Patron saint of travelers
We eventually come to the center of the action: the Catholic church of St. Christopher, located directly across Zhongshan North Road from Tatung University. It is especially fitting that a church named after this saint should be the center of faith for Filipinos in Taiwan. Why is that? Different religions all have holy figures who protect travelers—in Taiwanese folk religion the best known of these is Mazu, while in Christian culture St. Christopher is seen as the patron saint of travelers.
The church’s being dedicated to St. Christopher is connected to the original reason for its construction. Built in 1957, the church served American servicemen coming to Taiwan for rest and recreation during the Vietnam War. After the departure of US military personnel from Taiwan, the tradition of holding mass in English continued, attracting large numbers of Filipinos with their fluent English and Catholic faith.
Taiwan has no shortage of Catholic churches, but only St. Christopher holds as many masses as it does. There is one mass every 90 minutes on Sundays from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. The church has ten resident priests, including clergy from the Philippines, Vietnam, and Indonesia, and offers masses not only in English but also in Tagalog (one of the main languages of the Philippines), and in Vietnamese.
This means that every Sunday there is an endless stream of people entering and leaving the church. Besides Filipinos, there are also many Western faces. Church secretary Gemma P. Huang says: “Because there are so many masses, it is very convenient for migrant workers or travelers who are pressed for time.” Statistics indicate that each Sunday St. Christopher Church receives over 3,000 visits. And for those who do not attend mass, there is a shrine outside the church that is open 24 hours a day, where believers can freely light candles and engage in silent prayer.
Besides religious services, St. Christopher also provides a kitchen and classrooms for believers to use free of charge. Gemma Huang says that the faithful have formed 17 different groups based on their status, with groups for factory workers, caregivers, long-term immigrants, Chinese-Filipinos, and even Vietnamese. Climbing up to the second story, above the worship space, we see groups engaged in various activities in different rooms, such as holding a class or birthday party. Without a doubt, the church is an important center not only for the spiritual wellbeing of these people living and working away from home, but also for their material welfare.
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Filipino pop music
When Filipinos gather together, they love to sing. Besides the karaoke machines installed in small eateries, Maya, the Filipina owner of the fashionable Maya Bistro beside Shuangcheng Park, has installed high-quality karaoke equipment offering songs in Chinese, English, and Tagalog. Taiwanese are welcome to come and enjoy the fun.
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Filipina caregivers use a public space inside St. Christopher Church for a training class.
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Filipina caregivers use a public space inside St. Christopher Church for a training class.
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Handmade sweets and desserts
Filipino cuisine mainly uses relatively simply cooking techniques, but the Philippines offers an enormous variety of sweet treats. Tropical plant expert Ray Wang explains that the orange-red color in Filipino sweets comes from annatto, while the purple coloring comes from purple yams.