New SJVTS Rector

St. John Vianney Theological Seminary - Cagayan de Oro welcomed news last Easter Sunday of the appointment by the Jesuit Provincial of Rev. Fr. Celerino Reyes, SJ as the new rector of the seminary.  Father Reyes is not new to Cagayan de Oro having been assigned to the city from 1984-1986 as high school teacher at the Xavier University High School.  He returned to Cagayan de Oro for the second time from 1991-1993 as Vice Rector of SJVTS and Director of the Spiritual Pastoral Formation Year Program.


Father Cel graduated from the Ateneo de San Pablo in 1973 and the Ateneo de Manila University in 1977 with a Degree in Business Management.  He finished his MA in Theology at the Ateneo de Manila University and Licentiate in Sacred Theology at the Loyola School of Theology.  Father Cel also holds a Doctorate in Ministry from the University of Toronto. 
Prior to being assigned to SJVTS, he was Executive Director of the Center for Ignatian Spirituality in Manila.  He arrives in Cagayan de Oro and begins his official duty on May 25.  Welcome back Father Cel.

New Ministry Year Batch

MINISTRY YEAR SEND-OFF

Shortly before the school year ended, SJVTS sent off its latest batch of MYers (or seminarians going on to Ministry Year).  The 22 seminarians will be deployed in many parts of Mindanao as teachers, campus ministers and retreat directors.  Shown above are pictures taken after they had received their MY Crosses.  The past semester, the seminarians had taken the course "Principles and Methods of Teaching" with Fr. Dhems Berondo, Jr.  Last March, they listened to more inputs and took part in teaching workshops conducted by Dr. Amphie Vedua-Dinagsao, Ms. Glenda Demata and Ms. Lera Faye Cotiangco -- all affiliated with Xavier University High School.  A 3-day retreat given by Fr. Gil Escalante fittingly capped the seminarians' Pre-Ministry Year Program.

FAREWELL TO A SAINT!

Hmmm ... WHAT AN ORDINARY WAY TO DIE!  This may perhaps be how Fr. Angel Antonio, SJ wished it.  Last February 24, a typical Wednesday morning ... Father Angel was simply proceeding with his weekday routine, that is waking up early, putting on his soutane and passing by the dim halls of the SJVTS faculty building and walking slowly down ... down the usual flight of stairs enroute to the seminary chapel.  The past three years since Father Angel was assigned to the seminary,  seminarians talked about how they often catch him as one of the first to begin his prayers in the chapel each morning.  He has become a symbol of PRAYER for almost everyone in the community.

Only a month ago, Father Angel just celebrated his 84th birthday.  Other than his coughing and occasional arthritis concerns, his health was perfect ... or at least, we never heard any major complaints from him (not about his health nor about anything). 

Then came the accident.  He must have tripped or missed a step.  He fell and hit his head first on the pavement.  The accident happened much like a  motorcyclist falling off  his bike sans a helmet.   An x-ray of his head needed  no further description from the medical doctors.  His right eye was severely damaged, blood was creeping into his brain.  Hmmm ... a missionary, made tough by more than 45 years in Zamboanga, can easily get over this.  We were trying to convince ourselves. 

Father Angel finally expired and surrendered his soul to his Creator the third day after the accident.  We will surely miss your gentle and quiet presence, Father Angel.  Keep us always in your prayers, please ... we beg you!  Til we meet again!    

NEW SJVTS CORPORATE VIDEO

FLASH! FLASH! FLASH!

PLEASE CHECK OUT OUR NEW ST. JOHN VIANNEY CORPORATE VIDEO. This video is being issued in time for the seminary's 25th Anniversary celebration this year. You may catch the video on youtube.com or click on the url below:

PART 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdMkIHA2kTA
PART 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CP_btAF8okI

Thanks to Sems. Eric Cantones/ Roimar Montezo for the upload.

BISHOP JOE CABANTAN: MINDANEWS ARTICLE

Vatican names new Malaybalay bishop

by Walter I. Balane/MindaNews

MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews/4 March) -- Pope Benedict XVI has appointed a new bishop for the Diocese of Malaybalay following his acceptance of the retirement of Bishop Honest Ch. Pacana, the news site of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines said.

The Pope named bishop-elect Fr. Jose Cabantan of the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro to succeed Pacana, 77. Mandatory retirement for bishops is set at the age of 75. Pacana, installed bishop on March 24, 1994, is Bukidnon’s third prelate.

News of the priest’s appointment was released in the Vatican last week. Archbishop Edward Joseph Adams, apostolic nuncio to the Philippines, simultaneously announced the elections in Manila.

Cabantan was ordained to the priesthood in 1990, the CBCP site said, and is currently pastor of the Miraculous Medal Parish in Cagayan de Oro. The 53-year-old priest was born in Lagonglong town in Misamis Oriental. He is the director of the archdiocese’s Social Action Center.

Fr. Jonathan Tianero, of the Diocese of Malaybalay’s media office, said Cabantan will be the first bishop to come from Cagayan de Oro since it became a prelature 75 years ago. He will be ordained bishop on April 30 in Cagayan de Oro, Tianero said. He will be installed as Malaybalay’s new bishop on May 15, in time for the celebration of the Feast of San Isidro, patron saint of the San Isidro Cathedral.

