Cfe 104 Content 2021

CFE 104: The CICM MISSIONARY IDENTITY
I. COURSE CODE: CFE 104

II. COURSE TITLE: CICM Missionary Identity
III. COURSE TYPE: Gen Ed or Basic
IV. CREDIT UNITS: 3
V. CONTACT HOURS: 54
VI. PRE-REQUISITES: CFE 103
Course Description
Christian Faith Education (CFE)104 – CICM Missionary Identity, is one of the basic
subjects offered to all college students in all CICM colleges/universities. CFE 104 is a course
that deals with the life and ministry of CICM missionaries worldwide. It focuses on the
spirituality and missionary character of the Congregation, anchored on Jesus whose words and
deeds become their source of inspiration in order that their faith may be strengthened through the
model that He set for them. This course aims to deepen the students’ understanding of the life
and mission of the CICM missionaries with Fr. Theophile Verbist and his Companions who laid
the foundations of the Congregation. Going through this course, the students will be deeply
familiarized with the richness of the Congregation and will be enabled to reflect on the value of
its presence for them. As such, this course provides them an avenue for following Jesus more
closely in their personal lives as members of the Church, the community of Jesus’ disciples, in
the way CICM exemplifies, and with Mary as their inspiration.
COURSE OUTPUT:
1. Reaction/Reflection Papers
2. Multi-media Outputs (Animation/Vignettes on the Life of CICM Missionaries)
3. Video Presentation on how to live the CICM missionary identity
4. Quizzes, Periodical Exams
PERFORMANCE STANDARD:
1. Information Dissemination Project
2. Web page, blog, magazine, CICM timeline
Introduction:
CFE 104 attempts to familiarize the Louisian students with the distinct identity of the
CICM, in order that they may own and adopt it as their own. It helps them examine the
Congregation’s spirituality which has been the driving force in the foundation, in the history, and
in all the missionary endeavors of the Congregation, allowing it to make significant contributions
to the evangelization of the country and in the parts of the world where CICM missionaries
accepted to do, and did mission. Its prerequisite is CFE 103; “The CICM Missionary Identity”
concretizes the concept of Mission as studied in “The Catholic Foundations of Mission” the
CICM way.
This Course is the prerequisite of CFE 105 and CFE 106. CFE 105 will be an in-depth
discussion of and participation in the CICM Advocacies, namely Justice, Peace & Integrity of
Creation, Interreligious Dialogue, Indigenous Peoples and Disaster and Risk Reduction
Management. CFE 106 in their last year will lead the students to apply the Advocacies grounded
in the CICM Missionary Identity in their places of on-the-job training and beyond.
CHAPTER I. CICM Spirituality
Chapter I aims to ground the Louisian in the spirituality of the CICM which is culled
from the story of the foundation of the Congregation, an explanation of its name, emblem, motto,
and hymn/song, and an introduction into the life of the Founder and his Companions.
Lesson 1: The Name (in Latin): Congregatio Immaculati Cordis Mariae or the
Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (in Tagalog:
Kapatiran ng Kalinis-linisang Puso ni Maria)
What’s in a name?
Activity: “Getting to Know You: My Story through My Name”, a small group sharing on
the circumstances behind my first name (the story of how I got my name: who gave it and
his/her/their reason/s for the choice, my feelings towards that name, my struggles, if any, in
relation to my name, and finally, how my name had somehow “defined” me, how I have
identified myself with, and has become that name.), followed by a sharing to the class by two or
three volunteers.
The instructor may also tell his/her own story, then volunteers are asked to share to the
class.
A short discussion follows on the importance of a name: it gives one “identity”, and may
have helped him/her somehow shape his character. (However students who developed hatred
towards their odious-sounding names should be helped to understand he/she is not really, or
totally his name.)
In Sacred Scripture, naming has often signified “mission”.
The Birth and Naming of John the Baptist and his Mission
in Zechariah’s Prophecy (Lk. 1:57-80)
Or, the Annunciation: “. . . . and you shall name him Jesus . . .”
(Lk. 1:26-38)
Sacred Scripture present examples of the inherent connection between name and mission.
In the Old Testament, God changed Abram’s name to Abraham, because he was going to be the
father of a host of nations, with whom He was establishing a covenant (Gen. 17:3-8). Most
notable persons given names in the New Testament are John the Baptist and Jesus himself.
After naming John, his father Zechariah, filled with the Holy Spirit, prophesied that his
son will be called “prophet of the Most High”, whose mission will be to “go before the Lord to
prepare His ways, to give His people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their
sins.” John’s mission was to clear the path for the coming of the Messiah. (Recall the topic
__________ in CFE 1)
In the next reading on the Annunciation, the Angel Gabriel instructed Mary to “name
Him Jesus”, and He will be “great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord will
give Him the throne of David His father, and He will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of
His kingdom there will be no end,” clearly a reference to Jesus’ mission of salvation.
The oldest coat of arms of the CICM found in an old undated document contained the
Latin text of the long name of the Congregation translated into English as “Congregation of the
Belgian Mission for China dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary near
the chapel of Our Lady of Grace in Scheut”. This transformed in 1891 into the “Congregation of
the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Scheutveld, Missions in China, Mongolia and Congo”, which
was shortened in 1933 into “Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Scheut”. The
present form is simply “Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary”.
After the proclamation of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception by Pope Pius IX in
1854 in his papal bull Ineffabilis Deus, and the assignment of the liturgical feast, there was the
rapid spread of the devotion to the “Immaculate Heart of Mary”. This was one of the
circumstances when Fr. Theophile Verbist and his first companions/co-founders Frs. Alois van
Segvelt, Frans Vranckx, and Remi Verlinden were meeting regularly in Scheut, Brussels, to draw
up the Statutes of the new Congregation. So, they unanimously agreed to consecrate the Mission
to “the Holy Incarnation of Our Lord Jesus Christ and to the Immaculate Heart of the Very
Blessed Virgin Mary. To her they resolved to recommend daily the interests of the new
Congregation. It is thus clear that they were placing the Congregation under the patronage of the
Blessed Virgin Mary. (The significance of the person of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the
spirituality of the CICM will be discussed in Lesson 3.)
In the current emblem of the CICM, the name

of the Congregation has been omitted in favor of the motto
Cor Unum et Anima Una, “One Heart and One Soul”, but
in the lower portion is the Heart surrounded by twelve stars,
coming from Rev. 12:1, clearly in reference to Mary, the
“great sign” who “appeared in heaven, a Woman adorned
with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her
head a crown of twelve stars
Usually, people who know that I am a Louisian/a student of SLC/a CICM school/a
Catholic school have already given me “a mission”: they expect me to be upright in so many
things “kasi Louisian ka!”, and when I have done wrong, they blame or judge me by saying,
“taga-SLC ka pa naman…”
I must therefore live/show my being a student of a CICM/Catholic school by doing what
is right even in simple ways, so as not to tarnish my identity/name e.g. doing my household
chores faithfully, coming to class on time, not cheating during exams, paying my fare honestly in
the jeepney, etc.
References:
Austin, Flannery, OP (Gen. Ed.), Vatican Council II: The Conciliar Documents. Vol 1, New
York: Costello Publishing Co., 1984.
Rev. Fr. Nestor Pycke, CICM, “CICM Emblem and Spirituality”, in Christ is Calling Me:150
Years of Service in God’s Mission (1862 – 2012), Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of
Mary (CICM). Makati City: St. Pauls, 2012.
Lesson 2: Dedicated to Jesus, the Incarnate Word
Our Purpose in Life:
Proposed Motivation: “Para Kanino ka Bumabangon?”
To introduce the lesson, the students are asked the simple question why they are in
school, why they are studying, why they want to finish their course.
While there will be those who will give lofty answers like they want to contribute to
national development goals, promote international understanding, live their vocation/calling as
Christians, etc., most will say that they want to help their families, and to repay the efforts of
their parents. They will say that they need to do so because they will be living their own lives in
the future, start their own families, and hence will need to provide for their own needs.
It is obvious then that then human persons live for something, for a value/values, but
specially for someone. “Para kanino ka bumabangon?” For what, or for whom do you live?
Para sa mga mahal sa buhay, para sa pamilya, para sa anak—sa kanilang kinabukasan.”
The mission of our Lord Jesus Christ was to redeem humankind. So he also lived for
people he loved—us.
Jn 13:1-15: (Washing of the disciples’ feet) “He loved his
own in the world and he loved them to the end . . . ‘If I,
therefore the master and teacher, have washed your feet,
you ought to wash one another’s feet . . .’”
The Canticle of Zechariah in Lesson 1 points out to the “tender mercy of God,”
“…by which the daybreak from on high will visit us,

to shine on those who sit in darkness and death’s shadow,
to guide our feet into the path of peace.” (Lk :78-79)
This is in clear allusion to the whole life, the whole saving act, of our Lord Jesus Christ:
His becoming man the Incarnate Word, and His preaching, forgiving, and healing ministry. The
climax, in obedience to the Father’s will, was His death on the cross, His ultimate act of self-
giving.
The Inspired Word of God for this Lesson gives the reason for His death: “He loved His
own in the world and He loved them to the end . . .” (Jn 13:1b)
But before he went to His death, he showed his disciples and gave them an example of
how to do service. John says that when He knew his hour had come He took a towel and tied it
around His waist and washed His disciples’ feet, an act reserved at that time in Israel for the
servants, indeed an important task given the dusty miles every pair of feet must trod. He then
instructed them: if I therefore the Master and teacher have washed your feet, you ought to wash
one another’s feet....” (Jn 13:14)
The heart of the CICM spirituality is being “completely centered on the Incarnation of the
Word, as its principal source” (CICM Constitutions Commentary, 44).
This dedication to the Incarnate Word is understood as “…an availability for the work of
redemption—the members are entirely devoted to the service of Christ,” “to Him from whom all
redemption comes and to His incarnation which is at its foundation.” (Pycke, p.15) The life of
the CICM then is to be at the service of the building up of the Kingdom of justice and love, of
peace and joy. And redemption here refers to more than saving from sin, but as CFC 491-99 says,
Jesus’ mission as the Redeemer also includes saving from socio-economic evil such as poverty,
ignorance, discrimination, disease, etc. (CFC: “from Cosmic Evil, from Socio-Political
Oppression, from Life’s Meaninglessness”). The CICM addresses these forms of evil through
their various missionary involvements, which are “Incarnate”, of the here and now, very much
concerned about the whole human person, body and soul.
Art 12-16 of the CICM Constitutions of 1988 deal with this dedication to the
Incarnate Word in a deeper: this constant reference to the Person of Jesus should profoundly
characterize the whole life of a CICM missionary: he must thus enter into the life and the
mission of Him who “emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant” (Phil 2:7). Thus the
Incarnate Word is his fundamental inspiration in all his missionary commitments (Pycke, p.16)
be it in his educational or parish apostolate, in caring for the environment or for street children,
in Carlatan or in Mongolia, or even in a simple ministry of presence. In all these endeavors the
CICM is to be a faithful servant of God’s plan, even if “this
faithful service often brings with it suffering, even a kenosis, in
following Christ”
This is the meaning of the cross in the topmost part of
the CICM emblem:“The cross means poverty, suffering,
deprivation and failure that often mark the life of missionaries
and their enterprises. But the cross also always carries in it the
seed of life and resurrection.” (Pycke, p.16) (The cross is present
in the emblem in the book!)
The same question as the one in the Context is asked: “Para kanino ka bumabangon?” But the
students should now be able to identify with the self-giving love of the Incarnate Word Jesus: e.g. para sa
kapatid ko, maski mahirap siyang mahalin, kasi mainitin ng ulo, kasi may kapansanan… para sa mga
magulang ko, kahit na kung minsan hindi nila naiintindihan ang mga pressures na dulot ng schoolwork sa
akin, maski kung minsan pinagdududahan at napapagalitan ako kahit hindi makatarungan . . . mag-aral pa
rin ako para sa exams maski gusto ko sanang mag-relax, para hindi ako mag-cheat, para hindi ko gawin
ang hindi tama…para sa mga kaibigan ko, ako na lang ang umintindi sa pinagdadaanan nila sa kanilang
mga pamilya, maski nasasaktan na ako ngunit hindi naman nila sinasadya, atbp.
References:
Rev. Fr. Nestor Pycke, CICM, “CICM Emblem and Spirituality”, in Christ is Calling Me: 150
Years of Service in God’s Mission (1862 – 2012), Congregation of the Immaculate Heart
of Mary (CICM). Makati City: St. Pauls, 2012.
Constitutions and General Directory of the Congregation of the Cimmaculate Heart of Mary.
Rome, 1988.
Lesson 3: Mary, Mother of the Incarnate Word, Patroness of the CICM
Ask the students who their “idols” are, in the context of “Ang galing mo, idol!” Who are
the persons (friends/older relatives, etc.) whom they truly admire, and why?
The Miracle at Cana: (Jn 2:1-12 )

