A Brief History of SLRAA

When Lorenzo Ruiz was beatified by Pope John Paul in Manila on February 18, 1981, a great majority of the Filipino Catholic population in the United States and other parts of the world did not have the slightest idea who he was, where he came from and why he merited martyrdom by the Catholic Church. The quest or knowledge about him and the eagerness and willingness of the Filipino communities in the metropolitan New York area to start a devotion and prayer meetings to Blessed Lorenzo Ruiz, resulted in the pioneering movement spearheaded by founding directors the late Father Bobby Sison, Father Lester Avestruz and Father Erno Diaz, to form the Blessed Lorenzo Ruiz Association of America.

Humble Beginnings

The association was incorporated in 1983 as a Not-for-Profit corporation in the state of New York under the purposes specified in section 501© (3) of the Internal Revenue Code. It became the focal point and the premiere organization on a national level of the activities of Lorenzo Ruiz. The campaign for his Sainthood intensified and gained recognition through novena prayers and devotions not only in New York and New Jersey, but also in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

On October 18, 1987 the supplications and prayers of thousands of devotees were answered when God bestowed the special gift of Sainthood to Lorenzo Ruiz de Manila. Father Bobby Sison and Fr. Erno Diaz and the officers and members of the Blessed Lorenzo Ruiz Association of America led the delegation of devotees from the metropolitan New York to witness the canonization of San Lorenzo Ruiz held at the St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome by Pope John Paul II. The association's name was appropriately changed to San Lorenzo Ruiz Association of America (SLRAA) after the Blessed Lorenzo was elevated to sainthood. With his canonization in 1987 by Pope John Paul II, he became the FIRST FILIPINO SAINT, patron of immigrants.

Since its inception, the SLRAA, with the generous help of the Filipino-American Community, has sought to establish a shrine and community center to promote devotion to and glorification of the first Filipino Saint. With the advent of the canonization of San Lorenzo Ruiz, the search for a place to establish and build a national shrine and community center in honor of San Lorenzo Ruiz became one of the major goals of SLRAA. Funds were raised for this purpose, but the initial attempts to find a suitable place were not realized.

Father Bobby Becomes First Director

In May 1990, the late Father Bobby Sison, became the Director of the SLRAA. Father Bobby was already the Associate Pastor of Our Lady of Pompei Church in New York and the Director of the Filipino Pastoral Ministry, a program under the auspices of the Scalabrini Fathers. The SLRAA became a part of the Filipino Pastoral Ministry as a religious organization under the leadership of Father Sison and Our Lady of Pompei became its home base. In the meantime, he stopped all fund raising activities for a building for San Lorenzo Ruiz and the building committee was dissolved. Nevertheless, Father Sison never lost track of his vision of finding a convenient and practical site for a shrine and chapel of San Lorenzo Ruiz.

Father Bobby Sison continued to celebrate the San Lorenzo Ruiz Fiesta every last Sunday of September at Our Lady of Pompei Church in Manhattan and in different churches in Brooklyn, Staten Island, Rockland, Rockville Center, NY and in New Jersey. He continued to propagate the devotion to San Lorenzo Ruiz de Manila by visiting different churches in New York, New Jersey and inviting devotees to form chapters of San Lorenzo Ruiz Association of America. The Santo Nino Prayer Groups of New York also under the Filipino Pastoral Ministry helped propagate the devotion by including the image of San Lorenzo Ruiz in their house to house visitation of Santo Nino (Infant Jesus) to their member families. The San Lorenzo Ruiz Devotional Chapter of Jamaica Estate formed after the San Lorenzo Ruiz Center was established and has since become the mainstay of SLRAA. Other autonomous San Lorenzo Chapters have been established in Staten Island, Rockland, Long Island and New Jersey.

SLRAA Finds a Home

On September 11, 2003, Fr. Bobby Sison on behalf of the SLRAA signed a 5-year lease on a building owned by the Scalabrini Fathers at 168-41 84th Avenue, Jamaica Queens, New York that became the San Lorenzo Ruiz & Scalabrini Center. It has a chapel, multiple lodging facilities and a renovated basement activities area, now named Fr. Bobby Sison Hall. When he signed the lease, he believed that the Center will be an ideal place to start the programs for the Filipino community and to advance the projects for San Lorenzo Ruiz. Father Sison did not live to see the realization of his plan for the Center because shortly after he signed the lease, he became ill and died on November 20, 2003. Through the initiative of the members of the board, they decided to continue the lease of the building. The Center has has evolved into a place envisioned by Father Sison as a welcoming center for the Filipino community.

The official blessing of the San Lorenzo Ruiz & Scalabrini Center was held on December 8, 2003 with a Thanksgiving Mass and also a Memorial to the late Father Bobby Sison. The Scalabrini Fathers were invited. The Very Rev. Joseph Fugolo, CS was the main celebrant of the Mass with Fr. Joseph Cogo, CS, Pastor of Our Lady of Pompei, and the Very Rev. Sergio D’All Agnese, CS, who was then Provincial Superior of the St. Charles Borromeo Province led the house blessing after the Mass. Father Sison instilled in us that we are part of the Scalabrinian Family, and the Scalabrini Fathers are committed to help the Filipino community and San Lorenzo. Their continued presence and support assured us of their sincerity and commitment. To learn more about the Center, visit The San Lorenzo Ruiz & Scalabrini Center page.

SLRAA Joins the Scalabrinian Lay Movement

The San Lorenzo Ruiz Association of America, Inc. (SLRAA) officially joined the Scalabrinian Lay Movement during the Scalabrinian Lay Movement (SLM) Assembly of Delegates held on March 2 -4, 2007 in Staten Island, New York. Fr. Joseph Fugolo, cs and Maria Sorrentino facilitated the SLRAA membership to the Scalabrinian Lay Movement. As Lay Scalabrinians, the SLRAA will continue to work with migrants in cooperation with the Scalabrinian Missionaries.