Tianero said Pacana applied for retirement two years ago. He said they are building a residence for the bishop in one of the local seminaries.

One of the bishop’s most remembered recent pronouncements is the inclusion on the diocese’s political education module the advice for parishioners to “accept money offered by politicians but voting still based on conscience.”

He also suspended Fr. Diosdado Tabios when the latter filed his certificate of candidacy to run for Bukidnon governor in the May 2010 elections.

This is the first time local parishioners will experience seeing a bishop retire. The first prelate, Bishop Francisco Claver, retired in the Mountain Province. Next came Bishop Gaudencio Rosales, who is still the current archbishop of Manila.

A retiring bishop, Tianero said, retains his full priesthood and will still do ordinations and confirmations. But he will relinquish his administrative and pastoral functions to the next bishop upon installation. Tianero assures parishioners of a smooth transition, adding that they know the new bishop as a patient, generous, and “not pushy” man, just like Pacana.

Pacana, like Bishops Jose Manguiran of Dipolog and Elenito Galido of Iligan, was a priest from Bukidnon before his election as prelate. (Walter I. Balane / MindaNews)

BISHOP JOE CABANTAN: GMA NEWS ARTICLE

Pope appoints engineer as Malaybalay bishop



Pope Benedict XVI has appointed a chemical engineer as bishop of Malaybalay, Bukidnon province in Mindanao, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines said. An article on the CBCP news site said new Malaybalay Bishop Jose Araneta-Cabantan has a degree in chemical engineering before he entered the seminary as a "late bloomer."


“I felt humbled by the appointment," he said. No date had been set for his installation, the CBCP said. Cabantan will succeed Bishop Honesto Pacana, who resigned upon reaching the age of 75. Pacana is now 77 years old. The CBCP said Cabantan was ordained in 1990 and is the priest of the Miraculous Medal Parish and Social Action Center Director of the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro. He was born in Lagonglong town in Misamis Oriental in 1957.


One of his predecessors at his new post is Manila cardinal Gaudencio Rosales, who was bishop of Malaybalay from 1984 to 1992. The Diocese of Malaybalay has 80 priests and 164 religious, and has a 1.4-million Catholic population. The CBCP said Cabantan is a chemical engineer by profession before he entered the seminary in Cagayan de Oro City in 1983. Cabantan took a “late vocation" after taking his Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering at the Cebu Institute of Technology and graduated in 1979. Upon graduation he went home to teach Chemistry at the RVM-run St. John the Baptist High School. After passing the board exams, he worked for Nonoc Mining in Surigao City.


Realizing his vocation for the priesthood, he entered the San Jose de Mindanao College Seminary in Cagayan de Oro City in 1983. After finishing philosophy, he became part of the pioneer batch of seminarians at the St. John Vianney Major Seminary and was ordained in 1990. — NPA, GMANews.TV

Repair of SJVTS SACRISTY in FULL SWING!

Repair and reconstruction of the SJVTS Sacristy is now in full swing. We thank our generous donors who welcomed us to their homes for our traditional Christmas caroling as well as those from Quiapo, Manila and Lipa, Batangas who responded to Fr. Jun Kentilitisca 'out-of-Mindanao' campaign. We continue to humbly ask you for your assistance for the project. We have below an artist's rendition of the improved Sacristy and our letter of request for your support.  Again, we thank you for supporting St. John Vianney Theological Seminary.

Dear Friends,

Peace in Christ!

Established in 1985, the St. John Vianney Theological Seminary of Cagayan de Oro remains an important institution of formation and learning for future diocesan priests of the Southern Philippines. A crucial theme of formation which we wish to inculcate in the minds of our seminarians is the love and respect for church liturgy and the Sacrament of the Eucharist, the devotion to which, they themselves are tasked to promote.

In this regard, may we ask from you a little help from your generous heart. Our Chapel Sacristy – the repository of our sacred vestments and vessels – is in dire need of repair and reconstruction. Planned improvements in the area include the repair of the sacristy roof/ ceiling, the tiling of floors, and the construction of a Sacrarium (special lavatory to wash the sacred linens), Ambry (repository for oils), Tabernacle (should the chapel be used other than for liturgical celebrations), as well as the construction of toilet facilities and meeting rooms. We would wish to raise a little more than P200,000.00 to defray the cost of the construction.

We would very much appreciate whatever help or suggestion you may wish to share with us. You can get in touch with us through the undersigned at Mobile No. 0918-461-4481 or Tel. Nos. (08822) 724-135/ 712-780.

Your assistance will go a long way in helping the seminary become a true institution of learning and formation for our future priests.

Very truly yours,
FR. ROMEO G. KENTILITISCA, JR.
Liturgy Director (signed)


Noted by:
FR. RENATO R. REPOLE, SJ
Rector (signed)


NOTE: Please make all payments payable to: ST. JOHN VIANNEY THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY or deposit donations to Bank of Philippine Islands – CDO Main Branch with Account Number: 2041-034958.