LRMS IN BINONDO: MINISTRY AT THE HEART OF CHINESE HISTORICAL LIFE

The Lorenzo Ruiz Mission Society is a continuation of the dream of former bishops of the Archdiocese of Manila, a missionary society for missio ad gentes, and for the Filipino-Chinese Apostolate as a preferrential option. From the time of the first bishop of Manila, Domingo de Salazar until today, the evangelization among the ethnic Chinese in the Philippines remains one of the pastoral concerns of the local church in the Philippines. The pastoral and ecclesial administration of the Basilica of San Lorenzo Ruiz was given to the Lorenzo Ruiz Mission Society which entails a continuation of an important legacy since the time of Bishop Domingo de Salazar in the 16th century. The legacy is all about the evangelization of the ethnic Chinese in the Philippines and it implies an important apostolate in order to have focus and prepared program for competence. The Lorenzo Ruiz Mission Society has the Lorenzo Mission Institute to form seminarians according to the vision and mission of the Society and the Archdiocese of Manila for where these two institutions were born. There are reasons for LRMS to intensify its mission towards the Filipino-Chinese.

1) Continued Evangelization Legacy- It is of paramount importance to the Lorenzo Ruiz Mission Society to be doing their missionary work at the Minor Basilica of San Lorenzo Ruiz because of the vision that was started by Bishop Domingo de Salazar in the 16th century which was the evangelization of the Chinese in the Philippines. The Chinese presence in Manila was an opportunity of conversion and a formation of a community. Since it is the mission of the Lorenzo Ruiz Mission Society to bring the local church closer to the Chinese, then it is bounded by one and the same vision and mission that Bishop Domingo de Salazar had in the 16th century.

2) Meaningful Historical Antecedents- Binondo is known to be the oldest Chinatown in the world. As it is the oldest China town, it is also the oldest locus of evangelization of the Chinese collectively in the diaspora. It was established in 1574 for those who were baptized into the Catholic Church. It was a ghetto established by Luis Perez Dasmarinas. Before the advent of the Spaniards to the Philippines, it was center of trade of the Chinese immigrants, later became the mission center for the evangelization of the Chinese, and the permanent resident place for all the Chinese for the Spaniards to gain control of them. Few years later, the Church in Binondo was established in 1596 bearing the patron name Our Lady of the Holy Rosary for spiritual and pastoral needs of the Catholic Chinese. As the Lorenzo Ruiz Mission Society has its mission work in Binondo today, it is connected with a long history of evangelization among the Chinese. It is also historically connected with a geographical memory of a local culture that has a great historical influence with the Philippine economy and the LRMS is also connected to the vision and dream of the first Bishop of Manila, Domingo de Salazar to build a bridge of spiritual and ecclesial relationships between China and the local church in the Philippines. For the Lorenzo Ruiz Mission Society, it is an honor that the Archbishop of Manila, Jose Cardinal Advincula, D.D. has took the initiative to place the Minor Basilica of San Lorenzo Ruiz under the missions of the priests of the LRMS. Msgr. Esteban Lo, LRMS becomes the pioneering priest assigned to this momentous missionary work.

3) Hospitality work- Mission was always thought in the past as "to go" to places and cultures to evangelize and build Christian communities. The Chinese in the Philippines was a great opportunity for evangelization because the local church took advantage of their coming to the Philippines for trade. They did not only have to think how to begin their evangelization among the Chinese because they are already present right before the doorsteps the sacraments and the Christian community. Bishop Domingo de Salazar had commissioned the Dominican friars to learn the language, catechize, baptize and build a new Chinese Catholic community among them. With the vision of mission work in Mainland China, the construction of the bridge has already begun. The local church in Manila became a receiving church to facilitate the Chinese' entry into the Catholic community. Today, the LRMS follows the same path of missionary work and opportunity. To have the Minor Basilica of San Lorenzo Ruiz in Binondo entails the mission of receiving the ethnic Chinese and Chinese migrants in the Philippines.

4) Keeping the Bridge- Binondo was known to be the locus of a bridge envisioned to connect the local church in the Philippines with the Chinese communities outside its shores. Historically, missionaries began to be acquainted with the Chinese language, culture, worldviews, and ways of life of the Chinese who were present in the Philippines in the 16th century. The initial building of the bridge started in this historic geographical center of trade and resident place for the influx of the Chinese in the Philippines. Thus, as the mission of the Church does not end but continuously linger through the centuries, the keeping of the bridge connected is a challenge to the missionaries today. The Lorenzo Ruiz Mission Society continues this dream of fostering relationship by bridging itself to the communities within and outside the Philippines, continues building the bridge wherever the Holy Spirit brings the other end of the bridge, and continues the mission of keeping the bridge visible to the cultures and people it serves.

SIGNS TOWARD A "BRIDGING DIALOGUE"