Filipino Catholics will have a new monthly gathering place in Manhattan beginning Oct. 11, when the Filipino Catholic Apostolate (FILCA) of the Archdiocese of New York launches a bilingual Mass at St. Brigid-St. Emeric Church.
The service will bring worshippers together in English and Tagalog on the second Sunday of each month. The rosary begins at 3:30 p.m., followed by Mass at 4 p.m. and fellowship afterward, according to the organizers’ announcement.
The church is at 119 Avenue B, at the corner of East Eighth Street.
The initiative grew out of a proposal by the Rev. Rizalino “Rhey” Garcia, the apostolate’s chaplain, who requested and received approval from the Archdiocese of New York, according to information provided for this report.
Garcia will be the principal celebrant at the inaugural service. The Rev. Von Erick Maria Sandoval, a Carmelite, and the Rev. Ferdinand Labitag, a Vincentian, will concelebrate, organizers said. Confession will be available during the rosary, and worshippers may approach one of the participating priests.
For attendees, the gathering offers more than a Sunday service. Its recurring schedule creates an opportunity to see familiar faces, meet fellow worshippers and sustain connections through prayer and fellowship. The bilingual format makes room for both Tagalog-speaking Catholics and those more comfortable worshipping in English.
Garcia, a native of Alaminos City in Pangasinan, is pastor of Sacred Heart Church on Staten Island. He became the borough’s first Filipino pastor and was appointed chaplain to the archdiocese’s Filipino Catholic community in 2025.
In a July interview, Garcia described his vocation as growing from ordinary childhood experiences of attending church with his cousins.
“Those simple moments nurtured my love for God and for the Church,” he told The FilAm.
His work with the Filipino Catholic Apostolate, known as FILCA, extends beyond Manhattan to Filipino Catholics in the Bronx, Staten Island, Westchester and other counties within the archdiocese. He has described his mission as accompanying the community through the sacraments, encouragement and presence.
The new series builds on an established history of Filipino Catholic worship in Manhattan rather than introducing it for the first time.
The Chapel of San Lorenzo Ruiz on Broome Street previously served a predominantly Filipino congregation with regularly scheduled Masses. A 2014 report in The FilAm documented services three times a week, with Sunday attendance of about 50 people. More recently, Filipino Catholics have gathered at St. Patrick’s Cathedral for celebrations including Simbang Gabi and a Mass honoring St. Lorenzo Ruiz.
The community those ministries serve is substantial. New York City had approximately 94,000 Filipino residents in 2023, including about 49,500 in Queens, according to the Asian American Federation’s 2025 demographic profile. The figures are based on American Community Survey data.
FILCA’s work also includes connecting younger Filipino Americans with their families’ religious traditions. Its choir performs Filipino religious music, including Tagalog Mass songs, giving children opportunities to participate in the faith and culture familiar to their parents and grandparents.
Fellowship will follow the Mass. Everyone is welcome.
The monthly initiative is supported by the Cultural Diversity Apostolate. For more information, email filcc.ny25@gmail.com.
