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 for knowledge about Blessed Lorenzo Ruiz—and the eagerness and willingness of numerous Filipino communities in the metropolitan New York area to start devotional and prayer meetings in his honor—resulted in a pioneering movement spearheaded by founding directors Father Bobby Sison, Father Lester Avestruz and Father Erno Diaz to form the Blessed Lorenzo Ruiz Association of America. Its name was appropriately changed to San Lorenzo Ruiz Association of America Inc. (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 and patron of immigrants.

The association was incorporated in 1983 as a not-for-profit organization in the State of New York. It became the focal point and the premiere organization on a national level relating to the devotion 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, Father Erno Diaz, and the officers and members of SLRAA led the delegation of devotees from the New York metropolitan region to witness the canonization of San Lorenzo Ruiz held at the St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome by Pope John Paul II.

Since its inception, SLRAA, with the generous help of the Filipino-American community, sought to establish a shrine and community center to promote the devotion 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.

In May 1990 Father Bobby Sison was named the first director of the association. 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 Scalabrinian Fathers. SLRAA became a part of the Filipino Pastoral Ministry as a religious organization under the leadership of Father Sison and Our Lady of Pompei Church 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.

SLRAA 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 Centre, 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 devo- tion 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 was formed after the San Lorenzo Ruiz and Scalabrini Center was established, has become the mainstay of SLRAA.

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 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 official blessing of the San Lorenzo Ruiz 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. Father Sison instilled in us that we are part of the Scalabrinian Family, and the Scalabrinian Fathers are committed to help the Filipino community and San Lorenzo Ruiz.


The continued presence and support of the Scalabrinian Fathers assured us of their sincerity and commitment especially when they offered to sell the center to the SLRAA.

Nicanor Libramonte was elected to replace Fr. Bobby Sison, as director of SLRAA. The late National Director, Nick Libramonte, from 2003 to 2018, continued the mission and vision of SLRAA Inc and instilled in us that “prayer works – let us keep on praying”. Devotional prayers to Poon Hesus Nazareno, Chanting of Passion of Christ, Our Lady Of Manaoag, San Pedro Calungsod, Saint John Baptist Scalabrini and others popular devotions were started. Socio-humanitarian projects of SLRAA Inc such as Bigay bigas and other ways to help the less fortunate began.

On December 28, 2018, due to the sudden failing health of Nick Libramonte, the SLRAA, Inc. board of directors and advisers passed a resolution to form a Council of Five, which was ratified by the board of directors and advisers meeting on January 26, 2019. The Council of Five is to manage the day-to-day activities and projects of SLRAA, Inc. continuing the mission and vision of SLRAA Inc.