The Religious Congregations

The Religious Congregations

Aside from the multiple religious orders that came to the Philippines, they were accompanied by the religious congregations. These religious congregations added more depth into the multi-faceted Christian life of the Filipinos. The Filipinos have got to thank these Religious congregations for their deep rooted faith in God and the quality education they have enjoyed throughout these years.

The religious congregations allowed for more choice in service in the Catholic Faith in the Philippines. They have innovated the ways that Filipinos can worship God, enlightened the minds of the faithful, and protected the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines from attacks.

Great minds have stemmed from institutions like founded by these congregations such as the Philippine National Hero, Jose Rizal and various others. The products of these institutions have fed the Philippines with a number of achievements. The prestige of these institutions in terms of performance still holds up and continues to improve today.

Part I

The Jesuits

The Society of Jesus began with St. Ignatius of Loyola in the 16^th Century. He was a soldier who became bedridden when he got injured during a battle. He named in Compana de Hesus, meaning company of Jesus. He and six others vowed chastity and poverty in Paris. Their first goal was the conversion of Muslims. They couldn’t go to Turkey and so they were brought to Rome and were ordained. They then started to grow.

St. Ignatius of Loyola

St. Ignatius of Loyola was a person of nobility but he became a soldier. He was injured by a French cannonball and while recovering from his injuries, he received visions that inspired him to go to Jerusalem. After his pilgrimage, he studied the faith in France and in Spain. He started with six disciples to protect the faith and to respect the Pope’s orders. The Society of Jesus have one goal in mind: to protect the interests of the Pope and with that, the whole Catholic Church. They take, aside from the usual vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, another vow of subservience to the Pope.

History in the Philippines

The Jesuits came in during 1581. Not much was said about them. Their records were deleted after they left the Philippines in 1768. The first school the Jesuits opened in the Philippines was the College of San Ildefonso in 1595 at the request of Bishop Pedro de Agurto of Cebu. The school offered free education as good as European education could get at that time. However, when the Jesuits were expelled and banned, the school became Colegio de San Carlos.

	The College of San Ildefonso made in 1595 requested to be made by Bishop Pedro de Agurto, the first Jesuit school in the Philippines.

There were also schools set up in Manila, such as the College of Manila in 1595 (which became the first Philippine University, the University of San Ignacio) and the College of San Jose. These schools were for free but they needed funding. So each family had to pay 100 pesos each year in 1601. These schools run by Jesuits implemented many innovations to Philippine education, such as making the students live on campus and adding new classes.

The Jesuits had a conflict with the Dominicans in their College of San Jose for the faculty of that College were assigned front seats of honor at the funeral rite of the recently deceased queen. The Dominicans took offense and stated that they deserved the privilege more for they were a royal foundation. The Jesuits retorted that they too were a royal foundation and included that their school was founded before the Dominican school. The Dominicans appealed to higher authority then and they lost their appeal in 1647. San Jose was to precede Santo Tomas at all public functions because of its seniority.

In Manila, learning was slow and limited. There were no law schools, so the King of Spain established a university in Manila dedicated to the study of civil, canon, and Roman law. Even though the salaries were pegged high, no lawyer from Spain came. So the Government asked the Jesuits to absorb the “law university” into their university. So in the University of San Ignacio, two departments were opened; one for civil law, and the other for canon law. The first professor of these subjects was Father Pedro Murillo Velarde.

Once again, the Dominicans complained about the plan. Yet they were silenced when the law school of San Ignacio produced lawyers and also when Father Pedro Murillo Velarde urged the royal court to open up similar law centers in the University of Santo Tomas.

Another achievement of the Jesuits was that they were the first to have texts printed in the Philippines. This was the two volume “Cursus iuris cononici hispani et indici” which Father Pedro Murillo Velarde used in his teaching of law. Then also Father Pedro Murillo Velarde wrote a book, “Practica de Testamentos”, which was, of course, printed in the Philippines.

Other than that, the Jesuit schools were the first to commission Tagalog and Visaya translations of foreign texts. The Jesuits were also the first to teach Hebrew, Greek, and Latin in the Philippines. Then when they were asked to leave, their legacy lived on in how the other schools of the Philippines copied these innovations to Philippine education.

On the Jesuits’ return, they established the Ateneo de Manila University, which stands today. This school would be very vital to Philippine history because this school would produce most of the heroes during the Philippine Revolution like Andres Bonifacio and Jose Rizal.

Aside from achievements in education, the Jesuits often mediated between Spain and aggressors in the Philippines, notably the French and the English

Part II

The Christian Brothers

The Christian brothers also called the Lasallian brothers was a society made by St. John Baptiste de La Salle. St. John Baptiste de La Salle requested for a school in which he and some others could educate people who could not afford nor have the means to get an education. He trained a group of lay brothers to conduct schools and he ensured the good of the student and did not allow corporal punishment in his schools. The first Institution he had founded was made on 1680. The whole society consists of only lay brothers and no members of clergy.

