Alagad ni Maria, a Filipino religious order with priests in the Diocese of Orange, California, recently purchased a 1.4-acre property in Anaheim. On this property, they opened the first Filipino Catholic Center in the U.S., named the Poong Nazareno Filipino Catholic Center.
The center takes its name from a Black Nazarene image; Poong in this context is a Tagalog word for God or Master.
Devotion to the Poong Nazareno is the second most practiced popular devotion in the Philippines, with a yearly procession attracting millions.
The original image in the Philippines was brought from Mexico in 1606.
A devotee cured of cancer donated an official replica of the Poong Nazareno to this new center in California. The property previously belonged to the Southern Baptist Convention.
Filipinos in California, in context
Filipinos account for 4.6 million or 17% of Asians in the United States. They have the third largest population after Chinese and Indian residents. The largest concentration resides in California (1.6 million, 38% of US-based Filipinos). Of this group, 500,000 live in Los Angeles, the heart of Southern California.
According to Pew Research Center, more than half of U.S. Filipinos identify as Catholic. Of those surveyed, only 16% say they have hidden a part of their heritage from people who are not Asian. This low percentage suggests that most U.S. Filipinos are proud of their culture and heritage.
The median age of U.S. Filipinos is 36.1, while that of Filipino Americans (Filipinos with U.S. citizenship) is 21.8. These ages suggest that a significant portion of U.S. Filipinos are non-married young professionals or students who typically seek out experiences of belonging and community beyond immediate family circles. Participating in cultural dances, attending performances featuring Filipino music, and worshiping with fellow Filipinos are some ways they meet this common need.
The Center's story and mission
The Poong Nazareno Catholic Center isn't intended to be another parish. Instead, it will provide programs of faith formation and cultural education to Filipinos in Southern California, especially youth, as supplements to the sacramental life in parishes. Still, a key component of these programs will be Masses for Filipinos, celebrated in English, Tagalog, and other Filipino vernaculars.
About the center's mission, Fr. Peter Lavin, the center's director, shared, "I feel blessed and excited that so many people are taking part in our mission to bring the people closer to our Lord with Mary at the foot of the cross."
His community was able to raise funds to pay for more than a third of the center's costs. The remaining amount was paid for through a loan guaranteed by the Diocese of Orange, under their Filipino Ministry program.
On July 21, 2025, Bishop Kevin Vann of the Diocese of Orange blessed the new center together with many of his priests. The day of blessing included a Mass, Filipino folk dances performed by children, and, of course, a meal with Filipino food.
Fr. Angelos Sebastian, vicar general, and moderator of the curia for the Diocese of Orange, shared that this center is an answered prayer for Filipino Catholics in his diocese, "For many years, it has been a heartfelt dream of the Filipino community here in the Diocese of Orange to have a center of their own — a sacred space where they can gather in faith, grow in spiritual fellowship, and pass on the richness of their heritage, language, and customs to future generations."
He then added that the support extended by the diocese is a gesture of appreciation for the "ongoing ministry and presence" of Filipinos.
This center is the fourth cultural center in the diocese. The other three are for Polish, Korean, and Vietnamese catholics.
The Poong Nazareno Center includes a 180-seat chapel, classrooms, a fellowship hall, a music room, offices, and a kitchen. There are also plans to build a rectory for visiting priests, adjacent to the present structure.
It will also be the headquarters of the Alagad ni Maria congregation in the U.S. The community has been present in the diocese since 2005 and is the legal owner of the center.
The programs offered will prioritize the cultural and spiritual needs of the 90,000 Filipino Catholics in Southern California. Nevertheless, the zeal enlivened by the center will likely inspire many to spread the joy of their culture and faith beyond California's borders.
