For more than two decades, Tita Fernandez has helped sustain Filipino Catholic life in New York, bringing people together through prayer, traditions, volunteer work and a shared sense of community.
Her work was recognized as the San Lorenzo Ruiz Filipino Community at St. Francis of Rome Church in the Bronx marked its 25th anniversary, celebrating a ministry Fernandez helped build and lead.
The anniversary was a milestone not only for the organization but also for a community that has become a spiritual and cultural home for Filipino Catholics in the Bronx. The celebration included a Thanksgiving Mass, a procession around the church block and a Barrio Fiesta with Filipino food, music, dancing, games and fellowship.
Fernandez’s leadership began with a request she did not initially expect to accept. About 25 years ago, while she was praying before the Blessed Sacrament, a retired accountant approached her and asked her to lead the Filipino community in the Bronx.
She hesitated, but agreed.
That decision led to years of service as president of the San Lorenzo Ruiz Filipino Community. Under her leadership, the group established a permanent shrine to San Lorenzo Ruiz at St. Francis of Rome Church about 15 years ago. The shrine has become a visible symbol of Filipino faith and identity within the parish.
San Lorenzo Ruiz, a layman and migrant who was martyred in Japan, was canonized in 1987 and is recognized as the first Filipino saint. His story has made him an enduring figure of faith for Filipino Catholic communities around the world.
“Now, as we celebrate our 25th anniversary, I thank God for sustaining this ministry despite aging members and challenges,” Fernandez said. “With my husband’s and family’s support, our annual fiesta thrives, and the shrine remains a cherished gift and lasting symbol of our community’s faith and dedication.”
Fernandez’s ministry has extended beyond the Bronx. With her husband, Rudy Fernandez (not the late Filipino actor of the same name), she was part of the core group that helped establish the God the Father Apostolate at Immaculate Conception Church in Astoria, Queens.
Rudy later served as president of the God the Father Apostolate in New York, which developed chapters across four boroughs. Tita continued to lead the San Lorenzo Ruiz community in the Bronx. Together, their work helped connect Filipino Catholics in different parts of the city through prayer gatherings, religious observances and community service.
The group’s 25th anniversary brought together Filipino parishioners, neighbors and friends from other backgrounds. Philippine Consul General Senen Mangalile joined the celebration and spoke about the example of San Lorenzo Ruiz, whose life showed that faith and moral courage are not limited to clergy.
Fernandez said the anniversary represented more than a number. It reflected the work of people who continued to gather, serve and preserve their traditions even as members aged, families moved and community needs changed.
Her legacy can be found in the San Lorenzo Ruiz shrine, in annual fiestas and processions, and in the people who have found friendship and a connection to their Filipino heritage through the church community.
A quarter-century after accepting an unexpected call to lead, Fernandez remains one of the people who helped ensure that the community would endure.
Yoyong Suarez, also known as Jean Heracleo Suarez, is a New York-based artist, performer and community advocate active in Filipino American cultural organizations. He has performed with Kinding Sindaw, a New York-based traditional dance and cultural ensemble, and participates in Filipino American community activities in Queens, Astoria and Manhattan.
