7708 St. Paul Road, San Antonio Village, 1203 Makati City, Philippines,
(+632) 8895 9701 to 04. information@stpauls.ph.
The story behind
The influx of vocations continued to grow so rapidly that, within just six years, the Seminary in Pasay could no longer accommodate the increasing number of aspirants and newly admitted members. To address this need for space—both for formation and for the expansion of the printing apostolate—a 4-hectare lot was acquired from Ayala Corporation in 1955. This land, formerly a rice field, grazing ground, and swamp area, became the site for the construction of the Queen of Apostles Seminary. The seminary was inaugurated and blessed by Cardinal Rufino J. Santos, then Archbishop of Manila, on August 20, 1960.
Vocations continued to flourish steadily, resulting in a growing number of professed members, both priests and brothers. The third batch of missionaries—Fr. Silvano Gratilli (1961), Fr. Leonardo Zega (1962), Bro. Antonio Micocci (1966), Bro. Adriano Banfi, and Fr. Anselmo Pietro Campus—played a vital role in developing the community. They established a fully functional printing plant and launched two major publications: Homelife, aimed at families, and The Youngster, for the youth.
In 1974, Bro. Paolo Angelo Ocelli initiated the Pauline Film distribution and managed the Pasay and Ermita bookshops, further expanding the reach of the Pauline apostolate. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, the apostolate experienced rapid growth in personnel and printing capacity. The printing press became the congregation’s primary source of income for nearly three decades.
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With the turn of the 21st century, however, the shift to digital media significantly impacted the printing industry. Anticipating these changes, the congregation made a strategic decision to sell half of the Makati property, including the seminary. The proceeds were used to fund expansion into other regions of the Philippine archipelago: Silang (Cavite), Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, Iloilo, and Davao.
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​Despite these transitions, ST PAULS—now comprising the Creative Publishing, Digital, and Bible Ministry—continued to grow, along with the expansion of Diffusion and Bookshops throughout Metro Manila, supported by a central warehouse and distribution center in Makati. Today, the Makati community houses three distinct communities: the Provincialate, the Juniorate, and the Perpetual Professed Community.
