History

Nourished by the word of God and inspired by the Holy Spirit, We, the Filipino community in the Diocese of Limburg, united as one family, will strive to become a community that is Christ centered and living a life of Christ for others; cultivated in unity, friendship and understanding with each other; home for every migrant Filipino family; compassionate, tolerant and responsive to the needs of others and deeply rooted with ideals and values of the Archdiocese of Limburg.

In 1993, the members of El Shaddai Prayer Partners Foundation International Frankfurt Chapter started to gather and have prayer gatherings in small place. As the group grew in number, there was a need to look for a convenient and a suitable location for their spiritual assemblies. Through the support and assistance of German friends, the Saint Ignatius Church was finally offered to them as the center of their religious activities.

In the course of time, out of this El Shaddai prayer group emanated the Couples For Christ until it was decided to finally form a Filipino Catholic community with the support of a Filipino priest from Belgium Father Rene Mangahas, SVD and then after sometime the supervision was assumed by Father Fernando Santos, also a Filipino SVD priest. After Father Santos left in 2007, Father Augustin Nkwain, Father Hamada, and Father Mel Braga were assigned by the Diocese of Limburg to cater to the spiritual needs of the Filipino community in Saint Ignatius Parish Frankfurt.

In February of 2011, through the partnership between the Diocese of Alaminos and the Diocese of Limburg, Father Arnold Benedict Pola, Jr., a member of the Opifices Christi Missionary Priests, was installed as the first official chaplain of the Filipino Catholic community in the Diocese of Limburg.

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Highlights

1965-1970	More Filipino migration to Germany
1987	Beginning of partnership between the Diocese of Limburg (Germany) and Diocese of Alaminos (Philippines) under Bishop Franz Kamphaus and Bishop Jesus Cabrera.
1993	The beginning of the Filipino Catholic Community Frankfurt at the First Prayer Meetings in Alte Gasse 6, Frankfurt am Main. In June 1993, the Diocese of Limburg officialy commisioned Fr. Eugen Reinhard, SVD to the Pastoral care of Filipino Catholics in Frankfurt.
1994	St. Ignatius became the new place for Prayer meeting. The community celebrated its first year anniversary as El Shaddai Community.
1995	Fr. Fernando Santos, SVD served as visiting priest for the Filipino Catholic Community until 2007.
1998	The Filipino Catholic Community (FCC) was officialy named (Filipino Speaking Catholic Community) with Fr. Rene Mangahas leading the community. The Couples for Christ was formed with the first Life in the Spirit Seminar organized by CFC Missionaries from the Philippines.
2007	Father Augustin Nkwain, Father Hamada, and Father Mel Braga were assigned by the Diocese of Limburg to cater to the spiritual needs of the Filipino community in Saint Ignatius Parish Frankfurt.
2011	Fr. Benedicto Pola, OC was assigned as the first Filipino Chaplain of FCC under the Partnership of the Diocese of Limburg and Diocese of Alaminos.
2012	Couples for Christ transfered to St. Bonifatius in Bad Homburg.
2017	Fr. Mares Etrella, OC became the second Chaplain to serve the FCC.
2020	Fr. Francis has been assigned as the third Chaplain up to the present.