Claretian Publications is a pastoral endeavor of the Claretian Missionaries in the Philippines. It aims to promote a renewed spirituality rooted in the process of total liberation and solidarity in response to the needs, challenges, and pastoral demands of the Church today.
In 1981 the Philippine Province of the Claretians initiated a program of dialogue between Latin America and the Philippines as a special service to the local Church to provoke openness and establish a network of communication between countries and continents, especially in the Third World. Fr. Alberto Rossa, CMF, an Argentine Claretian in the Philippines was assigned to coordinate the “dialogue project” on a “part-time basis”. It was in this context that the idea of following up the initial dialogue through publications came.
There were also other factors that would eventually encourage the establishment of a new publishing house in the Philippines; there was the Chavacano (a Filipinized form of Spanish which is the language in the mission area of the Congregation in the Southern Philippines) New Testament translation project of the Congregation, then the work of Br. Antoni Daufi, CMF, who by 1980 had published some catechetical material with the help of the USA Western Province. Lastly, the contacts with the Claretians of the USA Eastern Province and their assistance to the Philippine Claretians through co-publications of books on religious life and initial financial assistance.
Hence, Claretian Publications was established in 1983, with Fr. Alberto Rossa, CMF as director.
CP began with only a part-time director, a secretary and an assistant. By 1984, CP bought an old and small printing press to be paid in three years from its own funds. And the press was housed in the basement of the parish church in Quezon City.
Today, CP has established a name in religious publishing with quality printing and contents. The books sell at a price people can afford as it responds to the call of evangelization using what is most urgent, timely and effective.