“Do whatever He tells you. . .”
or
Mary at the foot of the cross: given as
“Mother to the beloved disciple”
Jn 19:25-27
Mary’s qualities, particularly her concern for others in need, and above all her love for
her Son till the end, are worth emulating. She experiences the full reality of redemption at the
Cross. She is of priceless worth to Jesus who places His gifts of salvation in her and sees in her,
in the name of the Church, the first complete human response to His boundless love.
As we look at Mary at the foot of the Cross, we should try to understand what happened
to her at that moment, and how God gradually led her to the point of being able to identify
herself with the redemption wrought on that Cross. It is difficult for us to enter into the path
which Mary had to tread and we can only appreciate it fully when we meditate on the words of
her Son from the Cross: then we shall understand how far His mother had come. She followed
Him right to the Cross.
Let us try , to identify ourselves with Mary in prayer and silent adoration of the crucified
Lord, asking ourselves what took place at that moment in Mary’s soul, what would have been her
wish as a mother. It is probably true to say that, as a mother, she would have wished to give her
own life, and to stop this happening at any cost; instead the Lord teaches her to accept in a
mysterious and profound way the divine plan whereby it is Jesus, the Savior, who represents the
perfection of the Father’s love.
This is the most dramatic moment of Mary’s life, when she really gives up her Son to the
Father on behalf of humanity. This is the main point made by John who, in the person of the
disciple, presents the Church to us, the Church which is placed in close communion with the
Lord’s mother as a result of the Passion in which Mary shared with Jesus.
What then does Our Lady represent as she stands at the summit of her way of faithful
conformity to the will of God? She represents humanity, the Church. Having followed God’s will
completely, having embraced it wholeheartedly, having offered up her Son in faith – she receives
as a gift, the very fullness of the Church. Precisely because she has put her whole self in God’s
hands and has abandoned herself along with all she held most dear, her own Son, she received
from God what He holds most dear, the body of the Son which will live in the Church , that
Church which is to be born from the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus. Mary is the one
who, more than anyone else, understood the meaning of Jesus’ sacrificial offering, the love of
humanity and the total dedication to God’s plan which this offering implies; she is above all
others fitted to receive from God the gift of renewed humanity.
It is on this premise that we must base our love for the Lord’s mother. If we lose sight of
Mary’s journey of faith, we shall no longer be able to understand how God has actually saved us,
giving us, in Jesus, to Mary, so that in her the Church might come into being.
Whichever way we approach it, Mary, the Mother of God, is an essential part of the
teaching of the Catholic Church. She is hailed as pre-eminent and as a wholly unique member of
the Church, and as her exemplar and outstanding model of faith and charity. (CCC 967)
Mary is held as the model of discipleship. She submitted her whole self to God,
believing His Word, trusting His power, and obeying His will. By the act of faith she committed
herself in faith irrevocably to her Savior-Son and His mission for the world’s salvation. Thus, she
became His mother and the first of the Lord’s disciples. (PCP II 146)
At Cana, she approached her Son in trust to bring to His attention the need of a
couple, and confident that her Son would do what is best, she told the servants to do whatever He
tells them. Here, she intercedes for the people. In faith, she suffered with her Son as He
underwent His Passion and died forsaken by His followers. And in faith, she waited in constant
prayer together with the disciples of her Son for the promised Holy Spirit. (PCP II 148)
Article 16 of the CICM Constitutions connects Mary to Jesus, to whom the CICM
identity and mission are hinged: “God chose Mary to be the Mother of the Incarnate Word. In
her, He reveals himself as the One who exalts the lowly. She has a special place in our lives as
missionaries of the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.” The CICM missionary
therefore is invited to look into Mary’s heart in her unqualified “yes” to the call of the Father to
follow Jesus. “We turn to her, model of faith and total dedication to God and to her Son’s
mission.” The lower right portion of the CICM emblem shows a heart surrounded by twelve
stars; this is a clear reference to the traditional Catholic interpretation of Rev 12:1.
A renewed and better-understood devotion to His mother leads very naturally to Christ.
Mary shows us the way and this is her role in the life of the Church. What is the real meaning of
the "title and patronage of the Immaculate Heart of Mary" in the spirituality of the Congregation?
Mary reflects Jesus and his liberating mission.
By patterning my life after that of Mary, I should also be sensitive towards people around
me who are in need: baka may classmate ako na nade-depress, o nadi-discourage, or simply
nalulungkot. I should generously offer my listening ears and heart to them . . . maski may iba pa
akong gagawin . . . maski hindi aproachable/likable/lovable ang classmate kong ito . . .
References:
Acts and Decrees of the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines. CBCP, 1992.
Rev. Fr. Nestor Pycke, CICM, “CICM Emblem and Spirituality”, in Christ is Calling Me: 150
Years of Service in God’s Mission (1862 – 2012), Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of
Mary (CICM). Makati City: St. Pauls, 2012.
Rome, 1988.
Lesson 4: Fr. Theophile Verbist and His Companions
Video Clip Viewing (Cross the Line)
This is a four-minute video clip which gives tips on how to be successful in one’s
endeavors. Despite setbacks or challenges, we can still choose to care and cross the line.
Crossing the line necessitates choosing to commit oneself to one’s goals, working hard knowing
that there are no quick fixes, focusing and intending to succeed, and being resilient and willing to
learn from one’s own mistakes. This is the secret of great and successful people.
Jesus Appears to His Disciples
(Mt. 28:19-20)
"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them
in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and behold,
I am with you always, until the end of the age."
These are the commissioning words of Jesus to His disciples before He left them.
Endowed with the authority and power of God, Jesus gives them a universal mission. He
entrusted them the mission to preach and teach in the name of the Triune God and gave them the
assurance of His presence that He will be with them in all their endeavors and struggles, to the
ends of the earth. They are to go and make disciples not just of the Jewish nation, but of all
nations. The Good News of salvation is not exclusively for one nation. It is for all peoples in all
generations. Such mission was accepted by the disciples and was handed down to the entire
Church.
One important aspect of the commissioning is that Jesus tells His disciples to baptize
people. At Baptism, we are claimed by God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We are set
into a personal relationship with the Persons of God. In the same way, Jesus tells His disciples to
teach the people. Jesus gives to all His teachings the force of Divine Law, commanded by Divine
authority. This means that the teachings of Jesus have the force of the Divine Law.
Another important thing to note is that throughout the history of the people, those
who receive a particular mission involving great difficulty are strengthened for the task by God’s
presence. Now, Jesus promises His disciples, “I am with you always…” The Divine Presence
will not forsake them. The Lord will be with His people, to the end of time. No earthly power, no
force of hell will destroy this new and final “community of worship”, the Church. She will stand
firm, not by her own virtue but by the power of Him who sends her. As the Church receives her
universal mission, she is promised the strength to carry it out. Jesus knows very well that the
Church has a long way to travel so He assured her that He is with the members always,
accompanying them in all their missionary journeys. The Lord works in many ways – and He
will go to prepare the way for them. He also sends them the Holy Spirit without whom it is
impossible to accomplish the work of evangelization.
To sum up, Jesus teaches the disciples; the disciples teach other people. The Good
News must be preached to all, both in word and in deed by the teachers/preachers and persevere
no matter what it takes. The Lord promises His abiding presence.
The Vatican II Document, “Ad Gentes” clearly states: “Therefore, let the missionaries,
God's co-workers, ( cf. 1 Cor. 3:9), raise up congregations of the faithful such that, walking
worthy of the vocation to which they have been called (cf. Eph. 4:1), they may exercise the
priestly, prophetic, and royal office which God has entrusted to them. In this way, the Christian
community will be a sign of God's presence in the world: for by reason of the Eucharistic
sacrifice, this community is ceaselessly on the way with Christ to the Father; carefully nourished
on the word of God; it bears witness to Christ; and finally, it walks in charity and is fervent with
the apostolic spirit.” (Ad Gentes, Chapter V # 15, on Missionaries)
Such missionary vocation/commitment of Fr. Theophile and his companions is

clearly supported in the above document. The CICM missionaries continue sharing the joy of the
Gospel by ministering to the people of different races in the world, and celebrating the Word of
God in the Liturgy and in the sacraments as Evangelii Nuntiandi beautifully puts; “Evangelizing
is in fact the grace and vocation proper to the Church, her deepest identity. She exists in order to
evangelize, that is to say, in order to preach and teach, to be the channel of the gift of grace, to
reconcile sinners with God, and to perpetuate Christ's sacrifice in the Mass, which is the
memorial of His death and glorious resurrection.” (E.N. #14 )
Furthermore, the Apostolic Exhortation of his Holiness Pope Paul VI,“To the
Episcopate, To the Clergy and To All the Faithful of the Entire World” states:
“The Twelve and the first generation of Christians understood well the lesson of this
text and other similar ones; they made them into a program of action. Even persecution, by
scattering the apostles, helped to spread the Word and to establish the Church in ever more
distant regions…In the course of history, the generations of Christians have periodically faced
various obstacles to this universal mission. On the one hand, on the part of the evangelizers
themselves, there has been the temptation for various reasons to narrow down the field of their
missionary activity. On the other hand, there has been the often humanly insurmountable
resistance of the people being addressed by the evangelizers. Furthermore, we must note with
sadness that the evangelizing work of the Church is strongly opposed, if not prevented, by
certain public powers. Even in our own day it happens that preachers of God's Word are
deprived of their rights, persecuted, threatened or eliminated solely for preaching Jesus Christ
and His Gospel. But we are confident that despite these painful trials the activity of these
apostles will never meet final failure in any part of the world.( #49-50)
This is very true in as far as the missionary activity of the CICM is concerned. The death
of the founder and many other confreres who were martyred for the sake of the mission did not
become a hindrance for the congregation to expand worldwide. Despite adversities, the
congregation remained faithful to the very origin of its missionary identity and constantly renews
its deepest commitment to the Lord’s call to proclaim the Good News of salvation to the whole
world, to all creation, right to the ends of the earth!
Indeed, the legacy left by the Founder remains alive in every CICM missionary: a life to
the end in the service of the mission. Such is the “mark” of CICM: the call to leave everything
for the sake of the mission. Such is the participation of the congregation in the great mission of
evangelization in response to Jesus' last words in the Gospel conferring on the evangelization
which the Lord entrusts to His apostles a limitless universality: "Go out to the whole world;
proclaim the Good News to all creation."
In this section, let us have a concise discussion of the CICM’s origin or foundation by
recounting the life and journeys of Fr. Theophile Verbist and his companions:
Fr. Théophile Verbist, Founder of the CICM

Fr. Theophile Verbist was born in 1823 in Antwerp,
Belgium. He was ordained priest in 1847, a diocesan priest of
the. Archdiocese of Malines-Brussels in Belgium. He was on
the staff of the minor seminary, the Chaplain of the Military Academy of Brussels and the
Chaplain of the Sisters of Notre
Dame de Namur. In 1860, he was appointed as the National
Director of the Pontifical Association of the Holy Childhood.
This is a pious association that animates its members to Fr. Theophile Verbist
support the missions, especially children in need, “I am extremely happy and contented. I would love to
leave my
bones in China, though I have known many hardships and
particularly children in China and the millions of oppositions… All this makes a missionary feel alive. When I
see Chinese who lived at that time in ignorance and all the young confreres who are fully engaged in the
apostolate,
poverty. According to oral tradition, while praying at the and when I think of all the good they are doing and will
chapel of the Sisters, the flame was lit up in his heart be doing, I believe that the good Lord is pleased with us and
for his desire to become a missionary. It was nourished that He will expand our work.”
in gratitude for the faith so easily received in Catholic

