Apostolic Catholic Church (Philippines)

The Apostolic Catholic Church, formerly the First International Sacrifice Valley Apostolic Catholic Church (FISVACC), is an ecclesiastical self-governing denomination founded on June 7, 1992, and traces its history and teachings to Jesus Christ.  It originated as a Holy Trinity Catholic movement, founded in Hermosa Bataan in the early 1970s by Sister Ma. Virginia P. Leonzon Vda. De Teruel.  The movement has spread throughout the Philippines, Hong Kong, Australia, Canada and the United States of America.[5]

The church's co-founder and spiritual leader in the United States is His Grace John Florentine Teruel, D.D., OMHS.  Bishop Teruel, by valid order and right of Apostolic succession was consecrated Bishop on July 13, 1991, by a Synod of Bishops of the National Conference of Old Catholic Bishops.[5]

Several women have also professed and taken vows as nuns.  Others have joined the “Third Order” membership of the apostolic Mission of the OMHS.[5]

The church promulgates the teachings of the Holy Spirit, the message of salvation in Christ, and the devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, through prayer meetings and Holy Rosary devotionals. It believes that by divine revelation, the Third Person of the Holy Trinity called Himself with the name Ingkong and manifested himself in the Philippines through the Living Covenant, Sis. De Teruel.  Members are referred to as apo or tinatakan.[5]

"ACC has seven sacraments—baptism, confirmation or holy chrism, the Lords Supper or Holy Mass, the Holy Order, reconciliation, anointing of the sick, and marriage. The Celebration of the Sacred Mystery of the Holy Eucharist may only be celebrated by male bishops and ordained priests. The ACC exists in harmonious union with the Orthodox and the Roman Catholic Churches."[5]

The Apostolic Catholic Church currently has three main religious orders and congregations: the Order of the Missionaries of the Holy Spirit (OMHS), the Order of the Missionaries of John Florentine (OMJF), and the Congregation of St. Maria Virginia (CSMV).[4]

The members of the congregations are the archbishops, bishops, priests, deacons, subdeacons, nuns, and third order members, bound by their evangelical vows of chastity, poverty, obedience, acceptance of their immediate superiors to the patriarch and to God the Holy Spirit, whom adherents address as Ingkong (an archaic Tagalog honorific often glossed as "grandfather", used to refer to any elderly man).[6]

The church is an active member of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines along with other Protestant and non-Roman Catholic churches whose goal is to achieve ecumenism.[7] It is also a member of the Canadian Council of Churches.[8]

The Church currently have 32 Dioceses worldwide[4] located all over the Philippines as well as in various key cities of the United States of America, Canada, Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Cambodia, United Kingdom, Europe, Middle East, Russia and the Pacific Islands.[9]

The Apostolic Catholic Church currently has more than 5 million members.[5] And has 192 Congregations globally.[5]

The patriarch's see is the National Shrine of Ina Poon Bato (Our Lady of the Rock) in Quezon City. The current patriarch for the Apostolic Catholic Church is Juan Almario E. M. Calampiano who succeeded John Florentine L. Teruel upon his death on 19 January 2021.[11]

Juan Almario E.M. Calampiano

Patriarch John Florentine Turuel

The Archbishops, Bishops, Auxiliary Bishops, Priests and Religious Sisters of the Order of the Missionaries of the Holy Spirit (OMHS), Order of the Missionaries of John Florentine (OMJF) and the Congregation of Saint Maria Virginia (CSMV) as well as the lay leaders and members from their worldwide community of faithful welcomed the installation of +Juan Almario EM. Calampiano, D.D., OMJF as Patriarch of the Apostolic Catholic Church (ACC) in ceremonies held last January 31, 2021. Before the affirmation of his prior appointment as head of the globally-prevalent church, he served as long-time Senior Archbishop and Chancellor to the Patriarch based at the National Shrine of Ina Poon Bato in Quezon City, Philippines.[9]

The installation of the new patriarch completes the succession process following the untimely demise of His Holiness +John Florentine L. Teruel, P.P., ACC Founding Bishop last January 19 after having served as Patriarch for at least three decades.[9]

The late Patriarch John Florentine Teruel was an educator, philanthropist, multi-awarded civic leader and social action mover whose pioneering vision was greatly instrumental in the expansion of the ACC mission all over the world from its beginnings in Sacrifice Valley, Hermosa, Bataan, Quezon City and San Jose, California, USA. He was born in Malate, Manila to the pious Sta. Ma. Virginia P. Leonzon and Jose Benedicto Teruel.[9]

Patriarch John Florentine while in Holy Mass

Rotary Club – Manila, San Miguel, the Unification Movement and actively pursued cooperation with various faiths and churches through the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP).[9]

John Florentine Teruel, P.P. was also a former Jesuit Seminarian at the Ateneo de Manila, San Jose Major Seminary, He is also an Achiever in the field of Public Service.[12] He was also a civic leader, educator, philanthropist – a truly well-rounded religious leader. Together with the major religious orders under the ACC in the Philippines and overseas, he leads members in serving the community through apostolate and socio-civic initiatives in communion with other churches in the spirit of ecumenism.[13]

The foremost Shrine dedicated in honor of the Lady Patron, known as the Miraculous Lady of the Filipinos, Mahal na Ina Poon Bato, was enthroned on August 1, 2000. It serves as the Pontifical Seat of the Patriarch of the Apostolic Catholic Church, His Holiness, +Juan Almario EM Calampiano, D.D., OMJF.[14]

The National Shrine houses the Patriarchate composed of the Offices for Ecumenism, Metropolitan, Lower and Upper Congresses, and Public Affairs.[14]

It is also the site of the Chancery, led by Senior Archbishop +Juan Norman, OMHS whose office comprises the Central Archives, Corporate Affairs, Inter-faith and Inter-religious Relations, Public Affairs, General Treasury, Internal Administration, Pastoral Affairs, Cursillo and the Youth.[14]

The Chancery is the main repository of all official records including the issuance and release of certificates such as Baptismal, Confirmation and Matrimony as well as inter-parochial and diplomatic requirements including that of SEC, NSO and Foreign Affairs compliances.[14]

The Shrine is the central office of the Holy Orders as well as the various Commissions, lay and support organizations.[14]

The National Shrine of Ina Poon Bato located along the north end of the country's busiest thoroughfare, EDSA, was born as early as the 1980s at the core of the Agham – Diliman community.[14]

The ACC Cares is a charity program created by the Church that operates via ACC's national, diocesan and parochial networks.[15]

Under the wings of the ACC CARES, these outreach endeavors by ACC and its volunteers have evolved over the years from assistance in the provision of various necessities to depressed communities, as immediate responses to calamities and emergencies, social justice actions and environmental protection, as well as services for the youth and the elderly made possible through partnerships with government, the academe, health and social work advocates, socio-civic movements, fellow churches and community organizations.[15]

Region 24, the Diocese of the Queen of Angels, is the international youth body of the Apostolic Catholic Church. It is mandated to promote strong and active youth participation in the organizational and pastoral affairs of the Church.[16]

From a lay organization since the 80's, it was officially founded into a full-fledged Diocese in the year 2005 - known then as Region 13 - upon the auspices of His Holiness Founding Bishop, Patriarch +John Florentine L. Teruel, P.P., whose members include full-fledged young ACC members sealed as Cherubim, Seraphim, Hijas de Maria (Daughters of Mary), Angelitos and Angelitas regarded as the “hope and future” of the Church.[16]

• Website of the Apostolic Catholic Church
• Website of the Apostolic Catholic Church in Canada