A WORLDWIDE CATHOLIC CHARISMATIC COMMUNITY
The EL SHADDAI DWXI-PPFI is a worldwide Catholic Charismatic Fellowship Community called to help “Holy Mother Church” proclaim the Good News of Salvation, and the new life in Christ Jesus, our Living God and Savior, from a layman’s guided view, understanding, experience and life. It is a parish-based movement supporting and extending assistance to the realization of the mission and ministries of local Catholic Church communities in coordination with the pastoral leadership.
Prayer partners are under the spiritual direction of Catholic priests and bishops in their respective diocese, and their witnessing in word and action is in full accord with the faith teachings, morals, and doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church.
THE BEGINNINGS
Inspired and moved by an unexpected cancelation of a scheduled heart surgery and a miraculous recovery from a critical heart ailment in 1978, Mike Zuniega Verlarde, popularly known as Bro. Mike, started a weekly Catholic Bible-quoting radio show in Metro Manila, Philippines, on DWXI, a station he acquired in 1982 as part of a real estate deal. After a time, listeners began reporting of unexplainable cure from their afflictions after listening to the radio program. In 1984, Bro. Mike Velarde christened his radio show titled “El Shaddai,” a biblical covenant name for God.
Bro. Mike then held once-a-month prayer and healing rallies outside the vicinity of the radio station. When the number of attendees kept growing, he made the rallies weekly until the crowd could no longer be accommodated by the area. The rallies were then moved to various locations such as Manila‘s Quirino Grandstand at Rizal Park; then to the field grounds outside the Philippine International Convention Center and the Cultural Center of the Philippines in Pasay City, which is near Manila Bay; and finally in Amvel Business Park, San Dionisio, Parañaque City in order to address the size of the crowds attending. El Shaddai Movement has grown rapidly in the last decade into many millions of members worldwide.
On August 20, 2009, El Shaddai inaugurated a House of Prayer on a ten hectare site in Amvel City, Barangay San Dionisio, Paranaque, Metro Manila. The building is 10,000 square meters and seats 16,000 with standing room to reach 25,000. There is also a space on the site for an overflow crowd.
The Movement has now gained the support of the Catholic bishops and priests in the Philippines and in other countries all over the world where the El Shaddai DWXI-PPFI Centers are established. Their Diocesan Bishop is the Reverend Jessie Mercado of the Diocese of Parañaque, and its Overall Spiritual Director is Novaliches Bishop Emeritus Teodoro Bacani of the Roman Catholic Church.
“Why do millions of people flock to its prayer service assemblies and fellowships, singing and dancing in praise of God for hours, despite the heavy rains or the scorching heat of the sun—whenever and wherever its Holy Mass and Healing Rallies are held?” Observers call it a phenomenon, but the members and followers of the Foundation call it “God’s amazing grace at work” (John 5:17), for it is indeed a manifestation of God at work— performing miracles, particularly among the people who heed the Word of God, healing the sick, and transforming the lives of those who repent and turn away from their wicked ways! The Fellowship has undoubtedly become a religious wonder and a “miracle of faith” in the Philippines, as well as in other parts of the world.
El Shaddai DWXI-PPFI has chapters and cell groups worldwide, including in Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Guam, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya. Malta, Macau, Malaysia, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Oman, Qatar, Saipan, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America, and Yemen.