Paul of Chartres (also known as SPC) is a religious congregation dedicated to education, charity and social work, and ministry among the underprivileged. Today, the congregation of more than 4,000 sisters serve in 36 countries worldwide. History:
The congregation was founded in 1696 by Father Louis Chauvet, parish priest of Levesville in the Diocese of Chartres, France. Originally called as the Da
ughters of the School, it was founded with the help of Mademoiselle Anne de Tilly who trained the first members: Mere Marie Micheau and Mere Barbe Foucault, to teach children and to care for the sick in their homes. The growing institution was entrusted in 1708 to Bishop Paul Godet des Marais of Chartres, who gave it the name of his patron Saint Paul. Their first mission consisted in “working to improve the human and spiritual level of the villagers by educating the girls and visiting the poor and the sick.”
SPC in the Philippines:
The first sisters of St. Paul of Chartres in the Philippines arrived in 1904 upon the invitation of Bishop Frederick Z. Rooker of Jaro, Iloilo to help in the work of evangelization in his diocese. Paul, Superior, Sr. Marie Louise du Sacre Couer, Sr. Ange Marie, Sr. Anne de la Croix, Sr. Charles de Genes, Sr. Catherine, and Sr. Josephine, opened the first Paulinian School, Instituto de San Pablo (now St. Paul University Dumaguete) in Dumaguete, Negros Occidental in 29 October 1904. At present, more than 500 Filipino Sisters of St. Paul run 60 houses in the country with 39 schools, 11 health care facilities, ten pastoral centers and nine houses under the Provincialate. 39 houses are in Luzon, eight in the Visayas, and 12 in Mindanao. ANTIPOLO CITY:
Antipolo, officially the City of Antipolo (Filipino: Lungsod ng Antipolo), is a city in the Philippines located in the province of Rizal; about 25 kilometres (16 mi) east of Manila. It is the largest city in the CALABARZON Region. It is also the seventh most populous city in the country with a population of 677,741 in 2010. It was converted from a municipality into a component city of Rizal Province on April 4, 1998, under Republic Act No. 8508. A new provincial capitol building was inaugurated in the city in March 2009 to replace the old capitol in Pasig which has long been outside the jurisdiction of Rizal Province; after Pasig was included in Metro Manila in 1975. With the transfer of the provincial government to Antipolo, it is highly favored to be officially designated as the new capital of the province. On March 14, 2011, Antipolo was declared a "highly-urbanized city" by President Benigno Aquino; such proclamation however still needs to be ratified in a plebiscite. The city is popular for being a pilgrimage site. It prides itself as the "Pilgrimage Capital of the Philippines."The Marian image of the Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage or the Virgin of Antipolo, which was brought in from Mexico in 1626, and enshrined in the Antipolo Cathedral has a continuous following among Filipino Catholics since the Spanish era. A popular custom of pilgrims to the Virgin of Antipolo is the trek going to its shrine on the eves of Good Friday and May 1, from various locations in Rizal Province and Metro Manila. Some pilgrims would begin the trek from Quiapo Church in Downtown Manila following the procession of the image.There is also an existing custom to have new cars blessed at the church in the belief that this will ensure the safety of the car and its passengers. Its higher elevation than that of Metro Manila affords it a scenic view of the metropolis, especially at night. Its locally grown mangoes and cashews are popular among tourists, as well as suman – a local delicacy made out of glutinous rice. The Hinulugang Taktak National Park, which was once a popular summer get-away is being restored to become again one of the city's primary attractions. RIZAL PROVINCE:
Rizal is a province located in the CALABARZON region, just 16 kilometers east of Manila. The province was named after José Rizal. Rizal is bordered by Metro Manila to the west, the province of Bulacan to the north, Quezon to the east and Laguna province to the south. The province also lies on the northern shores of Laguna de Bay, the largest lake in the country. Rizal is a mountainous province perched on the western slopes of the southern portion of the Sierra Madre mountain range. Antipolo boasts of a wonderful view of Metro Manila and it is where Hinulugang Taktak, a waterfall popular with tourists, can be found. The Rizal Province will be accessed by the future C-6 Road connecting the provinces of Bulacan and Cavite and cities of Taguig (beside Laguna de Bay), Parañaque and Muntinlupa which are located within Metro Manila.