Lasallians in the Philippines

After the Philippine revolution and the phil-am war, against the spaniards, protestantism began to spread through the country due to the anti-spanish movements during the previous wars and revolutions. Due to the spread of protestantism, Archbishop Jeremiah James Harty, a lasallian brother, requested to set up a school where they could be able to give education as well as spread the christian faith.

The first request of Archbishop Harty was rejected, due to the lack of funds of the brothers, but after some time they were able to establish the school. As soon as they arrived in the Philippines, many filipino people joined them and the school was able to grow. During the japanese occupation, a group of japanese soldiers invaded the college and massacred and raped its inhabitants of 70 people, with only 10 survivors.

Impact

The Lasallian brothers were able to open up many schools in the Philippines such as the De La Salle Andres Soriano Memorial College, De La Salle Araneta University, De La Salle Canlubang, De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, De La Salle Health Sciences Institute, De La Salle John Bosco College, De La Salle Lipa, De La Salle-Santiago Zobel School, De La Salle University-Dasmariñas, De La Salle University, Jaime Hilario Integrated School-La Salle, La Salle Academy, La Salle College Antipolo, La Salle Green Hills, La Salle University-Ozamiz, St. Joseph School-La Salle, University of St. La Salle. Today, they continue to educate as well as spread the Christian faith in over 82 countries with more than 1,000 establishments and 1,000,000 students throughout the Philippines

Part III

The Daughters of Saint Paul

The Daughters of Saint Paul, an international religious congregation was started by Father James Alberione in Italy. The Daughters of St. Paul are made up of consecrated women determined to serve God in anyway possible

It was the year 1915, and as a young priest, Father James Alberione directed a weekly newspaper called Gazzetta d’Alba, which can still be found circulating today. He also founded the Typographical School, which led to the beginning of the “Society of St. Paul”, which later turned into what is called today as the Daughters of St. Paul.

The first Daughters of St. Paul stayed in a small sewing room in a small house in Alba. They spent most of their time in this small house making clothes for soldiers. Then they started teaching Catechism at San Damiano church. They also opened a bookstore with religious articles. This impressed many people and it led to more girls joining the Daughters of St. Paul.

The Daughters of St. Paul are known to have a strong devotion to Jesus Christ, the Holy Eucharist, and Mother Mary. However, they have a very special devotion to St. Paul, one Jesus’s very intense supporters. One of the main goals of the Daughters of St. Paul is to convert people. Because of this, the Daughters of St. Paul are known to use any means to spread God’s word, just like how St. Paul wrote many letters and traveled a lot to convert people. Today, the Daughters of St. Paul are known to use the press, motion pictures, radio, and television as a way of spreading the word of God.

In 1937, three Daughters of St. Paul left Italy. They were making their way to Asia to spread the word of God. They came to China, however they were unwanted by the Bishop of Shanghai. The same thing happened in Hankow. But then they were eventually Bishop Yu Pin to stay in Nanking. They stayed there for a while, however a war broke out and they had to leave. They tried going to India but again, they were unwanted there as well. This is when they tried going to the Philippines. Although the Philippines was already a Catholic country, they opted to stay. They continued their work in Lipa, Batangas supported by bishop Verzosa , a province in the Philippines. However, World War II came and this threatened the existence of the Daughters of St. Paul in the Philippines. However these Italian missionaries survived and they were able to once again start anew after the war. People then started joining the Daughters of St. Paul and they slowly spread through the Philippines. They were found in many provinces such as Cebu, Davao, Naga, Cagayan de Oro, Iloilo, Legaspi, Baguio, Bacolod, Tacloban, Zamboanga, Tuguegarao, and Marikina. Today, many Daughters of St. Paul are coming from the Philippines to do missionary work in many different countries such as Pakistan, India, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Papua New Guinea, Thailand, Italy, Britain, and Austrailia.

Part IV

Salesians of Don Bosco

Many Congregations had come to the Philippines and one of the latest congregations to come was the Salesians. The Salesian order was originally called the Society of St. Francis de Sales named which was founded during the nineteenth century by St. John Bosco. His goals were to care for the poor children, during the industrial revolution, through many works of charity. Their mission is "the Christian perfection of its associates obtained by the exercise of spiritual and corporal works of charity towards the young, especially the poor, and the education of boys to the priesthood".

