Religion, especially Catholicism, has been deeply intertwined with Filipino history and culture. Catholicism was first brought to the region by the Spanish over 500 years ago. As of 2015, The Philippine Statistics Authority reports that nearly 81 percent of the total Filipino population are Catholic. And, according to Pew Research, 65% of Filipino Americans identify as Catholic.
For many Catholic Filipinos, religious life doesn’t just mean going to mass. It can mean celebrating the ways that their heritage and religion intersect. The Filipino Apostolate is one way people can participate in religious celebrations specific to the Filipino culture and connect with other members of the Filipino community.
Our guest today to talk about the Apostolate and Filipino-Catholic celebrations is Father Alex Castro. Father Alex is the pastor of Saint Anne Saint Patrick Parish in Sturbridge Massachusetts. He is also the chaplain for the Filipino Apostolate of the Archdiocese of Boston.
Listen to the full episode.
TRANSCRIPT
[MUSIC]
Kaitlin Milliken: Hello, and welcome to the BOSFilipinos Podcast. I'm your host, Kaitlin Milliken, and this show is obviously made by BOSFilipinos.
In each episode, we highlight a different aspect of Filipino life in Greater Boston. Today, we’ll take a deep dive into one of the area’s religious communities: the Filipino Apostolate of the Archdiocese of Boston. Religion, especially Catholicism, has been deeply intertwined with Filipino history and culture. Catholicism was first brought to the region by the Spanish over 500 years ago. As of 2015, The Philippine Statistics Authority reports that nearly 81% of the total Filipino population are Catholic. And, according to Pew Research, 65% of Filipino Americans identify as Catholic.
For many Catholic Filipinos, religious life doesn’t mean just going to mass. It can mean celebrating the ways that their heritage and religion intersect. The Filipino Apostolate is one way people can participate in religious celebrations specific to the Filipino culture and connect with other members of the Filipino community.
Our guest today to talk about the Apostolate and Filipino-Catholic celebrations is Father Alex Castro. Father Alex is the pastor of Saint Anne, Saint Patrick Parish in Sturbridge Massachusetts. He is also the chaplain for the Filipino Apostolate of the Archdiocese of Boston.
Thank you so much, father, Alex, for taking the time to chat today.
Father Alex Castro: Thank you, and it's my pleasure. Thank you for inviting me to be part of this activity.
Kaitlin Milliken: Tell me a little bit about the history of the Filipino Apostolate of the Archdiocese of Boston? How did it get started? And when did it get started?
Father Alex Castro: Well, I think it's around the late 1990s. It came out I think, as a part of the celebration of the centennial of the Philippine Revolution. So specifically, I think it's before 1998. There was already a group of people, group of Filipinos in Boston, who are desiring to celebrate the Filipino Centennial here in Boston, the longing for more, not only for the celebration, came out after that. So therefore, they established officially, the Filipino Apostolate, and different communities joined them, participated and providentially there was a Jesuit priests from Boston College, who help them and guide them in towards forming the whole apostolate. From there, it grew into a different level, not only for the celebration, but now regularly we meet. We celebrate together in different places.
Kaitlin Milliken: So you mentioned that this started in the 90s. It's sort of grown a little bit more celebrations, more togetherness. Tell me a little bit about how things have changed over time.
Father Alex Castro: Well, right now we are strategically present in two areas of the Boston area. We have what we call the North Shore communities, and they celebrate mass in Malden, Lexington, and then now it's another growing community in Salem. So those are the North Shore communities and then they celebrate mass together at 1pm, at St. Joseph's in Malden, and then Central/South Shore are located in West Roxbury, at Holy Name, and then that's where they gathered together for the celebration. Before that, they were in different churches. But now in those you see them almost permanent in those two areas. So those are just the Filipino Apostolate. But outside the Filipino Apostolate, there are other organizations not PAMANA. And then the Philippine Nurses Association and the Central Massachusetts Filipino American Association. It's a growing group now, but again, the desire for the Filipino Apostolate is to really bring people together through the celebration of the Eucharist and then also to celebrate our Filipino traditions related to our faith. Now that's how it continues to grow.
Kaitlin Milliken: So tell me a little bit about some of the traditions that are related to religion that intersect with Filipino culture and identity.
Father Alex Castro: What are constants are this: one, Easter celebration is specifically Salubong. Now, we have that on a regular basis. Or sometimes when when Easter Sunday falls into one of those two Sundays, we have that big celebration. So then, of course, Christmas. Christmas, either in one of those two communities also. And then of course, Santo Niño. And then during the month of May we have Santacruzan. And so those are just some of the Filipino traditions that we celebrate together here in the Boston area. Unfortunately, we don't have Simbang Gabi because well, it's too cold here in Boston. And then so people might be, they would like to be in bed, still during that time, but we still have the regular masses and then those major celebrations.
Kaitlin Milliken: Some of our listeners may not be Catholic, or they may not be Filipino. We have all types of folks who listen to our show that might be their first time ever hearing those terms.
Father Alex Castro: Santacruzan and the feasts of the Santo Niño are to very unique Filipino celebrations, I would add another one that's the Easter Salubong. So I will start with the Easter Salubong, salubong in Spanish is encuentro or in English, the encounte. For us Filipinos for us Catholic Filipinos, we believe that Jesus after his resurrection, first of all, he appeared to his mother. For us, whenever we go out, and then we come back at home, the first thing we do is to tell our parents we're back. So we see that also in the experience of the Salubong that Jesus first appeared to his mother. So we reenact that through what we call the saloon or the Elantra early morning of Easter Sunday 1000s of people gathering in every church has to celebrate that.
The Santo Niño, the holy child. The image of the holy child is the earliest image brought by the Spaniards to the Philippines that was recorded April of 1521. And that original statue is still in Cebu. So for us, it's a connection. It's a connection to the faith that was brought to the Philippines by the Spaniards in 1521. Now that is a clear connection of 500 years of Christianity. So we still celebrate that in Cebu. And not only Cebu, in other areas of most of the area, the churches in the Philippines to really recognize and commemorate the presence of Christ and Christianity 500 years ago. That's the Santo Niño.
Santacruzan. Santacruzan and Flores de Mayo, actually there are two, interconnected celebrations. Flores the Mayo obviously is pertaining to Mary during the month of May. But Santacruzan is different. It is the reenactment of the founding of the True Cross in Jerusalem by Queen Elena. That is why in every Santacruzan and you have what you call the Reina Elena and then with his with her Constantine, because Constantine then is the son of Reina Elena. So you'll see that in all the processions and then Reina Elena carries a across which symbolizes the true cross now, and then you will see in that procession, the women dressed beautifully representing the different mysteries of the Blessed Mother. And also you will see that with their symbolisms with their images of the Blessed Mother so it's really connected.
So those are very unique and very festive celebrations that we would like to always bring to people, and not only Filipinos now but also to the faithful or just to to really be immersed in the Filipino culture here in the greater Boston area.
Kaitlin Milliken: Great. So tell me a little bit about your journey. What brought you to the greater Boston Massachusetts area?
Father Alex Castro: Just like what I said I belong to an international congregation. Now, when I started my vocational journey in the Philippines. I started with the assumption sisters in Pampanga. But then when I told them that I would like to join a congregation they told me like oh, we have the Assumption Fathers is the Assuptionists, why don't you join them. So in 2001, I was sent here to discern with the community and then I liked it. So I joined them and then became a part of their community. And then in 2006, when they started the Filipino Foundation, I volunteered to be part of that foundation to be back in the Philippines. But then after my ordination in 2011, my first assignment was to be sent back to In the United States in 2012. I stayed for two years at our university, Assumption University and then 2014 to 2018. I was transferred to our community in Brighton in Massachusetts nearby the Boston area, that's where I met the Filipino community, I became part of the celebration and then the activities. And then that was the time when I became the chaplain not to be a part of the planning and organizing activities for the Filipino communities in Boston. But then after that, in 2018, I was moved to our parish here at St. Anne’s now but I'm still connected to their activities, because right now, we don't have yet permanent chaplains. I'm still doing, I'm still the chaplain for the Filipino Apostolate. And all the became bigger now. Because right now here in the parish, more and more Filipinos are visiting the shrine and then connecting them to the whole Filipino Apostolate so that they could participate in those activities.
Kaitlin Milliken: So when you were in Brighton and became involved with the Filipino community in Massachusetts? Were you surprised by the number of Filipino folks who were living in the area? Or was that something you already knew about?
Father Alex Castro: From the very beginning in 2001? We thought like, “Are there Filipinos here?” No. Well, I was surprised they were Filipinos. Well, I think I don't think that's already a surprise, because some people would always tell us “all the Filipinos are everywhere.” But no, I never thought that there would be a big group. And then when I went to Boston, I was introduced to the community. And then, there was a lot of first Filipino families and then the communities. That was the time when I asked the group to introduce me to the different groups so that I will feel connected. And then we can invite them to all the activities, which was really, really an opportunity for me to know more about the Filipino situation and then the Filipino presence, in not only in the Archdiocese of Boston, but outside Boston.
Kaitlin Milliken: So I'd love to just hear if you have any personal memories or stories that you'd like to share from leading mass for this community.
Father Alex Castro: I think it's October 30, we celebrate with the cardinal of Boston, the commemoration of the 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines. I brought the idea to the cardinal when I participated in one of his masses, when I told the cardinal, “Your Eminence, this year is a special year for us Filipinos because we're celebrating 500 years of Christianity, and we would like you to celebrate with us.” And that he said, like, “I'll be happy to join you now.” So it was October 30. It was in Holy Name. And he was so impressed with the presence of the Filipinos. It was the weather was not good, but we were able to gather around 200 people. And then he was so impressed with that. So that was big.
And then at the same time, it's an expression of who we are in the diocese — in the Archdiocese, and then the Greater Boston Area. And then at the same time, we saw the support of the cardinal in what we do, and that he recognizes our presence in the greater area and what we can do now how to participate in the activities of the Archdiocese of Boston. That was where that was big. That was something that we treasure, and then we would like to pursue that in different activities also.
Kaitlin Milliken: My final question for you, Father Alex, if people want to get involved and attend the celebrations that you're leading, how can they do that?
Father Alex Castro: Second Sunday, it's at St. Joseph church in Malden at one in the afternoon. And the third Sunday, it's in Framingham, St. The Church of St. Tarcisius in Framingham, again one in the afternoon. And then fourth Sunday at Holy Name church in West Roxbury, at one in the afternoon. And all of these are posted on our Facebook account, the Filipino Apostolate of Boston, where you we post all the information and all the activities, aside from the regular masses, and we hope that this will be an opportunity for Filipinos around to join us in those activities and to participate and to share and to express the culture that we have an expression of faith expression of who we are as as Filipinos and then at the same time sharing that to the wider community.
One of the Filipino theologian, Jesuit always mentions this. What is unique about the Filipino culture is one, it's faith. Two is fun. You know that. There's always a celebration in relation to fate. And of course, food. Food will always be there. It's the nourishment of the soul, nourishment of camaraderie, and nourishment of the body. So those are what is unique about the Filipino character. It's always being expressed. And you know that I mean, like, it's our way of expressing who we are. So we invite people, not only Filipinos, but those who are interested in our culture to join us in those activities.
Kaitlin Milliken: Thank you. I think that's an excellent note to close on. Thank you so much, father Alex, for taking the time.
Father Alex Castro: And thank you also for this opportunity.
Kaitlin Milliken: This has been the BOSFilipinos Podcast. I'm your host, Kaitlin Milliken. Music for our show was made by Matt Garamella. Special thanks to Father Alex Castro for making this episode special. To learn more about the Filipino Apostolate of Boston, visit their facebook page.
If you like our show, you can subscribe to the BOSFilipinos Podcast on your streaming platform of choice. You can also follow us on Instagram, @bosfilipinos, for more. If you have ideas of what we should cover, you can let us know at bosfilipinos.com. Thanks for listening and see you soon.