November 19, 2015
During this year of 2015, many Jesuit Institutions in the Philippines celebrate their 25th to 150th jubilee anniversaries. What are we celebrating in these anniversaries?
Many years ago in a Chinese restaurant, we had steamed fish. I tasted it and had an absolute wow experience. The depth of flavour, the texture, and the impact on the taste buds were immense. I marvelled at the miraculous combination of spices in just the right quantity, the cooking technique and timing that produced such an outstanding result.
An anniversary is a similar celebration of excellence. Any school or institution that has continuously made a difference evokes the same question. What ingredients produced such an institution capable of making a real difference in Church and Society? If we look carefully, I believe we will discover that at the beginning stood a visionary, a person or persons, who saw a real need and a concrete way to answer it. They not only had the vision but the capability of enlisting many others, who will make the vision their own and collaborate over the years not only to make the vision a reality, but to build it up into the institution it is today.
Here are some examples of what I mean.
At the beginning of the East Asian Pastoral Institute (EAPI) stands Fr. Joannes Hofinger, SJ from Austria. He had a vision for the training of missionaries, especially in liturgical and catechetical renewal back at the time of Vatican II. His vision was shared and amplified by Fr. Alfonso Nebreda, SJ Now after 50 years, the EAPI still serves the renewal of missionaries and pastoral workers, both religious and lay from all over Asia, because of the many others who made the vision of Frs. Hofinger and Nebreda their own, and supported the work as staff or through financial support. We want to thank them all through this issue, but especially Missio of Aachen, Germany, which supported so many of the participants over the years and made their coming to the EAPI possible.
Fr. Francis X. Clark, SJ was consumed with the desire for the Philippine Province to have its own theologate, a place for the training in Theology and Pastoral Ministry of the Philippine Jesuit scholastics. His dream and desire became real in Loyola House of Studies (LHS) and Loyola School of Theology (LST) on the campus of Ateneo de Manila. Fr. Clark’s vision was shared by many others, and especially by lay partners whose financial contributions made LHS and LST possible. We want to honor all those whose names are remembered in the lobby of LHS, and the many others who enabled LHS and LST to serve the Church of the Philippines and Asia.
The same is true of the many other institutions who are celebrating jubilee anniversaries this year: The Manila Observatory, with 150 years of service; the Ateneo de Naga University, 75 years; St. John Vianney Theological Seminary, 30 years; and, Arrupe International Residence, 25 years.
We want to say a big “thank you” to our Lord for raising up the founders and visionaries that stand at the head of the institutions celebrating their jubilee anniversaries. We are grateful that the founders had the gifts and ability of drawing many others to the work, to become partners in the mission, supporting it through personal, material, and financial resources. Every institution celebrating their anniversary is the result of such a partnership and without it they would not exist.
We congratulate these institutions, and we pray that our Lord, in His mercy, would continue to bless their works and empower them to serve for many, many years to come.
Fr. Herbert Schneider, SJ
Director, Philippine Jesuit Aid Association
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