Faith is more than just an act of worship for many Filipino Americans living in Philadelphia – it serves as an anchor and a link to their culture, keeping them connected to their roots while in the United States. Saint Augustine Roman Catholic Church, a historic church in Old City that has long been a place of spiritual and cultural solace for Filipino Americans, is at the core of this relationship.
Since founding in 1796, the Saint Augustine Roman Catholic Church has welcomed waves of immigrants from various backgrounds. However, the church started to take on a unique role for Filipino Catholics in Philadelphia in the early 1990s.
On January 11, 1992, a replica of the Santo Niño de Cebú, a Catholic title for the Child Jesus, was erected in the church. The image is widely regarded as miraculous by Filipino Catholics, and the replica attracted Filipino Catholics from the tri-state area and beyond, transforming Saint Augustine into a National Shrine for Santo Niño devotion in North America.
The establishment of the Santo Niño shrine marked a turning point for the Filipino American community in Philadelphia. From then on, Saint Augustine evolved from a place of worship to a cultural monument where Filipino customs could be publicly observed.
The church celebrates Sinulog, or the Feast of Santo Niño, twice a year—one in January and one in August. This event draws in hundreds of Filipino American parishioners who come to honor the Child Jesus with prayers, songs, and dances. The devotion to Santo Niño is deeply embedded in Filipino culture, symbolizing faith and resilience.
Traditionally, Sinulog in the Philippines is held every third Sunday of January in Cebu, Philippines. However, since January is in the middle of deep winter in Philadelphia, the Filipino community in St. Augustine decided to celebrate every third Sunday of August.
“Part of the reason why it’s the third Sunday is because it originally started as being the date closest to the Feast of St. Augustine, which is August 28th,” says Roman Ventura, a parishioner, and president of the Filipino Executive Council of Greater Philadelphia.
This dual celebration in August and January not only honors the Santo Niño but also ties the Filipino community in Philadelphia to their homeland’s traditions while adapting to the local climate.
Moreover, St. Augustine has designated the 11:00 a.m. Mass as a Filipino Mass and uses traditional Filipino hymns in its liturgy. Tagalog hymns such as Ama Namin (The Lord’s Prayer) fill the church with reverence and pride, allowing Filipino Americans to participate in Mass in a language that is personal and familiar.
“It’s a chance to reconnect with the culture. The feeling of connection, the feeling of wonderment that we can sing Tagalog in the U.S.,” says Kim Barroso, the Musical Director of St. Augustine.
Other Filipino religious events such as Simbang Gabi (a nine-day series of Masses leading up to Christmas), and Senakulo (dramatic re-enactment of Jesus Christ’s passion and death during Holy Week) are also celebrated at St. Augustine.
For Filipino Americans acclimating to life in America, Saint Augustine provides an essential support system beyond church services. Parishioners support each other through various initiatives, cultivating a sense of camaraderie and cooperation that is fundamental to Filipino culture.
One such support network is the Filipino Executive Council of Greater Philadelphia (FECGP), a collective council of 23 Filipino organizations. The FECGP plays a vital role in fostering a sense of unity and belonging among the Filipino community in Philadelphia, working to ensure that cultural traditions are upheld while also providing support to those in need.
“We work closely with the pastor and the teams at St. Augustine for administration because we use Carr Hall at St. Augustine as a meeting spot,” says Ventura. “It’s one of our centralized locations, and we’ll have our meetings there every other month,” Ventura added.
Filipino American National Historical Society – Pennsylvania chapter (FAHNS-PA), an organization part of FECGP, in partnership with the St. Augustine Choir, recently hosted Kamayan on October 20th at Carr Hall to celebrate Filipino American History Month.
The word kamayan refers to events when pagkakamay (with the hands) is practiced, notably during communal feast. During the event, food was served on plates lined with banana leaves. Participants are encouraged to use their hands to enjoy the meal, embracing the cultural significance of this shared experience.
As attendees dined, they were serenaded by the Rondalla ensemble of the Philippine Folk Arts Society, Inc. (PFASI), whose melodies filled the air with the rich sounds of Filipino folk music. The Saint Augustine Choir also performed traditional Filipino songs, further enriching the atmosphere with a sense of cultural pride.
Additionally, younger members of the Mutya Philippine Dance Company showcased their talents with vibrant folk dances, adding a lively and dynamic element to the celebration. The combination of music, dance, and food brought the community together, creating an immersive cultural experience that honored Filipino heritage.
Maintaining cultural traditions in a foreign land comes with its share of challenges. For many Filipino Americans, one significant obstacle is the language barrier. The Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (Commission on the Filipino Language) stated that there are 134 languages spoken in the Philippines. While many Filipino Catholics speak Tagalog, others may speak Bikol, Cebuano, Ilocano, or other Filipino languages.
Saint Augustine Roman Catholic Church incorporates multiple languages into some of its Masses to foster inclusivity and reflect the linguistic diversity of Filipino Americans. This effort is especially evident during the Summer Sinulog celebrations.
“We had three Masses [for the Summer Sinulog]. The first night is a Tagalog Mass on a Thursday night. The Friday night is Bisayan Mass in Cebuano, and then an English Mass on Saturday night.” Barroso said. It’s still multilingual because not everybody obviously understands Tagalog or Bisaya. But we sing full Bisayan Mass setting, you know, kind of cool,” he added.
These multilingual services acknowledge the diverse linguistic backgrounds within the Filipino American community, ensuring that everyone feels welcome and represented.
As scholar Gabrielle Poma notes, “If a parish were to implement a Filipino mass with the best of intentions and offer the liturgy bilingually in English and Tagalog, they would run the risk of isolating Filipinos who speak a different dialect.”
This highlights the complexity of maintaining inclusivity, as language diversity remains a challenge within the Filipino American community itself.
Finding a balance between preserving Filipino cultural traditions and assimilating into American culture is another major challenge. Many first-generation immigrants feel at home in Saint Augustine and may openly enjoy Filipino traditions.
Second-generation Filipino Americans, however, often experience a cultural tug-of-war as they grow up in the United States, pulled toward American customs but wishing to maintain ties to their heritage.
“They’re a little harder to bring out. I just see them at Easter or Christmas,” says Barroso. “But the Filipinos who just arrived in the U.S., even the young ones, they come to church every Sunday,” Barroso added.
This generational divide highlights a challenge that many immigrant communities face—how to keep younger members engaged with cultural practices that they may not fully identify within a rapidly changing environment.
For the Filipino American community at Saint Augustine, this challenge is met with patience and understanding, as the church works to create programs and events that resonate with the younger generation while also honoring the traditions that their parents and grandparents hold dear.
“I think we will see many people getting involved, and maybe don’t want to. That’s perfectly fine,” says Ventura. “We are going to do our best to continue having that option open, in case they want to do it.” Ventura added.
This inclusive approach ensures that Saint Augustine remains a welcoming space for all Filipino Americans, allowing individuals to connect with their heritage at their own pace while knowing that their culture and community are valued and supported.
As the Filipino American population in the city grows, so does the church’s role in preserving the traditions and values that define Filipino identity. Through its dedication to Filipino traditions, Saint Augustine offers more than just religious services; it provides a space for Filipino Americans to celebrate their heritage, share their joys and sorrows, and pass down their culture to the next generation.
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