The more than ten million Filipinos abroad carry around their Catholic faith with their special way of praying and celebrating. In this way, everywhere, they are reviving the local churches where they…
December 2021
The fact that Christianity arrived and developed together with the colonial domination of the Spaniards has constituted a problem for the identity of the Filipino people.
December 2021
In the 19th century, violent rebellions against the colonial government involving Church personnel broke out. They were motivated not by insubordination but by strong, legitimate demand for equal…
November 2021
Popular devotion in the Philippines presents some features which demand bodily suffering that can reach an extreme extent like flagellations, the yearly "transfer" of the Black Nazarene of Quiapo in…
September 2021
The life of the Filipino villages and parishes is built around the “Fiesta”, a yearly celebration of the Patron Saint which includes the preparations, the solemn Mass, the procession with the images…
August 2021
The love of the Filipino people for the Blessed Virgin Mary is well-known and gives origin to devotional practices like “Simbang Gabi” and “Flores de Mayo”. But the most evident feature is the…
August 2021
Christianity has spread education everywhere. The University of Santo Tomas (UST), the first university of its kind in Asia, the Ateneo de Manila, La Salle, San Beda and many others, have been and are…
July 2021
The acceptance of Christianity is evident in the festivals which show the popular response to it as an invitation to joy and celebration. In them, faith becomes culture.
April 2021
The second wave of pioneers saw the arrival of the Jesuits, the Dominicans, and the Recollects. On the whole, the population accepted Catholicism, settled down, and engaged in agriculture, trade, and…
April 2021
The evangelization of the Philippines came together with the Spanish occupation as the proclaimed purpose of the colonizers. The pioneers of the Gospel in the country were five religious orders.
March 2021
On March 16, 1521, Magellan and his Spanish fleet arrived in the Philippines. The first Mass was celebrated at Limasawa. The newly baptized Queen Juana received the statue of the Santo Niño, like the…
January 2021
A few months before the 500th anniversary of Christianity in the country, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) has determined that Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan and…
January 2021
When he is not busy in his ministry, Fr. Roneil Canillas travels around Eastern Samar to take photos of birds, which he calls “indicators of our environment’s integrity.”
November 2020
Cardinal Tagle is at the helm of the “superdicastery” responsible for all missionary activity. It’s a challenging task that could, nevertheless, transform the Church inside and out.
May 2020
Avegail Sison is a cabin crew member of Philippine Airlines, the country’s national flag carrier. She concedes that “God is a priority” in her life, and therefore, is able to reconcile a demanding…
January 2020
Chrisma Bangaoil is a committed lay missionary for whom the mission is a lifestyle and part of her DNA. “When I am not in the mission, I am teaching or working,” she told World Mission. Her zeal for…
January 2020
“Science journalism needs greater push in the Philippines,” says Angelica Y. Yang, who won an award for her research on the quality of science journalism in the country.
December 2019