Belgium, and in compassion for the many who have not yet heard the Good News. It was timely
that in October 25, 1860 the Treaty of Peking was signed, opening the gates of Imperial China
to missionary work. Verbist’s desire to establish a Belgian mission in China to take care of
orphans was further strengthened. In November 28, 1862 he founded the Congregatio Immaculati
Cordis Mariae (CICM) in Scheut, Brussels, Belgium, a Belgian Mission for China. On seeking
ecclesiastical permission, however, they were commissioned by Cardinal Alessandro Barnabo, Prefect of
the Propaganda Fide, to begin their work by founding a seminary in Belgium to supply priests for the
beginning mission, and laid the foundations of the Scheutveld College, 28 April 1863, in the Field of
Scheut, a short distance from Brussels, so the C.I.C.M. missionaries were also known as Scheutists or
Scheut missionaries. The congregation was born not knowing exactly what lay ahead. In
September 1863, the first group of missionaries set forth for Inner Mongolia.
In the winter of 1865, Fr. Theophile Verbist together with four zealous companions, Fr.
Alois Van Segvelt, Fr. Ferdinand Hamer, Fr. Francois Vranckx, and a Belgian layman, Paul
Splingaerd arrived in Xiwanzi, Inner Mongolia, the immense territory north of the Great Wall of
China, which was entrusted to the fledgling Congregation by Rome. There they immediately
began organizing small Christian communities. Being new to a foreign land, they had to face a
lot of difficulties, including the harsh terrain, severe weather, vast distances, learning the
language of the people, and unfamiliar diseases. But these challenges did not prevent them in
planting the seeds of CICM missionary work.
Fr. Theophile Verbist and his Companions
Fr. Albert Raskin, CICM who was the archivist of the Congregation in 1982,
described Fr. Theophile Verbist as a wise superior. “He went about his work with a level head,”
Fr. Raskin wrote. This was manifested in the consultations that preceded the founding of the
Congregation. “He could take advice and follow it as well.”
Verbist wanted to found a missionary congregation, but he knew he could not do it without
having experienced the mission himself. In a letter of April 1866, Verbist writes, “Every day I
thank the Lord that He allowed me to go personally to the mission of the congregation so that
I would learn and experience what the demands of the missionary life are in reality.” At the same
time, he also observed the mission critically. To his sister Elisa he wrote: “The missionary would
jeopardize the success of his efforts if, before attempting to reform the world around him, he
would not first study matters in silence, observe with care, and, above all, exercise an enduring
patience.” It is from this experience that he would challenge the novices in Belgium to test their
vocation well. They have to make sure their vocation is rooted in a pure love of God.
As a founder, Verbist was appointed pro-vicar of the mission of Mongolia. No matter
how seriously others worried about the difficulty
and extension of this mission, Verbist remained
full of enthusiasm and dynamism. Even though he
was confronted with the difficult and sensitive
take-over of the mission when he arrived in China,
Verbist was optimistic that something good would
come out of it in the end. Because of his many
responsibilities, Verbist had almost no time to
focus on the study of the Chinese language. Still,
Bishops praying beside Fr. Theophile Verbist’s coffin as soon
as he could express himself somewhat in
Chinese, he got involved in direct apostolate in
Hsi-wan-tzu.
Raskin singles out Verbist’s tactfulness and sensitivity to the needs of others.
“Authoritarianism was not in his character. He knew that in the long run you could gain more
through quiet dialogue than with force.” For instance, writing from China, Verbist advised the
novice master of a young confrere who had just finished his novitiate and had been ordained a
priest to keep him in Belgium if possible for another year, “so he could recuperate from his
studies and his parents could enjoy having him nearby as a priest for some time.” For the
confreres in China, he proved himself a leader of much understanding. “When two new confreres
arrived and were assigned to West Mongolia, he insisted on taking them there himself. In this
way, he could see with his own eyes how they were housed and judge if their appointment was
good,” according to Raskin, quoting from a letter of Verbist,
then founder shows his appreciation and concern for the Verbist’s Symbols as a Founder:
well-being of his confreres through, for example,
1. Polished Wooden Box - stands for
spending heavily and bought no less than seven (7) his enormous work of keeping
horses, contact with people in leading the
two (2) mules, and two (2) wagons just as Fr. Van Segvelt young missionary congregation
and in managing the vicariate
was preparing to leave for Eastern Mongolia.
In February 23, 1868, Fr. Theophile Verbist died of 2. Small Chinese Riding Chip - stands
typhoid fever, in a small villageof Lao – Hu - Kou. He for his many travels in the service
of the mission
was
45 years old. On hearing of his death, Pope Pius IX said,
“the man may die but God will not allow his work to disappear.” His legacy that is a life given
to the end in the service of the mission will be the inspiration of many more missionaries.
Indeed, in the period between 1865 to 1887, CICM sent no less than 74 missionaries to Inner
Mongolia to continue the missionary work that Fr. Theophile Verbist started. The founding
Fathers never imagined that many would follow their footsteps notwithstanding the cost of
traveling by sea and in the hinterlands of China. The remains of Fr. Theophile Verbist were
brought to the Memorial Chapel of the Shrine of Our Lady of Grace in Scheut, Belgium on
March 30, 1932. From time to time, CICM members go on a pilgrimage to Fr. Theophile
Verbist’s tomb for certain reasons: to pray in gratitude for their missionary
vocation and to rekindle the flame that was lit first in the heart of the founder.
A CICM prays before the mortal remains of A gallery of all CICM missionaries at the
Fr. Theophile Verbist at the Mother House in Scheut, Brussels, Belgium Scheut House
 *A VIDEO CLIP VIEWING ON FR. THEOPHILE AND HIS COMPANIONS
A. It is important to emulate Fr. Theophile Verbist by:

1. Showing care and concern to the weak and vulnerable members of the society like taking
care of the children, handicapped, aged, sick and those in need of help.
2. Participating actively in the missionary advocacies of the CICM.
3. Participating actively in the different extension programs of the school.
4. Knowing that missionary life is not easy, writing letters/messages of encouragement to
CICM missionaries around the world might help.
5. Joining the CICM Campus Mission Volunteers (CCMV) and participate actively in the
different endeavors and ministries of the group.
6. Like Fr. Theophile Verbist and his companions, to “cross the line” and reach my
dreams/goals in life.
References:
CICM, “Carrying on the Mission 100 Years of CICM in the Philippines”. CICM Philippines,
2007.
Rev. Fr. Heyndrickx, Jeroom J., CICM, “Verbiest Foundation-Leuven: An Institution for
Evangelization in China Created by the CICM in Christ is Calling Me 150 Years of
Service in God’s Mission 1862-2012. St. Pauls Philippines
Rev. Fr. Verhelst, Daniel, CICM,“CICM Missionaries Past and Present”. Leuven University
Press, 1995.
The Little Flame of CICM: Fr. Theophile Verbist (1823 -1868)
http://www.cicmphilippines.org/cicm-in-the-philippines/
www.cicmmissionaries.org
LESSON 5: CICM Motto: Cor Unum et Anima Una
Games: (The first group to finish the game and gets the highest score wins).
a. sorting certain geometrical figures in as many ways as can be
b. The Nine-Dot Problem (connecting the nine dots using four straight lines
without lifting the pen)
A In how many ways can the figures be grouped? B. The Nine-Dot Problem
What are your bases of grouping the figures?
These games will test the presence or absence of the values of teamwork/collaboration
and solidarity, and the level of trust among members of the group/team. Being able to work
collaboratively and harmoniously as members of a group/team is necessary to succeed
in their endeavor.
Processing:
1. How many items were you able to answer correctly?

2. How did you arrive at your answers. Describe the process.
3. What do you think made your group emerge as the winner?
4. What is necessary for a certain group or organization to succeed in their endeavor?
The values of teamwork, trust and solidarity among members are emphasized. Being
able to work collaboratively as members of a team is important in life. Developing the
skill to work harmoniously with others is an effective way to prepare oneself for a
successful future in any endeavor.
C.Ask the students what a motto is, and let them give examples, including their own “hugot”.
Life of the Early Believers
(Acts 4:32-35)
“The group of believers was of one heart and soul.
The group of believers was one of mind and heart. None of them ever claimed
anything of his/her own; rather, everything was held in common. This was the life of the
community of believers. The disciples were devoted to the teachings of Jesus which they learned
through the apostles. In such a community, they did not live as individuals, living apart from one
another and depending entirely on their resources but they helped one another and lived a life of
sharing and fellowship. They lived out the teachings of Jesus with a unity of heart and mind.
They all worked for the good of the whole community in the spirit of shared responsibility. The
ideal is that of service – service to one another and service to the entire community.
This unity which the early believers exhibited is essential for every kingdom, nation,
family or any group. It prevents internal dissension or discord which can break down the moral
structure and result in disaster. Such unity and loving concern shown by the community members
is the way Jesus wants the Kingdom of God to grow. This community became the sign and
instrument of Jesus’ continued saving presence on earth.
Indeed, the call to brotherhood or sisterhood, “of one heart and soul” in the Acts of the
Apostles is the true expression of unity among God’s children. It is the mark of a true Christian
community. “This expresses God’s ideal about humankind, His creation. Jesus came to reveal
that God is our Father, that He wants to be everybody’s Father. This is the core of the Gospel
message. In Jesus, we are God’s children through the Spirit’s power. Consequently, we are
brothers and sisters of the same family, with God as our Father”(Pycke, 1995).
In support of this universal brotherhood, Ad Gentes indicates that; “In order that the
proper goals and results may be obtained, all missionary workers should have but "one heart
and one soul" (Acts 4:32) in the actual carrying out of mission work itself. (Chapter V, #30, on
Planning Missionary Activity)
In connection to this, the motto “One Heart and One Soul” obviously refers to a
fundamental aspect of the vocation of the CICM priests and brothers who are joined to live and
work together out of diverse nationalities and cultures. As such, “…they are a sign of solidarity
among the particular Churches in their universal mission” (Art. 2, Provisional Constitutions of
1987), and hence, they witness to universal brotherhood. Truly, there is in CICM a call to
brotherhood that has grown over the years. It has taken the shape of internationality and
universal brotherhood. At the bottom of it all lies the call to be available totally, to be sent for a
lifetime in the service of the Proclamation of the Good News. Originally a Belgian Foundation,
CICM has grown into an international religious missionary congregation of men from different
races, colors and nationalities who are dedicated to universal brotherhood.
Such kind of brotherhood, ‘one heart, one soul’ is the “mark” of CICM which originated
from its founding members, Fr. Theophile Verbist and his companions. The legacy left by the
Founder remains alive in every CICM missionary: a life to the end in the service of the mission.
This is very true in as far as the missionary activity of the CICM is concerned. The death of the
founder and many other confreres who were martyred for the sake of the mission did not become
a hindrance for the congregation to expand worldwide. Their sacrifices to the point of dying were
not in vain for they yielded much fruit. Today, there are almost a thousand of them present in Asia
(Taiwan, Mongolia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia and Japan), in the vast continent of
Africa (Congo, Cameroon, Zambia, and Senegal), in the Americas (Haiti, the Dominican Republic,
Guatemala, Brazil, Mexico and the United States), and in Europe (Belgium, Netherlands, Italy, and
France).
They continue sharing the joy of the Gospel by ministering to the people of different races in the
world, and celebrating the Word of God in the Liturgy and in the sacraments. As Evangelii Nuntiandi
beautifully puts; “Evangelizing is in fact the grace and vocation proper to the Church, her deepest
identity. She exists in order to evangelize, that is to say, in order to preach and teach, to be the channel of
the gift of grace, to reconcile sinners with God, and to perpetuate Christ's sacrifice in the Mass, which is
the memorial of His death and glorious resurrection.” (E.N. #14)
The Motto
A motto (derived from the Latin muttum, 'mutter', by way of Italian motto, 'word',
'sentence') is a maxim; a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention
of an individual, family, social group or organization. Mottos are usually found predominantly in
written form and may stem from long traditions of social foundations, or from significant events.
A motto is seen as an expression of the guiding principle or an ideal of a person, organization,
city, etc.,usually in Latin, and often inscribed on a badge, banner, etc.
The CICM Motto:
“Cor unum et anima una” (one heart -

