ANAKIKO: July - August Seminary Schedule (SY 2009

Episcopal Commission on Vocations new Exec. Secretary

Fr. Rochester Charles Resuello, Director of the Lipa Archdiocesan Commission on Vocations was appointed new Executive Secretary of the Episcopal Commission on Vocations during the 22nd National Vocation Convention last April 2010. Resuello is the first Executive Secretary who is not from the National Capital Region (NCR). He will officially seat as the ECV Executive Secretary after the Bishops' Plenary Assembly on July 2010. The ECV is currently headed by Boac Bishop Reynaldo Evangelista. Other officials of the commission are the Bishop Florentino Lavarias, Bacolod Bishop Vicente Navarra, Cabanatuan Bishop Sofronio Bancud, Cotabato Auxilliary Bishop John Bagaforo, San de Antique Bishop Jose Romero Lazo and Ipil Bishop Julius Tonel.

THE RECTOR'S MESSAGE

My dear seminarians,

It’s been quite awhile since I had my formal dialogue with you. I consider the time I sent you home during Home visits and my reception every after your visit my time to give you the “rector’s talk”. But I felt the need now to give you some advice as the head of the house with regards to your formation as a seminarian.

I will not be talking about discipline nor about spirituality because they are tasks of the prefect of discipline and the spiritual director. Fr. Toter and Fr. Quini regularly talk regarding rules and your behavior while inside the seminary; and Fr. Richard, Fr. Bubut ,Fr. Jun-jun and Fr. Clarence our guest spiritual director, always avail themselves for your sanctification. Let us say that we, your formators, are here to help you mold yourself in order to become a worthy priest in the future.

Let me talk to you about the nature of our seminary. Please bear in mind that you are not in an ordinary school like La Salle or Canossa. We are far different from them. We have a separate identity. They are just an ordinary school for elementary and high school --- but with class. Ordinary. No different from any other basic educational institution.

Seminary is an apostolate of the church. Our church where we belong to wants to continue Christ’s mission to spread the Good news. She does not want to end Christ’s word, “I will be with you until the end of the world”. Thus, it is the duty of the Church to continue forming priests for the continuation of her & Christ’s mission on earth. You (seminarians) are now the hope of the Church.

If the Archdiocese of Lipa has not responded to this call of the church, to take care the priestly vocations, we will not all be here and there might not be a chance for us to meet. We are here first and foremost because of this mission --- to form and care the vocations to the priesthood. We could have enjoyed life in the parish serving thousands of men and women. But because the Church knows that it is important to form future priests, seven priests were assigned here just to take care your vocation. We are here for the Church’s mission and for you.

Thus, what I am now asking from you is, first, have a grateful heart. You might have felt already that you are a blessing to your family when you choose to enter the minor seminary. Many have change after you entered the seminary. Your parents saw your decision as a blessing to the family. And I tell you, the whole archdiocese is also happy and grateful for having 80 seminarians this year. Priests that I meet always asked me, “ilan na ba ang ating mga seminarista sa minor?” and I always responded, “80 na po”. And they always remarked, “ang galling! (Sabay ngiti at tapik sa balikat.)”. You really are a blessing to us.

Second, openness to the formation. There are things that you cannot understand and keeps you bothered by these especially when you are alone with yourself. Times that formation needs you to give up something that you most love--- like playing. Why you have to do this, why you have to feel this way. But one thing will I tell you now, when you become a priest, there are so many experiences, circumstances and opportunities that you will not hastily understand--- that will remain a mystery to you--- that your only tool is your faith and your love for the church. You may feel hurt because we always wanted you to do something that you do not like to do ---- but for us this will bring good to you as a seminarian.

Third, develop while here in minor seminary your love for prayer and devotions. When you become priest someday, one thing will always be put to compromise--- your prayer time. While here in minor seminary, you are not expected to be completely expert in prayer. What is demanded from you now is “to come to know and follow Jesus” (PDV). Knowing Jesus through scriptures, sacraments and your own personal faith experiences will drive you to love Jesus.

The effectiveness of any priestly formation is not based on the formation program alone. I believe that the bulk of formation is founded on the person of seminarian. Thus I encourage you to heed the call of our dear patron saint, St. Francis De Sales, to have a holy desire of a devout life (a life completely dedicated to God).

Fr. Joden Tenorio

5 October 2009

Monday, June 29, 2009

July - August Seminary Schedule (SY 2009 - 2010)

JULY
3 Faculty Meeting
3-4 Recollection
4 SCO Meeting
5 Prefect’s Talk
6 Launching of Nutrition Month / Talk: Skin Care
7 SD & Counselor’s Talk
9-10 Sports Fest ’09 / Going home
12 Coming back
14 SD & Counselor’s Talk
15 Class Mass
16 OLMC Feast day
17 Dental Check-up / Faculty Meeting
18 Sports Training
21 SD & Counselor’s Talk
23 Formators’ Mtg.
24 SUBMISSION OF 1ST QUARTERLY EXAMS / Going Home
26 Coming back / Rector’s Talk
27 Food Festival ‘09
28 SD & Counselor’s Talk
31-1 Recollection

AUGUST
1 Sports Training
2 First Family Day / Salesius ’10 Kick-off
4 Priests’ Day / SD & Counselor’s Talk
7 Faculty Meeting
8 Sports Training
11 SD & Counselor’s Talk
12 Class Mass
12-14 FIRST QUARTERLY EXAMINATION / Going home (Aug. 14)
16 Coming back
17-21 RETREAT – SEMINARIANS & TEACHERS
20 Formators’ Meeting
22 Sports Training
24-28 LINGGO NG WIKA
25 SD & Counselor’s Talk
28 SUBMISSION OF 1ST QUARTERLY GRADES / Faculty Meeting/
Going Home
30 Coming back / Rector’s talk

History of St. Francis de Sales Seminary, High School Unit

The seminary of St. Francis de Sales may be said to have been founded in the month of July 1914 although it was not definitely established until April 23, 1917.

