History

In the beginning…

St. Peter the Apostle Parish started fifty years ago with Rev. Fr. Louis Fossion, CICM. He was a Belgian priest from China who came to the Philippines a few decades back. At the height of the Cultural Revolution in 1949, the Communist Party under Chairman Mao Tse Tung had established the People’s Republic of China and moved the country’s capital from Nanking to Beijing. The communist government decided to abolish all the existing religions within their country, the primary target being Christianity, specifically Catholicism. Catholic missionaries and priests, both Chinese and foreign, were put into jail cells from which some of them eventually escaped. Their churches were closed and some were even burned to the ground. In the early 1950’s, the communists had already run out of prisons to hold their religious prisoners in, so the government decided to exile the remaining priests. Fr. Fossion was one of the hundreds sent to the Philippines.

Among the many that were deported was Bishop Juan B. Velasco, OP, a Spanish bishop who was formerly the local ordinary of Amoy Province. Upon his arrival in Manila, he was appointed by then Manila Archbishop Rufino J. Cardinal Santos as the Chinese Catholic National Director of the Philippines. He was tasked to organize the Chinese-Filipino Catholics into a cohesive unit that would enable them to grow in their faith. The Manila Chinese-Filipino Catholic Association, headed by Bishop Velasco, established four Chinese parishes in the Metro Manila area, one of which was the Paco Chinese Catholic Parish, which was founded by Fr. Fossion. Thus, St. Peter the Apostle Parish laid its first roots.

Empowered by his mission, Fr. Fossion approached different Chinese-Filipino families who immediately felt at ease with him because of his natural meekness and humility. He was very simple. He did not expect to have an extravagant church. He just wanted to have a place where the Chinese-Filipino could gather and worship the Lord, though it had always been his dream to build a parochial school—a dream that was yet to be fulfilled.

With God’s grace and Fr. Fossion’s untiring efforts, he was able to obtain a piece of empty lot with a small, two-floor wooden warehouse. Fr. Fossion and the parishioners worked hand in hand to renovate the ground floor and make it into a make-shift chapel. The project was completed on 20 September 1954. The land on which the chapel stood was leased to him for free by the Gonzales Family. This chapel, first named after St. Joseph, was built beside a Magnolia ice cream kiosk. It was so small that it only accommodated a maximum of 40 people, six benches and a simple altar.
Though the chapel was small and simple, it was able to gather its own parishioners, who built a community amongst themselves with God as their center. The members of the congregation often asked their friends to come and hear Mass with them. In this way, the number of Church-goers grew and these parishioners were well-cared for by Fr. Fossion. He often visited them to give advice on different matters or to simply have a brief chat. These parishioners, who were the original pioneers of the parish, became vital in the long voyage that was just beginning.

On to Greener Pastures

The Sacred Roman Constitutional Congregation saw the need for the canonical erection of more Chinese-Filipino oriented parishes due to the growth of the said community. By the time the Papal Order was to be implemented, the make-shift chapel built by Fr. Fossion was already in place. This original chapel was renamed and dedicated to St. Peter the Apostle, to whom Jesus Christ entrusted His Church.

Fr. Fossion saw that a permanent church was imperative because of the growing number of parishioners. He asked the congregation to aid him in raising funds to build this permanent church, and the latter immediately agreed to support him.

Every night, they would go to different homes and sang songs and carols. The people they sang to gave them monetary donations in return. The parishioners did not mind doing this for the parish even if they were already fatigued from their day’s work. Through their caroling and other generous contributions, they were able to raise a fair sum of money. It is also worthwhile to note that the parishioners were able to build lasting bonds of brotherhood and sisterhood among themselves.

On 18 May 1956, a 1,713-square meter lot was bought by the parish form Fortunato de Leon and Juana Gonzales. On 22 October 1958, the 650-square meter lot being leased for free to the parish by Melquiades Virata and Concepcion Gonzales was also purchased.

After serving as parish priest for four years, Fr. Fossion was replaced by Fr. Jacques Mussen, CICM on 17 September 1958. Fr. James, as he was more popularly called, was also a Belgian priest who arrived at Manila to escape the persecution many Catholics suffered in China.

Graces Overflowing

A parishioner by the name of Antonio G. Tan offered to design the envisioned church for free. He claimed that he could build a church that would not need air-conditioning nor a lot of lighting, thus saving on electrical consumption. His design had sufficient doors and windows to allow wind and light to circulate freely. The entire area was surrounded by fences, very much like garden fences. Outside the enclosure, little children played with monkey bars, swings and rotating cages. The church’s front area was converted into half a basketball court where teenagers often shot some hoops. Later in February 1964, a grotto was constructed beside the church’s left wing. The original plan did not include the sacristy at the back. Every morning, sunlight penetrated the circular stained glass behind the altar, thus illuminating the image of the Father sending the Holy Spirit.

In a momentous occasion, the first St. Peter the Apostle Parish Church was blessed and inaugurated on 1 July 1962 at 7:30 in the morning. The dedication was officiated by then Archbishop of Manila, Cardinal Santos. A family breakfast followed the occasion.