one soul) is the motto of the CICM. It was
officially introduced in the coat of arms of
the Congregation on October 5, 1993, but right
from the beginning it was a reality lived among
CICM missionaries. The Founder had no equal
in showing appreciation for the confreres and
concern for their well-being. When Father Van
Segvelt (1826-1867), the close friend and first
companion of Verbist, prepared to leave for
Eastern Mongolia, the Superior spent heavily and
bought no less than seven horses, two mules and
two wagons so that his confrere would not suffer
want. The grateful reactions of the confreres and
many others are proof of his kind attention and charity.
At the CICM General Conference of 1978, the Superior General says, “If ever, it is here
we have understood that this is the Lord’s calling to our group. Internationalization as universal
brotherhood is not a project the Congregation set for itself, but a call from the Lord. It is a
challenge, as one confrere put it, to preach the Gospel not only with words, but with our lives.”
Our “Cor unum et anima una” (one heart, one soul) is a beautiful logo, but it remains a
challenge, an ideal we have to make true every day, lest our message of the Good News becomes
“a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal”. (1 Cor 13:1)
“One heart and one soul”, we witness to the Father’s will that all men and women
be brothers and sisters in Christ. We are a sign of solidarity among the particular Churches in
this universal mission as our Founder wrote: “Provided we have good missionaries, very
generous, well mortified, we will carry out thewill of God; their nationality matters little to me”.
 Video clip viewing: One Heart, One Soul
Activity: Learning the song “ONE HEART, ONE SOUL (CICM Hymn). This is a simple way
of manifesting solidarity with the CICM.
Keeping the message of the song alive in our lives today means participating actively in the
realization of the CICM missionary character by:
1. Helping in the different activities of the school which promote solidarity with the poor and
the less privileged;
2. Active involvement in the different religious/spiritual activities of the school and parish
like the celebration of the Eucharist which is essential in nourishing a Christ-centered
spirituality for the mission;
3. Participating actively in the school’s catechetical ministry.
4. Involvement in a proactive stance in support for people’s natural and cultural heritage
(like the campaign against the construction and operation of a coal-fired power plant
project in Luna, La Union).
References:
Centeno, Jeffrey, One Heart, One Soul: The 150 Years of CICM and the Mission of Education.
2011.
Rome, 1988.
Press, 1995.
http://www.satodayscatholic.com/Missionhurst.aspx
http://missionhurst.org/index.php/aboutus/
Lesson 6: The Charism: Ad Extra, Ad Intra
Group Dynamics: The class is to be divided into groups of 5-10 members each. The members
brainstorm on the gifts or talents they have and discuss how they have made use of such gifts or
talents. As a group, they showcase one of their common gifts or talents in class. After the
activity, they reflect on the value, significance or benefit of responsible use of such gifts/talents.
Jesus Commissions His Apostles (Mk. 16:15)
“Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Gospel to all creation.”
Or/and
Good Manager of God’s Gifts (1 Pet. 4: 10-11)
“Each one as a good manager of God’s different gifts, must use for the
good of others the special gift he has received from God…”
The mandate to evangelize is first entrusted to the disciples and such task is carried on
by the Church as she is born of the evangelizing activity of Jesus and the Twelve. This mission to
evangelize is accepted and now, has expanded to the whole world. Having been born
consequently out of being sent, the Church in her turn is sent by Jesus. ” It is through the Church
then that Jesus continues his mission in the world today. We continue His priestly mission by
offering worship to God through active participation in the liturgy, also by obeying God’s will
and by imitating Christ’s love for us as we love one another. We also continue His prophetic
mission by handing on His message to everyone through teaching and through the examples of
our lives. “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one
another” (Jn.13:35). We continue Jesus’ mission as we help those who are in need, the sick and
suffering, and those in need of guidance, counselling, and encouragement (Knox, Ian, 2011).
In fulfilment of the command of Jesus to spread the Gospel to all, He bestowed upon
each person gifts that would help him/her in the service of God. Paul says: “But to each one of
you grace is given according to the measure of the gift of Christ” (Eph.4:7). “To each is given the
manifestation of the gift of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the
utterance of wisdom… to another gift of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of
miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits…” (1Cor.12:7-10). We all
have received the power of God’s Spirit to do God’s work in the world. As stewards of these
gifts, each one must cooperate in the spread of the Gospel for the building up of the Church. All
these gifts are meant for the promotion of the Kingdom of God. They must be lived in a spirit of
service.
The Apostolic Exhortation of his Holiness Pope Paul VI,“To the Episcopate, To the
Clergy and To All the Faithful of the Entire World” states:
“The Twelve and the first generation of Christians understood well the lesson of this text and
other similar ones; they made them into a program of action. Even persecution, by scattering the
apostles, helped to spread the Word and to establish the Church in ever more distant regions… In
the course of history, the generations of Christians have periodically faced various
obstacles to this universal mission. But we are confident that despite these painful trials
the activity of these apostles will never meet final failure in any part of the world. ( #49-
50)
“Therefore, by the Holy Spirit, who distributes the charismata as He wills for the
common good (1 Cor. 12:11), He inspires the missionary vocation in the hearts of individuals,
and at the same time He raises up in the Church certain institutes, which take as their own
special task the duty of preaching the Gospel, a duty belonging to the whole Church. They are
assigned with a special vocation who, being endowed with a suitable natural temperament, and
being fit as regards talent and other qualities, have been trained to undertake mission work; or
be they autochthonous or be they foreigners: priests, Religious, or laymen. Sent by legitimate
authority, they go out in faith and obedience to those who are far from Christ. They are set apart
for the work for which they have been taken up (cf. Acts 13:2), as ministers of the Gospel, "that
the offering up of the Gentiles may become acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Spirit"
(Rom. 15:16).(Ad Gentes, Chapter IV, # 23)
The Christian faithful, having different gifts (cf. Rom. 12:6), according to each one's
opportunity, ability, charisms and ministry (cf. 1 Cor. 3:10) must all then cooperate in the Gospel.
Hence all alike, those who sow and those who reap (cf. John 4:37), those who plant and those
who irrigate, must be one (cf. 1 Cor. 3:8), so that "in a free and orderly fashion cooperating
toward the same end,"(1) they may spend their forces harmoniously for the building up of the
Church. (Ad Gentes, Chapter V, # 28)
The response of the CICM is clear as indicated in their mission statement which says;
“…Enlightened by those who preceded us and who - like our founder - left their
familiar surroundings to follow Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Word, by integrating
themselves into a foreign culture, and by living in solidarity with another people;
Enriched by those we serve, especially the poor who reveal to us the sin of the
world and who help us discover the true meaning of God's plan of love, we CICM
missionaries of different races and cultures live and work together as brothers in
order to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ wherever it is most needed.”
This is the charism of the CICM: “There is something of the fingerprint of the Founder
that continues to give the CICM its own face, and its own contribution to the CHURCH. If
anything marks CICM, IT IS THE CALL TO LEAVE EVERYTHING FOR THE SAKE OF THE
MISSION.” - FR. Gabriel Dieryck, CICM
The Word Charism
Etymologically, the word Like Abraham, I too heard the promptings of

"charism" comes from the Greek charis, God in the silence of my heart.
meaning grace, free gift. The word "grace" in I left my country and home to proclaim God's
love in other lands.
I have climbed mountains, crossed rivers and

met people from different cultures.
I have learned to speak different languages,
current spiritual language gives expression to the primordial gift that allows Christians to
participate in the divine life—in Christ. It is what makes a baptized person a child of God and a
member of the Church.
The Second Vatican Council, in various documents, describes charisms as the Holy
Spirit "allotting His gifts accordingly as He wills (cf. 1 Cor 12:12) . . . also distributing special
graces among the faithful of every rank. By these gifts, He makes them fit and ready to
undertake various tasks and offices for the renewal and building up of the Church, as it is written,
‘the manifestation of the Spirit is given to everyone for profit’ (1 Cor 12:7) (LG 12). The
"spiritual gifts" termed charisms, are gifts given for the benefit of the common good, for the
building of the Church. The Spirit distributes them to many different people. They are given to
each and every one according to the needs of the community. All “charisms” or graces come
from the same Spirit and all charismatic gifts serve the higher gift of charity - the supreme
charism: love of self and love of others are united in charity. Charisms that serve the people of
God are numerous. Given for the common good, charisms must be lived out in a spirit of service
(1 Pet 4:10-11).
The Christian faithful, having different gifts (cf. Rom. 12:6), according to each one's
opportunity, ability, charisms and ministry (cf. 1 Cor. 3:10) must all cooperate in the Gospel.
Hence all alike, those who sow and those who reap (cf. John 4:37), those who plant and those
who irrigate, must be one (cf. 1 Cor. 3:8), so that "in a free and orderly fashion cooperating
toward the same end,"(1) they may spend their forces harmoniously for the building up of the
Church. (Ad Gentes, Chapter V, # 28)
The CICM Charism: Ad extra, ad intra
This is the CICM charism ad-extra (towards the outside): to go where they are sent…
where they are most needed…in frontier situations. Like the founder, Fr. Theophile Verbist, the
CICM missionaries heed the call of Christ as they say with conviction; “ We are sent to the
nations to announce the Good News, wherever our missionary presence is most needed,
especially where the Gospel is not known or lived. We leave our country to proclaim salvation
as the great gift of God which liberates from everything that oppresses and divides people.” The
CICM missionary is called to go beyond geographical and religious boundaries to share Jesus
Christ with all those who do not know Him. Every CICM missionary then, is willing to leave
behind everything, including his family, culture and possessions. He is sent to proclaim the Good
News of salvation to all nations. This Good news of salvation is a gift of God that liberates
people from all forms of oppression and sin.
The ad extra dimension of their missionary identity (going to another country) or
leaving their country of origin as CICM missionaries and making themselves vulnerable as
foreigners in the midst of a different people, is still a valuable testimony, especially in this age
when the world is full of migrants. Such is the “mark” of CICM, as Fr. Gabriel Dieryck said,
“the call to leave everything for the sake of the mission”. Such is the participation of the
congregation in the great mission of evangelization in response to Jesus' last words in St. Mark's
Gospel conferring on the evangelization which the Lord entrusts to His apostles with a limitless
universality: "Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News to all creation." Despite adversities,
the congregation remained faithful to the very origin of its missionary identity and constantly renews its
deepest commitment to the Lord’s call to proclaim the Good News of salvation to the whole world, to all
creation, right to the ends of the earth!
Another dimension of the CICM charism is stated in the phrase “to bring the Good
News of Jesus Christ wherever it is most needed.” This does not necessitate the missionary to
leave his own country but to be where his service is most needed, may it be in his own country or
anywhere, which is the ad intra dimension of the CICM missionary identity. Ad extra, ad intra
therefore expresses the reality of a CICM missionary vocation: to be a CICM is to leave one’s
home, family and culture, and even one’s country (ad extra) or simply one’s region, to learn a
new language and a new culture, to be with other people. The understanding/stress now is not
necessarily therefore to physically leave one’s country, but to respond to a situation where one’s
missionary presence is most needed (ad intra).
Throughout the 150 years of its existence, the CICM missionaries are committed to the
proclamation of the Good News where they are sent. Its soul has been, and still is, the charisma
that animated the Founder from the very beginning, namely the call to leave everything
and to go out and spread the Good News. Inspired by Father Verbist’s example, other
young men took up the challenge to evangelize in some of the most remote areas of the world
and have been among the first to bring the Good News of the Gospel to the peoples of China, the
Congo, the Philippines and Indonesia. “CICM members leave countries, culture, and enter into
the life and culture of others – the so-called ad extra character of the CICM. Mission is
self-giving.”(Fr. Jean Didier Badianga, CICM, 2017)
Today, almost a thousand missionary priests and brothers from Europe, the Americas,
Africa and Asia, are living and working together in multicultural communities as brothers,
continue this long tradition of caring for God’s poorest and most neglected people in many parts
of the world.
Rev. Fr. Jean Didier Badianga, CICM
*A VIDEO CLIP VIEWING ON “LORD, SEND ME”

Having been baptized Christians and being in a CICM school, we share in the beautiful mission
to respond to the call where we are most needed. God is calling us to be part of it. Using our gifts
and talents, we can:
1. Be sensitive to the needs at home and give our simple service to the family by fulfilling the
different tasks with willingness and joy.
2. Using our gifts and talents in serving our fellow students like peer tutoring and peer
accompanying, especially the depressed classmates, etc.
3. Offering our services to the Church like joining the different ministries in the school and
parish using our gifts/talents.
4. Participate in the extension programs of our school like visiting and giving our service to
the sick, prisoners, victims of calamities, women and children who are victims of
injustice.
References:
2007.
Rome, 1988.
Press, 1995.
http://www.scheutmissions.org
http://www.cicmmissions.org
CHAPTER II
CICM IN THE WORLD
This chapter deals with the different aspects of the CICM missionary presence. It talks
about the institute’s response to the specific or concrete situations and needs in the countries and
provinces where the CICM missionaries are present. It considers each one’s own accent: in
Europe, there is a search for missionary integration; in Africa, the accent is on communion and
solidarity; in Asia, the emphasis is on evangelization and attempts to dialogue with the great
religions of the region; and in America, the accent is on solidarity in the struggle for liberation.
Lesson 1: The CICM in the Different Continents

Picture Viewing: Where in the world could this be?
Photos of certain structures in mission areas where the CICM missionaries are working
are to be flashed on the screen for the students to guess where these structures are found.
Questions are to be asked like:
Would you like to go to or visit these places? Why? Why not?
Given the chance to go to other countries for a mission, where will it be? Why?
JESUS, THE GOOD SHEPHERD

(Jn. 10:10)
“ I have come in order that you might

have life - life in all its fullness.”
Jesus went from one place to another……
The mission of Jesus is a mission of love and service to humanity and the whole of
creation. It is a self-giving love that entailed much sacrifice - his life. This self-giving is an
unconditional caring that has the safety of His friends as its core value. It does not turn back
when trouble comes. In fact, Jesus dies so that His friends might live. This unbreakable
communion that is characterized by His total self-giving is the quality that makes Him the Good
Shepherd. The shepherd dies; the sheep are safe. The Father’s life, which is essentially love
flows into Jesus, and the life of the Father and Jesus flows into Jesus’ friends. So the Father’s
self-giving into the Son results in the Son’s self-giving into His friends. The completeness and
transcendence of this self-giving is revealed when the Good Shepherd gives Himself totally in
the act of dying. In His death, the love of the Father is revealed as sustaining and transforming
the friends of Jesus through their own death.
This is how the Father’s life and love works in and through Jesus. Jesus freely enters
into the realm of death. His resurrection will be His continued life in the community of friends
who have received His sacrificial dying into their hearts. This is the Father’s plan for the
revelation of divine love and the unity of all peoples. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, is enacting it
(Knox, Ian, 2011). Drawing from the inspiration set by Jesus, the Good Shepherd, the apostles
and the Church continued the mission of bringing the Gospel to God’s children in the different
parts of the world despite difficulties. The Church continues serving the world through her life-
giving ministry, especially the poorest of the poor.
In the recent Magisterium of the Church in Vatican II, Evangelii Nuntiandi,