When the first Bishop of Lipa, the Most Rev. Jose Petrelli, D.D., took over the control of his new diocese in the year 1910, one of his first concerns was to establish a seminary for his diocese. As he did not have at his disposal enough priests to run the seminary, he requested the superior of the fathers of the Congregation of the Missions, better known here as Padres Paules to provide him with priests for the purpose. Meanwhile he ordered the Rev. Fr. Vicente Catapang and his own brother, the Rev. Fr. Gustavo Petrelli, with the help of some lay teachers, to put up the seminary in Bauan, Batangas in the month of February 1914. The seminary was called Seminary-College because it admitted not only the seminarians who followed the ecclesiastical course but also the other students who followed the plan of studies sanctioned by the government. Most of the latter had no intention at all of preparing themselves for the priesthood. Regular classes started at the beginning of the school year 1914 with about seventy students. It is interesting to note that of these first seventy students of the first Diocesan Seminary of Lipa, four reached the final goal of the Priesthood, namely: the Rev. Frs. Eliseo Dimaculangan, Estaquio Daite, Quintin Garcia and Ricardo Salazar.

In 1917, the Most Rev. Alfredo F. Versoza, D.D., succeeded the Most Rev. Petrelli as bishop of Lipa. The new bishop decided from the very beginning of his incumbency that San Pablo was the best site of the diocesan seminary because it was situated at the center of his diocese which then comprised the provinces of Batangas, Laguna, Tayabas, Marinduque, and Mindoro. He soon signed a contract with the Padre Paules. On April 23, 1917, the Reverend Fathers Subiron and Rodriguez Ireneo, after leaving definitely the Seminary-College of Bauan, took charge of that of San Pablo. This date can be considered as the date of the definite establishment of the St. Francis de Sales Seminary.

As the years passed, the number of seminarians increased from 40 in 1924 to 100 in 1926. The number was more or less maintained until the year before the Second World War. With the increase in the number of seminarians, there are also a corresponding proportionate increase in the number of faculty members from 6 in1924 to 7 in 1926 and 9 in 1937 together with a lay brother.

In the month of October 1941, the St. Francis de Sales Seminary was transferred to the new seminary building in the barrio of Antipolo, Lipa City. At the outbreak of the Second World War, the seminary was forced to close. The St. Francis de Sales Seminary was never reopened under the Padre Paules.

When things became more or less normal in May 1943, a year after the fall of Corregidor, the St. Francis de Sales Seminary was reopened in the Episcopal Palace, in the city of Lipa with thirty-four seminarians (all in the first year) under the administration of Filipino diocesan priests namely: Very Rev. Fr. Leoncio Lat, Rector and Professor, Rev. Fr. Clemente Yatco, Spiritual Director and Professor, Rev. Fr. Alfredo Virrey and Augurio Buendia, Professor. This was the first seminary in the Philippines that was completely run by Filipino diocesan priests. In August of the same year, the seminary moved again to the seminary building in Antipolo, Lipa City, which up to that time had been used as a hospital by Japanese occupation troops. During the summer of the school year 1944-45, the seminary had the building in Antipolo again. Classes were held up to the eleventh of September when the first American planes began bombing the airfield. Most of the seminarians went home except some of the second year students for whom of regular classes continued. In January, the seminary had to transfer to the Barrio of Lodlod where the second year boys continued their studies. A prominent Lodlod resident, Mr. Solomon Lingao, provided food and shelter for the refugee-seminary until it was transferred to the convent of San Jose, Batangas in the month of June 1945 after the liberation of the Philippines by the American forces. On February 14, 1946, the seminary moved to the convent of Bauan, Batangas which had served as the first Seminary College of the diocese in 1914. The seminary remained there till the year 1953.

ADVISORY

ANNOUNCEMENT for SY2011-2012

Episcopal Commission on Vocations new Exec. Secretary

Sacerdotal at Batangas City Coliseum

Groundbreaking Ceremony & Dinner For A Cause

DOWNLOADABLE ADMISSION AND RECOMMENDATION FORMS

Batch 2010

Top of Class 2010

66TH KSFS ANNIVERSARY

SENIOR'S RETREAT

SEMINARIANS GO CAMPING

FAMILY DAY 2010

THE RECTOR'S MESSAGE

Monday, June 29, 2009

July - August Seminary Schedule (SY 2009 - 2010)

MISSION

VISION

Administrative Staff

History of St. Francis de Sales Seminary, High School Unit

Links

Blog Archive

Music for the Spirit

The Holy Doctor

Message Corner