Salesians in the Philippines

The Salesians were first invited to the Philippines by Governor-General Eulogio Despujol in the year 1891. The Salesians first arrived in the Philippines in 1951 and the first school opened was in Tarlac. Throughout the years more and more schools were being set up in the Philippines such as the schools in Victorias established on 1952, then in Mandaluyong on 1953, Cebu Boy’s Town on 1954, Makati on 1954, Bacolor on 1958, Canlubang on 1963, Tondo on 1967, Cebu Pasil on 1977, Cebu Boys’ Home on 1988, Mati on 1989, San Jose City on 1993, and Borongan on 1993. These Don Bosco schools have quality education which adheres to the views of Saint Don Bosco and their curriculum included both academic and technical courses. For 50 years Don Bosco has been teaching Filipinos technical skills such as electronics, automotive, mechanics, welding skills, and many more through their training centers.

Don Bosco Schools

Don Bosco schools also focus on the development of Christian values together with their training of technical skills. Just like Saint Don Bosco’s dream the schools teach the children Christian values so that they can use the technical skills they learn to earn their food for the day. Salesian’s have managed to establish the ideal of Don Bosco ,in making boys into good Christians and up right citizens turning people into servant-leaders, through their schools in the Philippines.

Conclusion

As more and more congregations came to the Philippines even more schools were set up. These catholic congregations wanted to bring education and learning to teach the people. Throughout the years they were able to set up schools with their own society’s ideals and led to a diversity of schools in the Philippines. Currently they are top of the line schools and raise students modeled after their own ideals making them good Christians and productive members of Society. They have contributed much to Filipino culture and have raised students that help improve Filipino society.

Study Questions

1. Who was the first lasallian brother in the Philippines to set up a school?
   
   
2. Where was the first mission of the Daughters of Saint Paul and who supported them in the Philippines.
   
   
3. What was teaching that the Bosconians integrated into their school?
   
   
4. What was the first Jesuit school established in the Philippines and who requested for it to be made?

Practical Exercises

1. What are religious congregations and why did they come to the Philippines; what was their purpose in doing so? What problems did they face in the Philippines?
   
   
2. What schools did the religious congregations respectively set up? How did the religious congregations affect the Philippines and do we still feel the impact today? In what ways?
   
   

From the Catechism

Many different types of people are called to evangelize and thus many different types of people have made congregations to help the Church.

873 The very differences which the Lord has willed to put between the members of his body serve its unity and mission. For "in the Church there is diversity of ministry but unity of mission. To the apostles and their successors Christ has entrusted the office of teaching, sanctifying and governing in his name and by his power. But the laity are made to share in the priestly, prophetical, and kingly office of Christ; they have therefore, in the Church and in the world, their own assignment in the mission of the whole People of God." Finally, "from both groups [hierarchy and laity] there exist Christian faithful who are consecrated to God in their own special manner and serve the salvific mission of the Church through the profession of the evangelical counsels."

It is the mission of all Roman Catholics to evangelize the world even if they are not all priests. They must follow this call to be good Christians and can help through congregations like the Lasallian brothers.

898 "By reason of their special vocation it belongs to the laity to seek the kingdom of God by engaging in temporal affairs and directing them according to God's will. . . . It pertains to them in a special way so to illuminate and order all temporal things with which they are closely associated that these may always be effected and grow according to Christ and maybe to the glory of the Creator and Redeemer."

References

Kasaysayan: the story of the Filipino people vol 5

Guerrero, Milagros, and John Schumacher. Reform and. S.J. Asia publishing company ltd. 1998. Hong Kong.

www.paulines.ph/about_us/fsp_phil.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Society_of_Jesus#Asia

www.phjesuits.org

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_La_Salle_Brothers

http://www.sdb.ph/sdb4/

http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p123a9p4.htm

http://www.lasallehs.org/s/639/images/editor/Philosophy%20Page-%20Saint%20John%20Baptist%20de%20La%20Salle.jpg

http://media.photobucket.com/image/Colegio%20san%20Carlos%20jesuits/arnoldsa/CebuHeritageWalk/Old_Photos/12.jpg

http://www.catholicchurchsolomonislands.com/userimages/Don_Bosco_logo.gif

Credits

Capulong, Christopher A.

Part IV: Salesians

Electronic Sources

Conclusion

Study Questions

Catehcism Points

Practical Excercises

Formatting

Fernandez, Francis O.

Part III: Lasallian Brothers

Bellen, Mark

References

Goseco, Miko

Part II: Daughters of Saint Paul

Parrenas, Derek

Introduction

Book Sources

Electronic sources

Part I: Jesuits

Answers to study questions:

1. The first one to request for a school was Archbishop Jeremiah James Harty whose request was originally reject, but eventually he was able to set a school up.
   
   
2. The first mission was set up in Lipa, Batangas and the congregation was supported by and even invited by Bishop Verzosa.
   
   
3. They ensured that the kids would not only be good intelligent Christians, but good workers as well. Thus, they taught both academics and technical works in school.
   
   
4. The first school set up was the College of San Ildefonso in 1595 at the request of Bishop Pedro de Agurto of Cebu