Redemptoris Missio and recent trends in Mission Theology and practice, the concepts of mission
and evangelization have acquired a wider meaning and contain new dimensions and emphasis.
This is clearly noticeable in the various initiatives mentioned in the responses which deal with
promoting the values of the Kingdom of God, human dignity and human rights, justice and peace
issues, dialogue and sharing of religious experiences, and collaboration in the struggle for a more
just and humane society. All of these are seen as essential elements in today's new evangelisation,
which is part of the service of life rendered by the Church in Asia. Going further, Evangelii
Nuntiandi states:
“For the Church, evangelizing means bringing the Good News into all the strata of
humanity, and through its influence transforming humanity from within and making it new: "Now
I am making the whole of creation new." Strata of humanity which are transformed: for the
Church it is a question not only of preaching the Gospel in ever wider geographic areas or to
ever greater numbers of people, but also of affecting and as it were upsetting, through the power
of the Gospel, mankind's criteria of judgment, determining values, points of interest, lines of
thought, sources of inspiration and models of life, which are in contrast with the Word of God
and the plan of salvation.” (E.N. # 19-20)
Entering into the different strata of humanity is clearly observed by the CICM. Since the
beginning, from the time of its Founder, the direction is clear - that the missionaries go to where
they are most needed. Their missionary work is always carried in response to a need. Such
commitment, like that of the Founder and the early members of the congregation could even
cause the loss of their lives yet, the zeal and dedication to serve the needy is never extinguished.
“Unless the seed dies, it remains alone, but if it dies, it yields fruit, a hundredfold.” The CICM
commits to the same mission of bringing the Gospel to God’s children in the most remote areas
of the world - in Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas, living and working together
in multicultural communities as brothers, continuing this long tradition of caring for God’s
poorest and most neglected people in many parts of the world and of sharing the hope and
comfort of the Gospel while relieving their suffering. This is the actualization of the challenge to
bring the Gospel of Christ to where they are needed - into all the strata of humanity, leading to
social transformation.
Therefore, all missionaries - priests, Brothers, Sisters, and lay folk - each according to
their own state, should be prepared and trained, lest they be found unequal to the demands of
their future work. From the very beginning, their doctrinal training should be so planned that it
takes in both the universality of the Church and the diversity of the world's nations. This holds
for all of their studies by which they are prepared for the exercise of the ministry, as also for the
other studies which it would be useful for them to learn, that they may have a general knowledge
of the peoples, cultures, and religions; not only a knowledge that looks to the past, but one that
considers the present time. For anyone who is going to encounter another people should have a
great esteem for their patrimony and their language and their customs. It is very necessary for
the future missionary to devote himself to missiological studies: that is, to know the teachings
and norms of the Church concerning missionary activity, to know along what roads the heralds
of the Gospel have run in the course of the centuries, and also what is the present condition of
the missions, and what methods are considered more effective at the present time.(8) (Ad Gentes,
Chapter IV # 26, on Missionaries).
Building up a community with all those who collaborate with the CICM in their work,
their parishes, schools and missions is always an important and enriching element of their life.
Sharing the joys and sorrows, hopes and dreams of those to whom they were sent brings them
something precious: they learned to respect other cultures, to ‘feel at home’ in other cultures,
to join and walk side by side with people of other cultures. They are ready to leave their family,
their people and their culture in order to devote themselves forever to another people, to learn
their language and integrate themselves to the extent possible into their culture. Adopting their
language, food and customs, they inculturate themselves into the life of the people, participating
in the day-to-day effort needed to achieve lasting spiritual and material change. Their mission
country becomes a second homeland for them.
A challenge that cannot be avoided by any missionary is clearly stated in the Church
document, Ad Gentes: “Announcing the Gospel to all nations, he confidently makes known the
mystery of Christ, whose ambassador he is, so that in him he dares to speak as he ought (cf. Eph.
6:19; Acts 4:31), not being ashamed of the scandal of the Cross. Following in his Master's
footsteps, meek and humble of heart, he proves that His yoke is easy and His burden light (Matt.
11:29ff.) By a truly evangelical life,(4) in much patience, in long - suffering, in kindness, in
unaffected love (cf. 2 Cor. 6:4ff.), he bears witness to his Lord, if need be to the shedding of his
blood. He will ask of God the power and strength, that he may know that there is an overflowing
of joy amid much testing of tribulation and deep poverty (2 Cor. 8:2). Let him be convinced that
obedience is the hallmark of the servant of Christ, who redeemed the human race by His
obedience.” (Ad Gentes,Chapter IV, # 24, on Missionaries)
“One of the basic reasons for the missionary engagement for the majority of the
confreres is their concern to serve the poorest, to struggle with them and for them, so that the
poor may live a liberated life, in dignity and solidarity. Christ was on the side of the poor and in
their being with the poor, they meet Him. For many confreres, the joy of their vocation is to live
in the midst of oppressed and crushed peoples, with whom they feel very close and whom they
deeply love.” (Silhouettes and Profiles, coll.: “CICM Spirituality”, no4, The CICM missionaries
cherish the spirit of the radical availability of the first generations of CICM missionaries who left
their home country, often to never return, and placed themselves at the service of the poorest and
most vulnerable in Mongolia or Congo. They dare to hope that in any case this radical
availability will remain specific for the CICM of the future. It’s a radical availability that could
take even the highest sacrifice of one’s life for the cause of the mission which some of the
confreres went through.
The following are crucial dates in the history of the CICM from the date the founder
died:
1888 – they breached the 100 mark and because of the demand for missionaries in other
countries, the CICM expanded its missionary work
- established its mission in Congo.
1907 – started the mission in the Philippines.
1931 – Singapore, mission for seafarers and promote inter-religious dialogue.
1937 – Indonesia, founded a Catechetical Institute, minor seminary and an agricultural
school.
During WW II - Fr. Ernest Dieltiens was sent to the United States to ask for financial support
for the China missions and to find areas of ministry.
- Father Raskin, ordained in the congregation in 1910, and in the 1920-1930's,
a missionary to Inner Mongolia, was made a chaplain in the Belgian
army and was a personal advisor to King Leopold III. While he was
operating under the codename Leopold Vindictive 200 for the Dutch
Resistance in 1942, he was captured by the Gestapo, tried, convicted, then
sentenced to death and beheaded on October 18, 1943.
- The Scheutveld priests and brothers have faced severe perils, e.g. the Boxer
Rebellion in China, involving the massacre of Bishop Hamer, Vicar Apostolic of
South-Western Mongolia, seven missionaries and 3000 Christians; the even greater
decimation of their numbers by the Congo climate, not to mention the persecution of
the missionaries and their local congregations. In connection with their missions the
Fathers opened a number of benevolent institutions, for example the hospital at St-
Trudon, Upper Kassai, for those afflicted with sleeping sickness.
April 1946 - Eventually it was decided to establish a permanent CICM mission in the U.S.
Father Dieltiens bought an eleven-acre property called “Lyonhurst,” after its
former owner, Mr. Lyons. Later on, the name was changed to “Missionhurst.”
Hence, the CICM missionaries are known as Missionhurst missionaries in the US.
1948, after World War II, the CICM responded to the invitation of the Bishop of Osaka, and
started ministering to the Japanese people. Among the different works of the CICM in
Japan, inter-religious dialogue is of utmost importance.
1953, the CICM sent missionaries to Haiti. Haiti is known as the poorest country in the
Americas. Their mission is focused on family, youth apostolate, and JPIC.
1954, after the CICM was expelled from communist China, some CICM missionaries
decided to go to Hong Kong and Taiwan. In that same year, the CICM also established
its mission in Guatemala.
1958, Filipino CICMs were among the pioneering group of CICM missionaries that started
mission work in Dominican Republic.
1963 - Brazil started to welcome CICM Missionaries.
1966 - The first team of CICM missionaries arrived in Cameroon.
1976 - Zambia and Senegal were added to the growing number of CICM mission stations.
1977 - Nigeria welcomed CICM missionaries.
1979 - Mexico also welcomed new CICM missionaries.
1990 - CICM missionaries embarked on a new mission in Chad.
1992 - The arrival of CICM missionaries started the Catholic Church’s presence in Mongolia
1995 - Angola
1999 - Mozambique became part of the CICM missions
2012 - the CICM turns 150 years.
Reiterating what has been mentioned earlier, there are almost a thousand of them present
in Asia (Taiwan, Mongolia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia and Japan), in the
vast continent of Africa (Congo, Cameroon, Zambia, and Senegal), in the Americas (Haiti, the
Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Brazil, Mexico and the United States), and in Europe
(Belgium, Netherlands, Italy, France)
COUNTRIES IN WHICH THE CICM MISSIONAIRES ARE CURRENTLY PRESENT
Going to these mission areas has not always been easy to the CICM missionaries but their
zeal, dedication, and enthusiasm to their ministry remain admirable, drawing inspiration from
their founder and Jesus himself, the greatest missionary. Such inspiration makes mission work
bearable and meaningful in their different mission stations in the world.
1. Asia
Outside of the Philippines and East Timor, Asia is non-Christian. The first mission
territory of the CICM, China, is today a vast ocean of official atheism forced into folk
religion/Confucian beliefs, and what remains of Buddhism. In many parts of Asia, persons
belonging to ethnic groups such as tribals, indigenous peoples and minorities based on race,
religion, culture, etc., are victims of the injustice of discrimination. In some countries, caste
practices have isolated for centuries whole sections of populations, leaving a consequent
psychological, cultural and economic trauma on the social conscience. Another concern brings
our attention to the particular problem created by discrimination against women and girl
children. Obviously, a degrading and inhuman poverty, along with its consequent inequalities in
many parts of Asia, is also among the most glaring and saddening phenomena of the continent. A
great source of hope comes from many of the Church's religious orders and congregations who
have made a major contribution to the growth of the local Churches in Asia through their mission
of evangelization. Religious sisters and brothers, by their love and unselfish service to those who
suffer from poverty in its many forms, have contributed to nourishing the faith of many in the
Church in Asia. It is in the context of the socio-economic realities, its political history and
present situation, and in the context of its multi-religious traditions that the CICM carries out its
evangelizing mission. Indeed, the missionary presence of the CICM is very noticeable, especially
in the Philippines.
CICM missionaries spend their lives with their people, sharing in their hopes and dreams
as well as their sufferings and privations. Adopting their language, food and customs,
they inculturate themselves into the life of the people, participating in the day-to-day effort
needed to achieve lasting spiritual and material change. In response to people’s spiritual needs,
CICM missionaries may staff parishes, administer sacraments, teach, preach, and engage in
special ministries to the youth, the sick and aged, prisoners and university students. In response
to people’s material needs, CICM missionaries may help to build schools or orphanages,
dispensaries or nutritional centers, or they may engage in projects to improve a farmer’s yield or
to bring clean water to a village. This means the CICM missionaries take upon themselves to
bring the Good News of Christ to where they are needed - into all the strata of humanity, leading
to social transformation.
Flags of CICM Asian Mission Stations
Hong Kong Indonesia Japan Mongolia Philippines Singapore Taiwan
2. Africa
The continent of Africa borders the southern half of the Mediterranean Sea. The Atlantic
Ocean is to the west and the Indian Ocean is to the Southeast. Africa stretches well south of the
equator to cover more than 12 million square miles making Africa the world's second largest
continent. Africa is also the world's second most populous continent. Africa is one of the most
diverse places on the planet with a wide variety of terrain, wildlife, and climates. (Map is to be
shown.)
The continent is generally young and poor; most of the fifty-plus countries/republics
emerged after World War II, and bad governments are not able to deal with the vicious cycle of
poverty. Aside from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (1888), the CICM is also in
Cameroon (1966), Senegal (1976), and Zambia (1976); there are three CICM Provinces in
Africa.
The CICM call to Africa was to pioneer in terms of penetrating tribes in the area,
catechizing and baptizing them, and providing them with socio-economic infrastructure. The
Congregation early on developed the native clergy, and today sends African missionaries all over
the world.
CICM missionaries like Fr. Oscar Nkolo lives and work among people living in dire
poverty. Most of them have no money to cover basic necessities, much less medical care. The
elderly are frequently abandoned by their families, and sick children are left to die. Little
children wander the streets begging, looking for affection, scouring trash bins for scraps of food.
Bright children-the hope of the country’s future-drop out of school, because they cannot afford to
pay tuition and other school fees. CICM ministry in Africa revolves around the three specific
domains as follows:
a. Justice, Peace, Ecology - The Church strives since her beginning for peace and justice. Only
lately the Wholeness of Creation has been added to this because of its necessity in the world
of today. These themes are therefore also our themes as CICM and we try to implement them
wherever we work.
b. Reflections - Reflection is part of spiritual life. Taking your time to stand still and let your
mind wander about your thoughts and actions of the day, and to get inspiration from the Bible
or other sacred and spiritual literature is essential to live in this world without being caught
up into it
c. In the Frontline - As CICM missionaries we love to be at the frontline of society, to answer to
the needs of the people and to see, discern, and act with them. There are many fields in which
we are active, such as parish life, education, youth ministry, inter religious dialogue, and so
on.
Flags of CICM African Mission Stations
Cameroon D.R. of Congo Senegal Zambia
3. The Americas
The Americas are an evangelized region; the North is mostly Protestant, while Mexico,
Central and South America are Catholic. The overall percentage of Catholics is 63.7%,
according to latest Vatican statistics. The work of evangelization then in Haiti (1953), Guatemala
(1954), Dominican Republic (1958), Brazil (1963), and Mexico (1979) by CICM missionaries,
who make up one Province, takes the form of restoring the dignity of Indians and shepherding
the people in rural villages and towns, and in slums, working to eradicate poverty in the form of
ignorance and malnutrition.
During World War II, anxious for the survival of our missionaries in China and hoping
to provide them with Mass stipends from the U.S., Father Ernest Dieltiens was sent to the United
States to seek financial support for the CICM China missions and to find areas of ministry.
Eventually it was decided to establish a permanent CICM mission in the U.S. In April
1946, Father Dieltiens was able to buy an eleven-acre property called “Lyonhurst,” for its former
owner, Mr. Frank Lyons. The name was then changed to “Missionhurst.” The concentration of the
CICM - US Province is doing apostolate among Mexican Americans and Blacks, and in rural parishes.
In response to the people’s most urgent need, Missionhurst missionaries may start a
new farming project, build a clean water supply line, work to improve nutrition and health,
establish a loving home for orphans and abandoned children, start a leadership training program
or a sheltered workshop for the handicapped, or provide “seed” money to village entrepreneurs
struggling to start small businesses. Or they may build a new chapel, seminary, or school.
As trusted members of the communities in their care, they work in close cooperation
with local churches to promote Christian values, human dignity, self-reliance, and a decent
standard of living, while sharing the hope and comfort of the Gospel. Missionhurst priests and
brothers are sent wherever our missionary presence is most needed.
The CICM - US Mission: Dedicated to sharing the hope and comfort of the Gospel, while
relieving the suffering of our poorest, most neglected brothers and sisters in Christ. This is
expressed in their statement:
“We love and respect the people to whom we are sent. We adopt a listening attitude and
try to gain a knowledge and understanding of their socio-economic, political, cultural and
religious realities. We foster attitudes which reflect these values, and cooperate with initiatives
which promote them. Through dialogue, we mutually purify and strengthen our values and their
expression. Wherever we work and whatever our specific tasks, we try to respond to situations of
misery, injustice and oppression and to understand their causes. In our work for a new world we
are always inspired by the Lord Jesus and his Gospel.”
Flags of CICM American Mission Stations
Brazil Dominican Republic Guatemala Haiti Mexico United States
4. Europe
Europe is the second smallest of the inhabited continents. It is part of the Eurasian
land mass that includes Europe, Asia, Asia Minor and the Arabian Peninsula. As many large
islands east and south of Asia are usually included in Asia, the Eurasian land mass extends from
Iceland to New Guinea, from the Atlantic to the Pacific and from the Arctic to the Indian Oceans.
Traditionally, the Ural mountains in Russia have been used as a division. This line then had to
curve back through the Caspian and Black Seas to avoid leaving Turkey in Europe. The fact that
this separated Christian Europe from Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist Asia is not coincidental. With
the creation of many new countries from the collapse of the Soviet Union the division is more
difficult as so many want to be included in Europe for economic reasons. In order to show
complete countries only we have included Russia in Asia, where most of its area lies, rather than
in Europe.
Europe was where it all started, where the idea was conceived, in the neighborhood
of Scheut in Brussels, Belgium. Since the beginning Belgium has contributed much to the ad
extra missionary effort of the CICM, proof of the generous spirit of the country, and of the times.
And these valiant men have made a difference in the life of the people wherever they worked.
Sadly, as is the general phenomenon in Europe, secularism has crept in. Hardly are there new
CICM missionary vocations in the country. In fact Belgium has become a receiving country, of
missionaries from countries evangelized by Belgians. The “New Evangelization” aptly now fits
the country.
To the CICM missionaries in Europe, personal and community prayer life and the daily
Eucharist are for most of them a lasting source of life and vigor. They know that all their labors
and pains at the service of the Kingdom have value only if the Lord of the harvest blesses them.
And when all is said and done, they recognize that without Him they would be useless servants.
Building up a community with all those who collaborate with the CICM in their work,
their parishes, schools and missions is always an important and enriching element of their life.
Sharing the joys and sorrows of those to whom they were sent brings them something precious:
they learned to respect other cultures, to ‘feel at home’ in other cultures, to join and walk side by
side with people of other cultures. They are ready to leave their family, their people and their
culture in order to devote themselves forever to another people, to learn their language and
integrate themselves to the extent possible into their culture. Their mission country becomes a
second homeland for them.
Availability for service to the local church is an important attitude for the CICM-Europe.
Especially caring service to the poor and the marginalized is seen and experienced as a priority
since the beginnings of their Congregation. “One of the basic reasons for the missionary
engagement for the majority of the confreres is their concern to serve the poorest, to struggle
with them and for them, so that the poor may live a liberated life, in dignity and solidarity. Christ
was on the side of the poor and in their being with the poor, they meet Him. For many confreres,
the joy of their vocation is to live in the midst of oppressed and crushed peoples, with whom they
feel very close and whom they deeply love.” (Silhouettes and Profiles, coll.: “CICM
Spirituality”, no4, The CICM missionaries cherish the spirit of the radical availability of the first
generations of CICM missionaries who left their home country, often to never return, and placed
themselves at the service of the poorest and most vulnerable in Mongolia or Congo. They dare to
hope that in any case this radical availability will remain specific for the CICM of the future.
Flags of CICM European Mission Stations
Belgium France Italy Netherlands Vatican City
We can participate actively in the missionary endeavors of the Church and in particular, the
CICM by:
1. Becoming a true missionary at home and in the community by being sensitive to their
existing needs and responding to them positively.
2. Supporting the different missionary advocacies of the CICM, especially the advocacy that
is assigned to our school.
3. Involvement in the “random acts of kindness” (RAK) project of the school.
4. Participate and give generously in the “mission drive” of the school, especially during the
mission month as our way of showing solidarity with missionaries worldwide.
5. Adopt a CICM missionary and write a message (encouraging message to inspire him in his
ministry).
Learning the song: “Be NOT AFRAID”
References:
York:
Costello Publishing Co., 1984
2007.
Rome, 1988.
Press, 1995.
Godefroy Mukieng-a Kalond, CICM: “A CICM Bishop and Mission Ad Gentes: The Experience
of Missionary Commitment in the Democratic Republic of Congo”, Chapter IV, and Laurent
Mpongo, CICM: “The Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (CICM) and the
Formation of the Local Clergy in Congo (1916-1955)” in Christ is Calling Me 150 Years of
Service in God’s Mission 1862-2012. Makati: St. Pauls Philippines. 2012
http://www.cicm-mission.org/en/about-cicm/who-are-we
LESSON 2: Distinct Contributions of the CICM to the World
Group Activity: (Groups of 5-10 members)
Each group is given a certain task to do (work on a puzzle, act out a certain situation,
solve a certain dilemma, etc.). Let the students work on their own problems/tasks. No further
instructions. (This is to allow the students to use their potentials, initiatives in performing their
respective roles). In the processing, let the students recognize who among them emerged as a
leader, initiator, facilitator, innovator, etc. These are the qualities which are expected to come out
in relation to the contributions of the CICM to the World.
Sample task to work on: Brain Teaser Activity

The Mission of the Twelve (Lk 9:1-6)
“He… gave them power and authority over all demons and to
cure diseases, and He sent them to proclaim the kingdom of God,
to heal the sick… Take nothing with you for the trip: no walking stick,
no beggar’s bag, no food, no money, not even an extra shirt…
The disciples left and travelled through all the villages, preaching the
Good News and healing people everywhere.”
Jesus entrusted the mission of evangelization to His disciples and they accepted it.
Preaching, teaching and deeds of power (healings and exorcisms) are three expressions of the
kingdom proclamation. The twelve, symbolizing the twelve tribes of Israel are sent out
primarily to form an alternative community based on the new teaching of divine holiness.
It is this “new teaching – with authority!” that Jesus has given the twelve. This is what
they have assimilated, and this is what they are asked to share with others. In order to be
successful, the new way of thinking and acting they have learned from Jesus must be
integrated. How they work with people to create a more inclusive sense of community is as
important as healing and exorcising. Therefore, Jesus gives them instructions which are both
practical and symbolic. They must go out as witnesses to the new way of life Jesus has
inaugurated. Walking stick and sandals both facilitate travel yet they were instructed to take
nothing for the trip, and they are to spread the Good News from place to place. They are not to
settle down. Their single tunic captures this single-mindedness: they are men on a mission.
Without bread, bag and money, they become part of those in need. Their lack of provisions
elicits the compassion that is the cornerstone of the new community.
Such mission which Jesus entrusted to the disciples is liberating, transforming,
salvific. It liberates man from all forms of miseries, and evil. It penetrates all dimensions and
strata of life. Christ, our Savior, is an evangelizer, one who teaches and proclaims the Good
News of salvation. As an evangelizer, He proclaims the kingdom of God and the center of His
Good News is salvation, this great gift of God which is liberation from everything that
oppresses man but which is above all liberation from sin and the Evil One. This He did
throughout His ministry, marked by service. Jesus served the needs of the people of His time
and He still serves our needs. As He serves our needs, so must we serve one another’s needs
and carry on His work in the world (Knox, Ian. 2011).
The Church and all her members must participate in this evangelizing and liberating
mission , drawn from the very mission of Christ, the greatest evangelizer. Witnessing to the
Gospel is always given importance. Doing this entails a personal conversion which begins from
one’s own heart, for such is the demand of the kingdom which Jesus inaugurated. What then,
are the characteristics of the kingdom? Today, we can start reflecting on some questions that
point to the reality of the kingdom. Are the poor not discriminated by the society? Are the sick
being tended to and cared for? Are there people trying to make peace? Are there people who
promote justice and are prepared to die to see it accomplished? Are there people and
institutions committed to healing brokenness and alienation? In other words, are there people
today trying to carry on the work of Jesus? Do we give our share or contribution for the
promotion of the kingdom? If we want transformation, then it must begin with an urgency to
change one’s own heart first. “We cannot teach the demands of the kingdom to others if we do
not exert effort to live by its principles (Knox, Ian, 2011).”
It is therefore our duty to work for the accomplishment of such salvation for all
peoples by eliminating poverty, injustice and oppression, enslavement of peoples by war,
exploitation of the powerless by the greedy. We have to make the salvation offered by God a
reality. Jesus has brought salvation; we are living in the new age of salvation. We should be
experiencing its effects now; otherwise, how could we possibly experience the grace of Christ,
which makes our life better now?
Reiterating what the Church documents tell us, “For the Church, evangelizing means
bringing the Good News into all the strata of humanity, and through its influence transforming
humanity from within and making it new: "Now I am making the whole of creation new." (E.N.
18)
Such a challenge of bringing social transformation is clear. This is a call to all the
faithful of God, a call to renew His entire creation. In their response to such call, the CICM
missionaries, particularly in the Philippines are one in saying; “We – the CICM Philippine
Province, an International Community of Religious Missionaries dedicated to the Incarnate
Word under the patronage of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, with the inspiration of Théophile
Verbist and his companions, and sent to the nations particularly to where we are most needed –
commit ourselves to proclaim Christ and foster the missionary consciousness of the local church
through our joyful and prophetic witness, and to keep alive a pioneering spirit in our
involvements.” This they realize in the different ministries/apostolates and advocacies they have
in the different areas of the world where they are stationed - pastoral, health care, education,
interreligious dialogue, IP’s, etc. Their witnessing to the Gospel of Christ is a powerful means of
bringing social transformation. As missionaries, they have their distinct contributions to the
world such as pioneering/daring spirit, multi-culturality, and social transformation.
1.Pioneering/Daring Spirit
The CICM manifests the kind of leadership she assumes in the world. It is a
kind of leadership that is rooted in the tradition of “One Heart, One Soul.” CICM
leadership can be described essentially as one of inner strength (interiority) and greatness
of the soul (magnanimity). The strength that empowers the CICM leadership comes from
participating in the source of the mission itself: Dei missio, while the grace that sustains
the CICM leadership derives from unconditional service to others. With a wholehearted
and animated disposition, CICM missionaries continue to serve God’s people with a brand
of leadership that strengthens and gives hope to the world for the coming of God’s reign.
The CICM missionaries exemplify the pioneering and daring spirit
of the CICM, who dare to go, and to do, where others and what others do not,
or did not yet. In the Philippines the CICM started and built many mission
stations in the Mountain Provinces, which was largely unreached by Spanish
missionaries. Thus the region was opened to evangelization. But as the
Church in that region grows, or after they have “planted the seed” the CICM
handed over the territory to the local Church.
2.Multi-culturality
A fundamental aspect of the vocation of a CICM priest or brother is to live in a

