5-05 Filipino Voices: Our Past, Present, and Future as Catholics in the U.S.

It's hard to imagine the Catholic Church without Filipinos. In parishes and schools, diocesan offices, religious communities, and even the Vatican, Filipinos are there sharing their joy, love for community, and passion for justice. No matter your background, the Pinoy spirit can inspire us all. As we mark 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines, let us look to our past to understand the present and illuminate our future. Participate in this dynamic conversation with Filipino American leaders of various generations as they highlight treasured gifts, name the pastoral challenges in today's Church, and weave together our stories of faith.

Bishop Alejandro D. Aclan is the Auxiliary Bishop for the San Fernando Region of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. He is originally from Makati, Philippines. He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in 1993 and bishop in 2019

Diana Macalintal is the codirector of TeamRCIA.com and Liturgy.life. She holds a Master of Arts in Theology from Saint John's University in Minnesota, and has served in campus, parish, and diocesan ministries for over 30 years.  She is a composer, author, and presenter of Liturgy and on the Catechumenate.

Clarissa Ann Martinez was born and raised in Manila, Philippines, migrated as a teenager and now a local of Los Angeles.  She is currently Director of Evangelization, Liturgy and Faith Formation in St. John Eudes, Chatsworth, California, a parish community that embodies its core values in forming communities of holy intimacy and fruitful discipleship in response to New Evangelization in the Church. With Catholicism continuously being lived out globally, including the digital continent, it made her decide, as a hobby, to independently engage in an ongoing exploration of the viability of new media, with hopes to enhance the contemplative spiritual life in the ecclesial movement; to enhance “communion of communities” in the Church. She is a wife and first-time mom to a three year old son and engages in ecclesial projects including co-leading the national efforts of commemoration of the 500 Years of Christianity in the Philippines and the USCCB's Journey Together-Young Adult synodal journey. She turns to a life of contemplative spirituality being the key to a full expression of God's holy exchange of love in the sacraments, family life, and living liturgy in God's People. 

Jordan Martinez - A first-generation Filipino-American who grew up in Los Angeles, Jordan accompanied his parents, Chris & Tessie, to Sunday Mass during his youth. Being the eldest, his parents had him lead his 2 sisters to pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy to keep them busy. Unknowingly, they introduced him to a deeper relationship with God which manifested itself into joining church choirs and the El Shaddai youth & young adult ministries. He is currently Administrator of St. Catherine of Siena Church in Reseda.