Save the Filipino Chapel in New York

To:  Global Filipinos

January 21, 2009

We, the global devotees of the First Filipino Saint, San Lorenzo Ruiz, request you to sign and join us in this global appeal for prayers. This is the time for Filipinos around the world to unite in prayer: sign to demonstrate your support! Help save the Chapel of San Lorenzo Ruiz in New York! Forward this to your friends and family! We would appreciate as many signatures ASAP. Our target is to have 1 million signatures in a month.

Since the Chapel of San Lorenzo Ruiz opened on September 1, 2005, it has become a home away from home and a symbol of national pride and hope for Filipinos in New York, those visiting and all Filipinos around the globe, including the Philippines. We are truly grateful to finally have a landmark of our faith named after our First Filipino Saint, San Lorenzo Ruiz. Since then, the Chapel has become a vibrant community with its various activities, financially self-supporting (i.e., no financial support from the Archdiocese was necessary) through donations and fund-raising activities, including an endowment campaign for financial sustainability.

However, the Chapel of San Lorenzo Ruiz is now facing uncertainty. An official letter dated December 10, 2008 signed by Monsignor William Belford, Chancellor of the Archdiocese of New York, states that effective February 1, 2009, His Eminence Edward Cardinal Egan “will allow the Chapel to continue for a temporary time period, subject to an ongoing Archdiocesan review. There is real doubt that a priest's time and people's gifts should be devoted to maintaining this Center. It is everyone's positive experience that Filipinos blend into and build up their local parishes.”

In the midst of such uncertainty and confusion, we urge all Filipinos, San Lorenzo groups and church organizations to remember the intentions of the Chapel of San Lorenzo Ruiz in your daily prayers, novenas and Masses. Please spread the word and forward this to your contacts ASAP. Let us join together by saying: “San Lorenzo Ruiz, pray for us.”

After collecting the signatures, online and on paper for those without access to internet, we will print a copy of this Global Appeal for His Eminence Edward Cardinal Egan, Archdiocese of New York, for his consideration. We will also publish this Global Appeal in newspapers, websites, blogspots, etc. For detailed comments and indications of support, please email savethechapelnow@gmail.com.

Please see http://sites.google.com/site/savethechapelnow/ for: a) more contextual information on this Global Appeal for Prayers; b) a set of prayers to San Lorenzo Ruiz; and c) the official decree signed by the Archbishop of New York on June 20, 2005.

Thank you and God bless!

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

The Save the Filipino Chapel in New York Petition to Global Filipinos was created by Save the San Lorenzo Chapel Committee and written by Judith Magnaye (savethechapelnow@gmail.com).  This petition is hosted here at www.PetitionOnline.com as a public service. There is no endorsement of this petition, express or implied, by Artifice, Inc. or our sponsors. For technical support please use our simple Petition Help form.