multicultural community in a culture which is not his own but which he must embrace, while
endeavoring to work to unify humankind as children of the same Father, thus making present the
Kingdom of God.
Such ‘mark’ of multiculturality makes the CICM an inclusive community
working for the promotion of God’s kingdom. Their missionary work is always carried in
response to a need. The CICM commits to the same mission of bringing the Gospel to
God’s children in the most remote areas of the world - in Asia, Africa, Europe and the
Americas, living and working together in multicultural communities as brothers,
continuing this long tradition of caring for God’s poorest and most neglected people in
many parts of the world and of sharing the hope and comfort of the Gospel while
relieving their suffering. This is the actualization of the challenge to bring the Gospel of
Christ to where they are needed - into all the strata of humanity, leading to social
transformation.
CICM Missionaries in the Philippines, indicative of multi-culturality
3. Social Transformation
a. The work of the CICM towards social transformation is rooted in the consecration of the
Congregation to the Incarnate Word, who responds to the love of God by uniting all of
humanity into a single family of brothers and sisters. To work for social transformation is
to respond to the invitation to continue Christ’s mission of redemption for the gradual
realization of the Kingdom, a Kingdom of justice and love, of peace and joy.
b. The list of endeavors of the CICM missionaries geared towards social transformation is
endless. Foremost among these is the education apostolate, which is a part of youth
ministry. The advocacy for interreligious dialogue in Asia, for indigenous peoples in the
Philippines and in Guatemala, for the Latinos and Blacks in the USA, for Haitian migrant
workers in the Dominican Republic, and for the physically challenged and lepers, are also
directed towards social transformation. In fact they could all be subsumed under the
heading of Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation. CICM’s have also been engaged in
special projects in nature conservation, agriculture, livelihood.
In this work for social transformation, the Founder himself, Fr. Theophile Verbist
recognized it necessary for one to be transformed first to become truly an effective agent
of transformation. Again, going back to the message of Fr. Theophile to his sister Elisa he
wrote: “The missionary would jeopardize the success of his efforts if, before attempting
to reform the world around him, he would not first study matters in silence, observe with
care, and, above all, exercise an enduring patience.” It is from this experience that he
would challenge the novices in Belgium to test their vocation well. They have to make
sure their vocation is rooted in a pure love of God.
“One of the basic reasons for the missionary engagement for the majority of the
confreres is their concern to serve the poorest, their uncompromising commitment to the
poor, to struggle with them and for them, so that the poor may live a liberated life, in
dignity and solidarity. Christ was on the side of the poor and in their being with the poor,
they meet Him. For many confreres, the joy of their vocation is to live in the midst of
oppressed and crushed peoples, with whom they feel very close and whom they deeply
love.” (Silhouettes and Profiles, coll.: “CICM Spirituality”, no4, The CICM missionaries
cherish the spirit of the radical availability of the first generations of CICM missionaries
who left their home country, often to never return, and placed themselves at the service of
the poorest and most vulnerable in Mongolia or Congo. They dare to hope that in any
case this radical availability will remain specific for the CICM of the future. It’s a radical
availability that could take even the highest sacrifice of one’s life for the cause of the
mission which some of the confreres went through.
Clearly, the CICM institute generously responded to this call to build
the Church. From the writings and examples of Founder Fr. Théophile Verbist and from the
various official documents of the Congregation, the CICM continually draws relevant
insights for missionary directions in the face of new challenges.“The general purpose of
the Congregation is the conversion of the non-Christians, but its specific aim is the
preaching of the faith to the Chinese and the salvation of the many abandoned children,”
reveals Fr Verbist of the reason for the establishment of the CICM in 1862. That is, faithful
to the inspiration of the Founder to dedicate lives and efforts as members of CICM
communities to the proclamation of the Gospel values and to the care of the marginalized
and the poor.
Hence, at the core of CICM character are –
1) A Christ-centered spirituality for the mission;
2) A missionary activity integrated into the whole pastoral work of the Church;
3) The evangelization of cultures through quality education;
4) A proactive stance in support for people’s natural and cultural heritage; and,
5) Solidarity with the poor through the establishment of an inclusive society.
Inspired by Christ and the CICM missionaries, our concrete contribution for social
transformation can come in different ways/forms:
1. Discovering first our distinct gifts and talents in order to be able to identify ways of using them for
the cause of the kingdom.
2. Use one’s leadership in promoting the welfare of fellow students such as initiating/spearheading
projects for the studentry like peer tutoring, peer counselling, etc.
3. Participating in the different Church ministries - as altar servers, choir members, lectors,
commentators, ushers/usherettes, etc. For a meaningful liturgical celebrations.
4. Joining groups/organizations which serve the cause of street children and out of school youth to
bring about genuine social transformation.
5. Using the social media responsibly for the dissemination of cause-oriented advocacies locally and
globally like “Greeneration”, “NO” to Coal-fired Power Plants for JPIC, etc.
References:
Austin, Flannery, OP (Gen. Ed.), “Vatican Council II: The Conciliar Documents”. Vol 1, New
2007.
Rome, 1988.
Press, 1995.
Rev. Fr. Amigleo, Ernesto, CICM, “Journey from Mission Church to Local Church in Christ is
Calling Me 150 Years of Service in God’s Mission 1862-2012”. Makati: St. Pauls
Philippines. 2012.
Rev. Fr. Mpongo, Laurent, CICM, “The Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (CICM)
and the Formation of the Local Clergy in Congo (1916-1955) in Christ is Calling Me 150
Years of Service in God’s Mission 1862-2012”. Makati: St. Pauls Philippines. 2012.
http://www.cicm-mission.org/en/about-cicm/who-are-we
CHAPTER III. CICM in the Philippines
This Chapter traces the story of the growth and development, as well as the setbacks, of
the CICM since they set foot in the Philippines in 1907. Significant persons, events, and
accomplishments are mentioned, with the view of eliciting appreciation from the students of
how these zealous missionaries, imbued with the spirituality of dedication to the the
Incarnate Word, and under the patronage of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, struggled to do
their “beautiful mission” in these Islands.
Lesson 1: The Stages of Growth
Activity: Beforehand, let the students (by group/parish/Church) research on the history of their
parish/Church. Let them relate in class any striking detail/event/story, and what do they learn
from it.
OR
Activity : The teacher distributes anecdotes from the booklets of Fr.Rex C. Salvilla Missionary
Heart and Aches (2008), and Missionary Guts and Bellies (2012) to the students, individually
or by groups of two or more. Let the students narrate in their own words what the anecdote is all
about. The objective is for the students to have a glimpse into the joyful yet difficult lives of
missionaries of long ago.
The Mission Statement of Jesus (Lk. 4:18-20)
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has chosen Me

to bring Good News to the poor… to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind… set free the oppressed and announce
the that the time has come when the Lord will save His people…”
It is evident in the reading that in His inner consciousness, Jesus understood
that He had a mission from His Father to preach the Good News of God’s reign and to work for
the establishment of that reign. He was totally faithful to that vision. He understood that His
mission was to do the will of God, and He pursued that goal with a single-minded fidelity that
He foresaw would bring Him into conflict with the secular and religious powers. It was this deep
human integrity that brought about His destruction.
Such mission of Jesus is liberating, transforming, salvific. It liberates man from

all forms of miseries, and evil. It penetrates all dimensions and strata of life. Christ, our Savior, is
an evangelizer, one who teaches and proclaims the Good News of salvation. As an evangelizer,
He proclaims the kingdom of God and the center of His Good News is salvation, this great gift of
God which is liberation from everything that oppresses man but which is above all liberation
from sin and the Evil One. This He did throughout His ministry, marked by service. Jesus served
the needs of the people of His time and He still serves our needs. As He serves our needs, so
must we serve one another’s needs and carry on His work in the world (Knox, Ian. 2011).
The Church and all her members must participate in this evangelizing and
liberating mission , drawn from the very mission of Christ, the greatest evangelizer. Witnessing
to the Gospel is always given importance. Doing this entails a personal conversion which begins
from one’s own heart, for such is the demand of the kingdom which Jesus inaugurated. What
then, are the characteristics of the kingdom? Today, we can start reflecting on some questions
that point to the reality of the kingdom. Are the poor not discriminated by the society? Are the
sick being tended to and cared for? Are there people trying to make peace? Are there people who
promote justice and are prepared to die to see it accomplished? Are there people and institutions
committed to healing brokenness and alienation? In other words, are there people today trying to
carry on the work of Jesus? Do we give our share or contribution for the promotion of the
kingdom? If we want transformation, then it must begin with an urgency to change one’s own
heart first. “We cannot teach the demands of the kingdom to others if we do not exert effort to
live by its principles (Knox, Ian, 2011).”
It is therefore our duty to work for the accomplishment of such salvation for all
peoples by eliminating poverty, injustice and oppression, enslavement of peoples by war,
exploitation of the powerless by the greedy. We have to make the salvation offered by God a
reality. Jesus has brought salvation; we are living in the new age of salvation. We should be
experiencing its effects now; otherwise, how could we possibly experience the grace of Christ,
which makes our life better now?
Ad Gentes Divinitus 1-5. The universal plan of God for humankind which
is salvation entails the missionary nature of the Church; from the very beginning God
had called women and men to be in the forefront of the ad extra missionary work, to
reach out to the frontiers, to go where there is the greatest need. That is exactly what
the CICM did when they accepted the invitation to do mission in the Philippines.
Their missionary presence here could be roughly divided into three stages:
(1) The Pioneers (1907 to 1930’s): the arrival of the first missionaries; the
beginnings of missionary work in Baguio and Benguet, Cervantes and Tagudin,
Mountain Province, Ifugao, and Nueva Vizcaya, and in Manila; the Philippine
Mission becoming a CICM Province; the First World War; the Catholic School
Press; the beginnings of Saint Louis University and Saint Mary University; and,
the new Diocese of Tuguegarao entrusted to a CICM bishop.
(2) Growth (1930’s to 1960’s): the creation of the Apostolic Prefecture of the
Mountain Province; the ordination of the first native priest of the Montanosa; the
Second World War; the change of the Prefecture Apostolic into an Apostolic
Vicariate; the foundation of the Congregation (later Sisters) of the Immaculate
Heart of Mary/Tuding Sisters; the start of the novitiate program; the transfer of
the Provincialate to Quezon City; the foundation of Maryhurst Seminary; the
beginnings of St. Louis Colleges in San Fernando, Tuguegarao, (later University
of St. Louis) and Mandaue; the ordination of the first Filipino CICM missionary.
(3) Expansion (1960’s to the present): the first Filipino CICMs left for ad extra
mission in Brazil; the creation of the Prelature of Bayombong; the opening of
Maryhill School of Theology; the appointment of the first Filipino Provincial; the
separation of the Missionaries of Jesus.
VIDEO CLIPS ON: The Nine Pioneers
HISTORY OF MARYHURST
HISTORY OF MARYSHORE
ST. JOSEPH CHURCH IN KALINGA
Having known the great sacrifices of the CICM missionaries in coming to the
Philippines I would express my gratitude to them by not easily complaining about the
discomforts brought about by the weather (rainy or hot), calmly accepting the fact that I do not
live with a parent because he/she is laboring abroad for me, respecting differences in culture,
language, religion, etc.
References:
Bulatao, Romano, et.al., “The CICM Pioneers in the Philippines”, in Growing as a Missionary
Church.” CICM Publishing House, Philippines. 2013.

2007.
Rome, 1988.
Depre, Albert, CICM. “From a Tiny Shoot: The History of the RP CICM Province 1907-1982”.
CICM Philippines.
Press, 1995.
“The CICM Story in the Philippine Setting” in 365 Days with the Lord 2007, CICM Centennial
Edition. Makati: St. Pauls, 2007.
Lesson 2: Distinct Contributions of CICM Philippines
Activity: Let the students share about their gifts or achievements . . .

We are endowed with gifts unique to everyone. These gifts or talents are given for a
purpose. They are meant to be used and shared or the service of the people.
1 Cor 12:4-11(Unity and Variety):
Different forms of service but the same Lord
Or
Mt 25:14-30 (The Parable of the Talents)
The Holy Spirit is responsible for the various talents needed in the ministry; different
skills and talents are necessary in spreading the Gospel. It is that same Spirit who unites the
many different peoples into one body, the Church. In this Church, we all have received the power
of God’s Spirit to do what God instructs us to do. Jesus Himself speaks positively about
developing the gifts and talents with which we have been blessed by the Lord.
In the Church, there is diversity. Some are called to become teachers, dispensers of the
mysteries and pastors for others. And it highlights the sharing and mutual interaction in the
Church. Between the different parts of the Church there is a bond of close communion whereby
spiritual riches , apostolic workers and temporal resources are shared. For the members of the
Church, are called upon to share their goods, according to the gift that each has received,
administer it to one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
Perfectae Caritatis 8: “In the Church there are many institutes . . . . engaged in different
kinds of apostolic work and endowed with gifts which vary according to the grace that is given
to them . . .”
The CICM missionaries in the Philippines contributed in no small measure to the
evangelizing task/mission of the Church. A number of them have left their distinct mark in
different areas of missionary endeavor. They have been recognized as builders and pioneers,
educators, catechists, seminary formators, social scientists, philosophers and theologians, and
social justice advocates.
1. Builders and Pioneers
The Christianization of the erstwhile Mountain Province was not accomplished

during the 300 years of Spanish colonization. Rather is is largely attributed to the
pioneering efforts of the CICM Fathers, from 1907 onwards. The building up of
Christian communities, the conversion of the Igorots of Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao,
Kalinga, Mountain Province, and Baguio, was accompanied by the building of
infrastructure in the form of churches, schools, chapels.
In 1911 the church in Bontoc was built by Frs. Constant Jurgens and Jules
Sepulchre.Fr. Jerome Moerman opened up the first CICM mission station of Ifugao in 1910
in the old Dominican mission of Kiangan. From 1912 on, Fr. Leo Quintelier became the
roving apostle of Benguet from his central station of Itogon. Starting from 1913, Fr.
Florimund Carlo was a true shepherd to a fast-growing flock in Baguio during the next 32
years.
A well-known and distinct landmark built by the CICM in Baguio is the Our
Lady of Atonement Cathedral, the “Twin Towers of Baguio City”
From 1948 onwards, Bishop William Brasseur, truly a builder, reconstructed the
physical plants of the Mountain Provinces missions. He established farmers’ cooperatives,
rural hospitals and dispensaries, and a Catholic school system of high schools, primary
schools, colleges and the prestigious St. Louis University. He also founded the native
Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
2. Educators/Catechists/Seminary Formators
The initiative on the education apostolate grew rapidly under the dynamic
leadership of Fr. Raphael Desmedt, the Provincial Superior from 1948 to 1957. Schools
were built wherever CICM was present. Today the five CICM universities and colleges are
a veritable presence in the North and in Cebu, making a difference in the lives of hundreds
and thousands of alumni
Bishop Constant Jurgens made a mark in the field of catechesis through his
Katecismo ti Doctrina Cristiana, the Summer Institute for Catechists, and the Inter-
Diocesan Catechism. Fr. Camilo Marivoet’s contribution is in the field of liturgical
teaching. He was in-charge of publishing texts for liturgical celebrations, most notably the
“”Pastoral Service”. He was also named the Secretary of the Episcopal Commission on
Liturgy. He wrote the Guidelines for the Eucharist approved by the CBCP in 1990. In
2007 he was awarded the rerstigious “Paul VI Award for Liturgy” by San Beda College
Early on bishops asked CICM priests to staff their seminaries, namely, the Major
Seminary of Lipa, San Carlos Major Seminary and Guadalupe Minor Seminary in Manila,
St. Joseph’s Seminary in Dumaguete,and St. Peter’s Seminary in Butuan. The Prefecture
also set up its own (St. Francis Seminary?) under Fr. Francis Lambrecht, and by 1978
(update!) 25 (update!) native priests of the Montanosa were working among their own
people. It also produced some bishops one of whom was the late Bishop Francisco Claver,
SJ. The CICM started its own novitiate in 1953, Maryhurst Seminary in 1954-1955,
Maryhill Seminary in Taytay in 1968, and Maryhill School of Theology in 1972 .
3. Social Scientists
Fr. Morice Vanoverbergh (1885 – 1982) was an illustrious missionary,

anthropologist, and linguist. Although he was not formally trained as an anthropologist, in
between his missionary duties he found time to learn firsthand and meticulously jotted
down the religious ideas, riddles, songs, and tales of the Ilocanos, Isnegs, Kankanays, and
Negritoes to whom he was assigned, and compiled them into publications about their
cultures. He also published dictionaries of the languages these people speak. (Andre De
Bleeker, CICM, “Father Morice Vanoverbergh (1885 – 1982): Illustrious Anthrpologist,
Linguist and Missionary
Fr. Francis H. Lambrecht (1895 – 1978) evangelized the Ifugaos for 17 years,
mastering their language and traditions, taught anthropology at Maryhurst, SLU, and
Baguio Colleges Foundation. His anthropological researches were published in scientific
periodicals of several universities worldwide. Among this lasting anthropological
contributions are his research on the Ifugao epic sagas which he called “remarkable pieces
of primitive literature. He was awarded a Doctorate Degree of Humane Letters, honoris
causa, by the Ateneo de Manila University in 1976. (Emiel Steels et al. “Theophile Verbist,
CICM: One Heart, One Soul”, Paris: Editions du Rameau, 1987.
4. Philosophers and Theologians
The CICM having staffed catechetical institutes and several seminaries most notably
the San Carlos Seminary till 1972, and the Maryhill School of Theology from the same year, has
produced a number of philosophers and theologians considered outstanding in their fields.
Countless seminarians, women religious, and catechists and lay theology students have been
trained by, among others, Frs. Herman de Rijs, Francis Gevers, Herman Hendrickx, Gerard
Linssen, John Liskens, John Pardou, Herman Sanderink, and Lode Wostyn
5. Social Justice Advocates

Various endeavors mirror the social justice advocacy of the CICM. The Asian Social
Institute of Fr. Francis Senden is a graduate school committed to total human development. (in
Carrying On the Mission, pp. 83-87) The Senden Home in Guinto St., Manila & the Sunflower
Children’s Center in Baguio City care are halfway homes for street children. (in Carrying On the
Mission, pp. 106-113) Frs John Couvreur and Ben Erkins were in the forefront against illegal
logging and for reforestation.
Fr. Luke Moortgat was known for his apostolate for children with special needs
6. Lay Collaborators
Paul Splingaerd was the handyman and lay helper of the pioneering group of Fr.
Verbist which left to do mission in China.
In the Philippines, some CICM missionaries are members of the Hierarchy such as
Most Rev. Carlito J. Cenzon ,CICM, DD (+), Archbishop of Baguio and Most Rev . Prudencio P.
Andaya, Jr., CICM, DD, Apostolic Vicar of Tabuk. Othersmembers of the Congregation work in
communities/parishes in different dioceses: Diocese of Antipolo, Diocese of Bacolod Diocese of
Baguio, Diocese of Bayombong, Archdiocese of Cebu, Diocese of Butuan, Diocese of Cubao,
Diocese of Ilagan, Diocese of Manila, Diocese of San Fernando de La Union, Diocese of
Novaliches, Archdiocese of Tuguegarao, Apostolic Vicariate of Tabuk, and some are in foreign
missions.
Baguio Bayombong
Cebu Butuan
Quezon City Manila
San Fernando, La Union Novaliches

Kalinga Tuguegarao
VIDEO CLIP ON: THE CICM LEGACY IN THE PHILIPPINES
I can contribute to the work of making Christ and His Gospel made known to others
through the use of the gift/s I have been endowed with. If I can sing, I can join the music
ministry in our Parish. I am an Education student, I can volunteer to catechize the children in the
public schools in our Parish. If I can read well and loudly I can be a lector.
References:
2007.
Rome, 1988.
Depre, Albert, CICM. From a Tiny Shoot: The History of the RP CICM Province 1907-1982.
CICM Philippines.
Press, 1995.
“The CICM Story in the Philippine Setting” in 365 Days with the Lord 2007, CICM Centennial
Edition. Makati: St. Pauls, 2007.
Lesson 3: Prospects and Challenges
Activity: Recall times in your life when you had a plan, when you seriously charted a
course of action for yourself. Share to your seatmate what that plan was, and also why you
needed to make such a plan. Were you able to accomplish what you planned to do/achieve?
Why or why not?
The commissioning of the Disciples (Mt 28:11-20):

“. . . . Go therefore and make disciples of all nations . . .
and I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
Having accomplished His mission on earth, and before ascending to the Father in heaven,
Jesus commanded his disciples to go forth and spread the Good News to the whole world.
Although they might still have had some hesitation because of the recent event of Jesus’ death,
His promise of the Paraclete, and His assurance that He will be with them till the end of time
motivated them to even give up their lives so that the story of how God journeys with His people
might be made known up to the ends of the earth.
Beginning with the Provincial Assembly of 2014, and discussions here and there on the
existing document of 1998 and the Mission Declaration of 2003, CICM Philippines came up
with its “Provincial Missionary Project” in 2016, which seeks to reflect a transformative
missionary presence of the CICM in the Philippines.
The document looks at the current profile and description of the CICM Philippine
Province vis-à-vis a general description of the Church in the Philippines. Then it takes a critical
analysis of and defines the local missionary challenges, then prioritizes ad extra and ad intra
commitments, finally spelling out the planning of the implementation of the Missionary Project.
Several Action Plans are drawn up including the animation, follow-up, and monitoring of said
Project.
From the 2016 Provincial Missionary Project CICM Philippines

1. The Triple Thrusts of the CICM Mission
a. To envision a community of disciples
b. To become a Church of the Poor
c. To engage in integral evangelization
2. The Nine Pastoral Priorities
a. Integral Faith Formation
b. Empowerment of the Laity toward Social transformation
c. Active Presence and Participation of the Poor in the Church
d. The Family as Focal Point of Evangelization
e. Building and Strengthening of Participatory Communities that Make up the Parish
as a Community of Communities
f. Integral Renewal of the Clergy
g. Journeying with the Youth
h. Ecumenism and Inter-religious Dialogue
i. Animation and Formation for Mission “Inter Gentes”
3. The Local Missionary Challenges
a. Formation of Lay Leaders
b. Education
c. Presence in Peripheral Rural and Urban Communities (Parishes)
d. Inter-Religious Dialogue (between Christians and Muslims)
e. Justice and Peace and Integrity of Creation
f. Indigenous Peoples’ Apostolate
g. Sectoral or Special ministrties
h. Administration
i. Initial Formation
j. On-going Formation
*VIDEO CLIP VIEWING ON THE MISSIONARY PROJECTS OF THE CICM IN THE

PHILIPPINES (MISSION PRIORITIES)
Being in a CICM school, now towards the end of my Second Year, I should endeavor to
find out what are the concerns/priorities/Advocacies of the CICM as reflected in the programs
and activities of my school, and involve myself actively in these programs.
CULMINATING ACTIVITY:
Field trip to CICM Institutions like Maryhurst, Baguio Cathedral, MST, Provincial House, CICM
Museum, etc.)
Reference:
CICM Philippines: The Provincial Missionary Project. Quezon City, 2016.

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CFE 104: The CICM MISSIONARY IDENTITY

I. COURSE CODE: CFE 104

1. Information Dissemination Project

2. Web page, blog, magazine, CICM timeline

In the current emblem of the CICM, the name

Lesson 2: Dedicated to Jesus, the Incarnate Word

Our Purpose in Life:

Proposed Motivation: “Para Kanino ka Bumabangon?”

“…by which the daybreak from on high will visit us,

Lesson 3: Mary, Mother of the Incarnate Word, Patroness of the CICM

The Miracle at Cana: (Jn 2:1-12 )

Video Clip Viewing (Cross the Line)

Jesus Appears to His Disciples

"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them

teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and behold,

I am with you always, until the end of the age."

Such missionary vocation/commitment of Fr. Theophile and his companions is

Fr. Théophile Verbist, Founder of the CICM

in gratitude for the faith so easily received in Catholic

 *A VIDEO CLIP VIEWING ON FR. THEOPHILE AND HIS COMPANIONS

A. It is important to emulate Fr. Theophile Verbist by:

LESSON 5: CICM Motto: Cor Unum et Anima Una

1. How many items were you able to answer correctly?

Life of the Early Believers

“The group of believers was of one heart and soul.

The CICM Motto:

“Cor unum et anima una” (one heart -

 Video clip viewing: One Heart, One Soul

Lesson 6: The Charism: Ad Extra, Ad Intra

Jesus Commissions His Apostles (Mk. 16:15)

Good Manager of God’s Gifts (1 Pet. 4: 10-11)

The Word Charism

Etymologically, the word Like Abraham, I too heard the promptings of

I have climbed mountains, crossed rivers and

The CICM Charism: Ad extra, ad intra

Rev. Fr. Jean Didier Badianga, CICM

*A VIDEO CLIP VIEWING ON “LORD, SEND ME”

Lesson 1: The CICM in the Different Continents

JESUS, THE GOOD SHEPHERD

“ I have come in order that you might

In the recent Magisterium of the Church in Vatican II, Evangelii Nuntiandi,

Flags of CICM Asian Mission Stations

Hong Kong Indonesia Japan Mongolia Philippines Singapore Taiwan

Flags of CICM African Mission Stations

Cameroon D.R. of Congo Senegal Zambia

Flags of CICM American Mission Stations

Brazil Dominican Republic Guatemala Haiti Mexico United States

Belgium France Italy Netherlands Vatican City

Group Activity: (Groups of 5-10 members)

Sample task to work on: Brain Teaser Activity

A fundamental aspect of the vocation of a CICM priest or brother is to live in a

Lesson 1: The Stages of Growth

The Mission Statement of Jesus (Lk. 4:18-20)

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has chosen Me

Such mission of Jesus is liberating, transforming, salvific. It liberates man from

Church.” CICM Publishing House, Philippines. 2013.

Lesson 2: Distinct Contributions of CICM Philippines

Activity: Let the students share about their gifts or achievements . . .

1 Cor 12:4-11(Unity and Variety):

Different forms of service but the same Lord

Mt 25:14-30 (The Parable of the Talents)

1. Builders and Pioneers

The Christianization of the erstwhile Mountain Province was not accomplished