Professional Documents
Culture Documents
The MOST REV. ALFREDO MA. OBVIAR in his entire life as parish priest
of Malvar and Lipa City and as Bishop of Lucena, Quezon, Philippines has this
pastoral obsession - teaching of catechism. This obsession had been part of his
life at all.
He went about to solve the problem by founding a religious institute which will
work on catechetical apostolate.
At the dawn of August 12, 1958, five sisters, namely, Mercy A. Medenilla,
Taciana Gandia, Crisanta Realo, Marcela dela Pena and Auilina Mendoza
marched to the Church and had their solemn and memorable investiture at San
Narciso, Quezon, the native province of Mother Mercy A. Medenilla. In the
midst of a bewildered vastness a new institute was born, the MISSIONARY
CATECHISTS OF SAINT THERESE OF THE INFANT JESUSN (MCST).
The main apostolate of the new institute is catechism in the public schools
where faith is most neglected due to lack of committed people who will
catechize the children.
On January 15, 1959, the very young institute was weaned from its cradle and
transferred to a new ground that witnessed its graceful growth and remarkable
development. Tayabas, Quezon then became the permanent abode of the
Institute. The transfer was aimed at the gaining better exposure to a wider
group of people who needed the services of the sisters, aside from the fact that
they had to be near to their guiding Father, Bishop Alfredo Ma. Obviar, who at
that time was the Apostolic Administrator of the new Diocese of Lucena.
On March 16, 1663, the Decree of Nihil Obstat (Diocesan Rite) by the
Congregation for Religious declaring pious union a canonically erected
institute. The decree of canonical erection was announced by Bishop Obviar on
April 20, 1663. June 01, 1974 marked the day of triumphant. Pope Paul VI
granted the coveted Decretum Laudis or Decree of Praise.