasusrer

B. HOUSE STAFF: They are parish leaders of the Filipino Apostolate who assist the DIrector in the administration and day to day operation of the pastoral center by taking volunteer roles either as a coordinator of the specific program or as a supervisor of a specific operation at the center. She/he may choose another parish leader as co-assistant. Susan Gasis Linda Raquel Santos Cyndi Eliazo Flora Libay Tambi Wycoco Jose Lim Lorli Villanueva Jennifer Mercado Erlinda Molano Lally Junio Letty Duller Carlos Polet

C. RECEPTION/ HOSPITALITY: The Volunteer receptionist/s shall take charge of welcoming guests and giving them a brief tour of the center; answering telephone calls, doorbells; doing the 'Schedule for the Day'; checking and opening mails; loggong down guest/staff coming in and every activity at the center; doing paper works; filing, typing, sorting, mailstuffing, etc.

1. Receptionist/ Hospitality - Flora Libay Erlinda Molano - Assistant Weekday Volunteers: Jennifer Mercado Cyndi Eliazo Aida Cloribel Linda Santos Lally Junio Lorli Villanueva Susan Gasis

2. Housekeeping/Maintenance - Lorli Villanueva Tambi Wycoco Linda Santos Erlinda Molano 3. Interior Decor - Lenore Lim

4. Kitchen/Pantry - Letty Duller

5. Chapel/Sacristy - Ruben Tupaz

6. Conference Rooms -Tambi Wycoco * Assistant - Salve Stamatelaky

7. Library - Flora Libay * Assistant - Cyndi Eliazo

8. Press Relations - Tambi Wycoco

9. Garden/Grotto - Lilia Clemente

10. Bed and Board - Linda Santos Pastoral Center - front

A. HOUSE RULES:

1. We respectfully ask our guests not to smoke inside the premises of the center.

2. Guests and staff are requested to use the pay phone for all their calls. The house telephone is for official use use only.

3. The kitchen is for staff use only. Guests and groups may bring in catered food.

4. Each group must bring with them, at least a roll of paper towel and toilet paper, and; garbage bags, one for recycling and another for regular garbage.

5. To help the center save on maintenance expense, we respectfully ask our guests to kindly take out their own garbage after function.

6. While singing with instrumental accompaniment is generally allowed, we recommend non-electronic instrument instruments to minimize noise.

7. The Philippine Pastoral Center is a former convent. We are still blessed with a meditation chapel on the second floor. We ask our staff and guests to help us preserve the convent-like atmosphere by making the center a prayerful, friendly, tidy and orderly place of Christian fellowship at all times. Thank you for all your cooperation. God bless you! And as we say in Tagalog, Maraming Salamat Po!

B. OFFERING/REIMBURSEMENT FOR ROOMS:

We would like to ask your offering/reimbursement to pay our bills to keep the Center running: 1. Large Meeting Room: $100 - 2 hrs; $25 - for every hour thereafter to a maximum of 5 hrs.

2. Small Meeting Rooms: (Dining Room, Chapel, 3rdFL Lounge) $50 - 2 hrs; $20 - for every hour thereafter to a maximum of 5 hrs.

C. OFFERING/REIMBURSEMENT FOR BED AND BOARD:

1. One Night - $40 per person

2. Weekend (2 days/1 night) - $75

THE ARCHDIOCESAN PASTORAL PROGRAM AMONG ASIANS: