A Treasured Presence: Filipino American Catholics

Treasured Presence details how Christianity took root in the Philippines-beginning with the arrival of missionaries and priests who came alongside the Spanish expedition led by Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan in 1521. It then explores the subsequent process of Filipino migration to the United States: Filipinos were first recorded as arriving in the present-day United States at Morro Bay, in present-day California, in 1587. Filipinos brought a uniquely inculturated Catholicism, which has enriched the Church and the United States since.

Delve into this book to see the dynamics of how the inculturation of Catholicism in the Philippines and the growth of the Filipino population in the United States has become a multi-faceted story of encounter, immigration, family, tradition, and faith. Today, there are over 4 million Filipinos in the United States, of whom about 65 percent are Catholic. As you read, consider how Filipino Catholics add to the diverse richness of the Church in the United States and how their experiences, history, culture, and faith strengthen the Church.