Sometime in September, 1997, a group of encountered couples from the Sacred Heart of Jesus Prayer Group was inspired by the Lord to organize a new prayer group. These couples scouted for possible prayer meeting venue within the Makati area. But just like St. Joseph, they also experienced rejection as they approached several parishes. The Lord finally led them to their home at Don Bosco Parish Church in Arnaiz Avenue corner Pasay Road, Makati, when its then Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Gerry Battad, approved their request. A new prayer group was then born. It was named after St. Joseph to give identity to its members who were mostly office workers in Makati. 

 

The St. Joseph The Worker Prayer Group (SJWPG) was formally launched with the celebration of the Holy Eucharist officiated by Rev. Fr. Paul Marquez, SSP on October 7, 1997. This marked the first formal prayer meeting of the new group. The following year, the Hearts of Jesus and Mary Prayer Community approved the application of SJW to be a regular prayer group. Its inaugural mass was held on December 1, 1998.  Since then, regular prayer meetings were held every Tuesday at Room 206 until January 2018, when the venue was transferred to the air-conditioned Roozen Hall of St. John Bosco Parish Building.

 

The Lord has given the following the special tasks of taking good care of His lambs at SJW, as pastoral heads and shepherd couples, since its conception to the present:

 

Year	Pastoral Head	Shepherd Couple
1997 – 1998	Joey – Mitos Doydora	Orly – Jessica Delos Santos
1998 – 1999	Joey – Mitos Doydora	Orly – Jessica Delos Santos
1999 – 2000	Joey – Mitos Doydora	Sammy – Alice Flores
2000 – 2001	Joey - Mitos Doydora	Joji – Rose Beltran
2001 – 2003	Alma Gonzalez	Ernie – Tess Hernandez
2003 – 2005	Rolly – Vicky Enesio	Dong – Joy Lara
2005 – 2007	Boy – Ijo Clamor	Art – Doris Beltran
2007 – 2009	Gil – Jo Salvador	Rolly – Vicky Enesio
2009 – 2011	Morris – Carol de Ramos	Jun – Irene Guevarra
2011—2013	Rey – Tetet Rendor	Jun – Irene Guevarra
2013—2015	Rolly – Vicky Enesio	Jun -- Malou Cruz
2015—2017	Rich – Lanie Referente	Jun – Irene Guevarra
2017—2019	Rowell – Rocel Sanvicente	Res. Shep. – Gil—Jo Salvador 2018—'19 Dennis—Yolly Morales
2019 –2021	Bolly – Lani Gavino	Jojo—Hazel Genteroy
2021—present	Rowell—Rocel Sanvicente	Joey – Mitos Doydora

Since its inauguration, SJWPG has been guided by its Spiritual Director, Fr. Domie Guzman, SSP. SJWPG had its first Marriage Encounter Seminar in July, 1998 at Tahanang Sta. Monica in Tagaytay, with five (5) couples as candidates. Since then, it has sponsored sixty five (65) Marriage Encounter Weekend Seminars and has been so blessed to have broadened membership to couples who came from the nearby provinces of Laguna, Bulacan, Tarlac, Rizal, Isabela, Pampanga, Bataan and Quezon.

In 2010, SJWPG gave birth to the Saint Padre Pio Prayer Group based in Sto. Tomas, Batangas.  Yet again in 2015, SJW gave birth to another prayer group, the Saint Michael the Archangel Prayer Group based in Bacoor, Cavite.  We at St. Joseph the Worker Prayer Group keep our hands in ardent prayer that the LORD will constantly strengthen, unite, lead and shield us as we remain committed to be HIS instrument in touching the lives of more couples and individuals who long for HIS love and protection.