Keeping The Faith

The Felicidad T. Sy Foundation brings the Church closer to the people.

- Tata Mapa

It comes as a surprise to many that Felicidad Tan Sy of the SM empire knows how to peel a santol so that its skin forms one long, winding strip. It’s a skill borne of her humble past when she used to sell the fruit along the sidewalks of Quiapo as a teen. Another thing that might surprise people is that this devout and pious woman was not baptized a Catholic in infancy, and only converted when she was older and very much aware of the choice she was making.

As the story goes, she would visit Quiapo Church to pray. But as she lacked the formal religious education that is usually instilled in very young children, she did not know how to say the full rosary because she was never taught the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be. Instead, she would hold on to each bead and fervently recite the name of each corresponding prayer, repeating the words “Hail Mary” ten times in quick succession, followed by saying “Glory Be” before moving on to saying “Our Father” to start the next mystery of the rosary. This is an amusing anecdote, to be sure. But more importantly, this story points to the purity of her intentions, the sincerity of her faith, and her trust in her connection with the Lord. In fact, as one of the wealthiest women in the Philippines, and wife to Henry Sy Sr., Mrs. Sy—or Nanang as she is fondly referred to by her SM family—stays detached from the material trappings of this world, and has been known to point skyward saying, “Siya ang bahala sa akin.”

NEW EVANGELIZATION