A young priest by the name of Fr. Dominic Kuo came and acted as assistant to Fr. Mussen. He was also assigned as the National Director of the Chinese Catholic Youth from 1963 to 1966, thus enabling our parish to become the center of activities of the other Chinese-Filipino parishes. During his stay, Fr. Kuo was able to organize the group now known as the Legion of Mary.

After thirteen years of service, Fr. Mussen fell ill and had to go back to Belgium. In 1971, Fr. Francis Libeer, CICM arrived and assumed his office as acting parish priest for a year. He was later replaced by Fr. Joseph Liu in 1972, also in acting capacity.

The Dream that Came to be

On 22 December 1974, Fr. Vincent Liu, a diocesan priest, arrived from New York, USA. He was formally installed as parish priest of St. Peter by His Eminence Jaime Cardinal Sin, then Archbishop of Manila.

Fr. Liu felt the need for a special institution that would provide for the Chinese-Filipino children’s Catholic education, as well as inculcate their Chinese heritage and culture. In short, he felt the need for the construction of a school—a dream once visualized by Fr. Fossion. But it could not be just any other school. It had to be a Chinese-Filipino Catholic school.

Support for this vision was given by His Eminence Cardinal Sin and His Excellency Bishop Velasco. This was to prove to be a very big step, perhaps the biggest to date, for our parish in the sense that the school became an intrinsic instrument for gathering more parishioners. Fr. Liu and a team of Church-goers immediately started the preparations for the construction of an educational institution. The Parish Pastoral Council met every week, even twice a week, to discuss the plans they had in mind. They began a chain of fund-raising events to be able to raise the needed amount. They also approached well-to-do businessmen who did not fail them in their endeavor. The Bureau of Private Schools issued the approval for St. Peter the Apostle School to hold classes on the day of Fr. Liu’s first arrival anniversary.

Through the united efforts of the priests and the pious, the congregation was able to raise enough funds to finance a small-scale school. 14 June 1976 marked a historic moment as St. Peter the Apostle School opened its doors and held its first classes. The 101 students in Nursery, Kinder I and Grade 1 had their lectures inside the parish social hall. In the following year, an increase in the enrollment made it essential for another classroom to be opened. The second floor, which used to be the priests’ sleeping quarters, was converted into a classroom. On the third school year, the left wing of the church was converted into three classrooms separated by make-shift divisions. The interior of the church itself was divided into five classrooms to give way to the construction of the school’s present building. Thus, a slow but steady progress commenced and facilities needed to expand. The increase in the studentry heightened the need for more classrooms and a larger faculty. A permanent school building was the only way to address the situation. A structure was definitely needed and it was needed fast.

The Trees that Bear Fruits

The groundbreaking ceremony for the school’s cornerstone was held on 6 November 1977, a little more than a year after the issuance of the permit. This event, which marked the beginning of the construction of the permanent school, was made memorable by the presence of both Cardinal Sin and Bishop Velasco.

Amidst financial troubles and sleepless nights, Fr. Liu, with the parents and parishioners, was able to raise funds for the erection of a four-story concrete building that now serves as the Elementary Department. The building was inaugurated on 4 February 1979 again by Cardinal Sin who was assisted by Bishop Velasco. This joyous occasion fortunately coincided with the Silver Jubilee Anniversary of the parish. Later the same year, from September 14 to 23, the parish celebrated its 25th founding anniversary with a host of events.

With the construction of the school’s concrete building and the 25-year foundation of the parish, St. Peter started to offer classes from Nursery to Grade 5. The number of enrollees also increased rapidly with the opening of the High School Department in 1979. Back then, its population was only 17 students. In these initial years, the school was run smoothly through the efforts of Fr. Liu, Fr. Thomas Chao, Fr. Stanislau Chi, Fr. Joseph Wang and the Parish Pastoral Council.

Fr. Liu performed his duties for seven fruitful years until fatigue from work had caught up with him. When the pressure from the school’s affairs became unbearable, he wrote a letter to Fr. Francis Chin, a close friend who was then in Bacolod. He asked Fr. Chin if he could become the next parish priest and school director of St. Peter. Fr. Chin agreed and on 1 August 1981, he officially started his term.

Edifices of Knowledge and Wisdom

The school made an enormous leap since Fr. Chin took over. With his innate efficiency and resourcefulness, he was able to capture the hearts of the Chinese-Filipino community, who entrusted their faith in him. Through his management of financial matters, he was able to build the Kindergarten Annex on Peñafrancia Street which houses the Nursery and Kindergarten students. He was also able to add another floor, which now serves as the gymnasium, to the existing school building. As if these improvements were not colossal enough, Fr. Chin was able to bring to realization the Msgr. Juan B. Velasco building, which now caters to the High School students. Likewise, sleeping quarters for the nuns were also erected.

