2025 IJRSE – Volume 14 Issue 14
Available Online: 7 August 2025
Author/s:
Casinillo, Joshua*
Visayas State University Isabel, Philippines (casinillojoshua16@gmail.com)
Porcare, Regi
ACLC College of Ormoc City, Inc., Philippines (regiporcare@gmail.com)
Abstract:
This research paper focuses on the religious beliefs of the Sagrado Corazon Senior (SCS) religious group on the island of Isabel in the province of Leyte. This particular religious sect integrates the purpose of Christianity, local spirituality, and Filipino nationalism. The study is constructed using a qualitative case study, with the help of interviews and observations, which allow for a detailed description of the emergence of SCS, its leadership system, fundamental doctrines, rituals, and symbolic procedures. It becomes apparent through these findings that members of the SCS deify Master Sagrado Sade Jr. as a Christ-like character with a different name, and the pattern of prayer is based on the notion of moral purity and ethical living, underlined by the power of sacred signs, including tattoos, medallions, and the Philippine flag. Ritual objects and practices that the group employed, such as symbolic consecration using a sword, consumption of written prayers during communion, and distinctive prayer timetables, are manifestations of the syncretic synthesis of Catholic tradition and spiritual interpretations in the local context. The study addresses a significant knowledge gap by filling the gap in documenting how SCS develops a specific religious identity, which represents the interplay of faith, culture and ideology in dynamic fashion. The study addresses a significant knowledge gap by filling the gap in documenting how SCS develops a specific religious identity, which represents the interplay of faith, culture and ideology in dynamic fashion. The study presents important lessons to scholars and advocate groups of preserving cultures, policy makers, and religious leaders on the complexity of religious manifestations in the Philippines.
Keywords: religious studies, Filipino spirituality, faith, religion, syncretism
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5861/ijrse.2025.25240
Cite this article:
Casinillo, J., & Porcare, R. (2025). Exploring the religious beliefs and practices of Sagrado Corazon Senior in Isabel, Leyte. International Journal of Research Studies in Education, 14(14), 181-195. https://doi.org/10.5861/ijrse.2025.25240
* Corresponding Author