by Gabriel J. Catanus
On the Saturday before Thanksgiving, I had the privilege of attending a meeting for the Rizal Center’s stakeholders. During this full-day gathering, invited participants from different sectors of the community filled the room and heard organizational and financial reports from the center’s leadership. Participants also asked questions and contributed their perspectives to the center’s future. Given the Rizal Center’s recent history, meetings like these are crucial for reestablishing trust.
During the last two years I have written short reflections like these and slowly increased my attendance at events, but I have never held a leadership role at the Rizal Center or the Filipino American Council of Greater Chicago (FACGC) who owns it. I was able, then, to attend the stakeholder meeting as a community member and Chicago resident who happens to work with Filipino Americans in other contexts. Until I was invited, I had not considered myself a “stakeholder,” but being at the meeting helped me to understand myself as indeed holding a stake in the Rizal Center’s success or failure: the center’s flourishing affects me not only as a leader and scholar, but also as a parent and person.
Because of this, I was happy to see that the Rizal Center’s leadership has in fact regained the community’s trust and, as a result, made significant progress since reopening in 2023. The room was full of experienced, passionate professionals who’ve sacrificed their energy and resources for decades to help Chicago’s Filipino American communities. They expressed the same gratitude, relief, and excitement that I felt while listening to the reports of growth.
A well-known Bible verse reads, “Where there is no vision, the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18, NKJV). In other words, when a higher purpose is absent or when leaders fail to discern it, the community suffers. But when leaders understand their vocations and properly steward the trust given to them, the people can flourish. As we reflect on our blessings and prepare for the next chapter in our community, may the Rizal Center and its leaders continue the good work that they have started!
Gabriel J. Catanus (jaycatanus@gmail.com) is the Director of the Filipino American Ministry Initiative (FAMI) at Fuller Theological Seminary, where he teaches theology and ethics. He is also the pastor of Garden City Covenant Church, a congregation serving immigrant families and young professionals. He received his PhD from Loyola University in Chicago, where he lives with his wife and two children.
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