To recognize Fr. Chin’s outstanding achievements here and abroad as an educator, builder, shepherd of men and man of God, His Holiness Pope John Paul the Great conferred upon him the Papal Chaplaincy on 14 April 1985.

Another giant leap was made by our parish when it was made into a legitimate territorial parish from the original personal parish of the Chinese-Filipino community. It now covers all the communities near the church’s vicinity. The number of parishioners has grown ever since.

In June 1993, a Filipino priest named Fr. Vic Virtudazo joined the St. Peter community as a guest priest. Fr. Virtudazo oversaw the outreach programs regularly held by the parish. Immersing himself in evangelization, he was able to bring the Filipino community closer to the Chinese population. Since then, the various barangays within the Church’s territory have actively participated in the numerous projects the parish holds.

A New Breed of Servant-Leaders

On the first of June 1997, Cardinal Sin sent a servant-leader from the Lorenzo Ruiz Mission Society (LRMS) to the St. Peter community by the name of Rev. Peterson Tieng, LRMS. Immediately, Rev. Tieng made a strong connection to the congregation of St. Peter who loved him dearly. On July 20 of the same year, Rev. Pete was ordained as a priest of LRMS and installed as the Parochial Vicar, assisting Fr. Chin, by then a monsignor, to help out in the affairs of the parish. He held this position until 7 May 2000.

Meanwhile, more LRMS deacons and seminarians were sent by the society’s director from the institute to St. Peter. One such deacon was Rev. Emmanuel Regalado, LRMS, whose task was to help Fr. Tieng. Rev. Regalado was assigned to St. Peter on 11 April 1999 and was ordained priest on September 5. Back then, who would have known that Fr. Regalado was going to be appointed as the parish priest of St. Peter later on 1 June 2004, by His Eminence Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales, Archbishop of Manila? In 2001, Rev. Fr. Roberto Barcelona, LRMS was assigned to the parish also as parochial vicar.

A New House for the Lord

“With a crown of snow cometh wisdom,” so goes an ancient Japanese proverb. After gathering much wisdom, Msgr. Chin requested for his retirement from Cardinal Sin. The latter agreed but with one request: that Msgr. Chin build a new house of God before he retires. The Cardinal saw the growing number of parishioners in St. Peter and recognized the need for a bigger place of worship. Being located inside the school, the old church was also in a disadvantageous position. As such, Msgr. Chin boldly promised that the new church would be built before the Cardinal’s 75th birthday.

The groundbreaking ceremony took place on 14 September 2002 with Cardinal Sin and then Manila Mayor Lito Atienza. Representatives from the different parish organizations and the Chinese-Filipino community were also present to witness the once-in-a-lifetime event. This simple ceremony started the series of events that led to the completion of the new St. Peter the Apostle Parish Church.
By the time the novena Masses for the 2003 feast of St. Peter started, the church was in its final phase of construction. On June 28, the last novena night, at six o’clock in the evening, the spotlights were lit and a warm glow of yellow surrounded the basilica-like structure. The first Eucharistic Celebration inside the new church was held that night. From then on, the church was completed piece by piece—the ten stained glass windows depicting St. Peter in various stages of his life, the wooden lectern, altar and tabernacle with gold fixtures, the towering statues of St. Joseph and the Chinese Madonna, the painting of Christ handing over the keys of Heaven and Earth to St. Peter.

On the 29th of June, the concelebrated Fiesta Mass in the new church was presided over by His Excellency Bishop Teodoro Buhain Jr.

After months of preparation and one grand feast, Masses were regularly celebrated in the newly built structure even though the construction was still ongoing. The church was completed in August, despite the financial difficulties Msgr. Chin faced. The congregation often heard him say, “God will provide.” and indeed, God provided and his promise to the Cardinal was fulfilled.

The Eucharistic Celebration and Rite of Solemn Dedication of the church was held on 23 August 2003 at nine in the morning. Bishop Buhain, in the presence of Cardinal Sin, presided over the Mass. A mist of serenity and solemnity enveloped the congregation as the Word of God was proclaimed and hymns of praise were sung. Finally, at eleven o’clock, the ceremony was completed and the new church was officially declared as a sanctuary of the Lord.

With Hearts Full of Thanksgiving

In the following year, Msgr. Chin’s retirement led to the search for a new parish priest. This quest bore fruit when Fr. Regalado was installed by Cardinal Rosales on 17 July 2004. But the demand of an ever-growing parish was not a job meant for one person. Thus, Rev. Fr. Johnny Molina, LRMS, immediately after his ordination into the priesthood, was assigned as Parochial Vicar of our parish.

Later the same year in September, the parish celebrated its Golden Jubilee complete with a new church, a new parish priest and a new batch of parishioners. Aside from the solemn Eucharistic Celebration, other formative as well as fun-filled events were introduced.

Source:
Cheng, Paula Victoria Catherine Y. “The Journey Retold: A Comprehensive History of St. Peter the Apostle Parish, Paco, Manila.” St. Peter the Apostle Parish Golden Jubilee Souvenir Program.