Establishment in the Philippines

Historical Background
1> Philippine Revolution vs. Spain
2> American Occupation &
Colonization
3> Aglipayan
Movement &
Entry of
Protestants
In Europe : Secularization
1> Philippine Revolution vs. Spain
Christianized by the Spanish missionaries
but oppressed by the colonizing powers,
the Filipinos sought to gain freedom.
Revolts and reform movements marked
the 400 years of Spanish occupation.

Lapu-lapu,
Chief of Mactan
and Sultan Kudarat

were among the first who

defied Spanish rule.
The Dagohoy revolt began
by Francisco Dagohoy lasted
for 100 years.

The martyrdom of
Frs. Gomez, Burgos and
Zamora
who worked for Church and
ecclesiastical reforms, became
a rallying point for the
revolutionaries.

The Cavite mutiny inspired

many other uprisings.
 The popular freedom movement
Katipunan led by Andres Bonifacio,
Emilio Jacinto, Apolinario Mabini

and the peaceful reforms

spearheaded by
Dr. Jose Rizal
Marcelo H.del Pilar
and numerous unsung heroes who
gave their lives for the country,
bore fruit.
 Philippine Independence
was declared on
June 12, 1898.
Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo
became President
of the First Philippine Republic.

However - the victory of the revolution

led to the departure of the Spanish
missionaries and religious.
2> American Occupation & Colonization
Spain ceded the Philippines to the United States.
The United States came in as the New Colonizers.
New battles were fought!

These cost the lives of

Gregorio del Pilar,
Antonio Luna,
Miguel Malvar
– and countless other
Filipino patriots.
The Americans sought to establish a strong
foothold in the Philippines. With their
military entry came a new system of
education and protestantism.

Protestantism spread
through the American
teachers and schools.

Embracing protestantism
became a condition for free
admission in schools and in
some cases, free treatment
in hospitals.
3>The Aglipayan Movement

Fr. Gregorio Aglipay’s nationalist efforts

against Spanish oppression resulted in his
separation from the Catholic Church –
and the founding of the
Philippine Independent Church.

The dangers to the Catholic

Faith of the Filipinos was real!
The Coming of the SPC Sisters
Bishop Frederick Rooker,
one of the first four American
Bishops assigned to the
Philippines
sought means
to preserve, nurture and
strengthen the Catholic faith
in his diocese – Jaro - which
comprised 8 provinces including
Dumaguete.
As the story goes:
making a stop-over in
Hongkong en route to the
U.S., Bishop Rooker saw a
Sister of St. Paul .
He asked how he could invite
sisters to his diocese.
The Sister directed him to Mo. Candide Cousin
write the Principal Superior Principal Superior in Asia
who was then residing in (1845-1921)
Saigon.
Sailing to Philippine shores
Saigon - October 20, 1904
Sisters sail aboard the “Minas de Batan”
Manila – October 25, 1904
Archbishop Jeremiah J. Harty
welcomed the Sisters and
next day they set sail for
Cebu aboard the
“Pleguezuelo”

Cebu – October 28, 1904

Bishop Thomas A. Hendrick received the Sisters
and assured them of his support as they transferred
to yet another boat!
29 October 1904: Arrival in Dumaguete
A moment of great joy for the whole town!
 Sisters carried to the shore
 Cheering crowd, ringing bells,brass bands playing
 To the Church and their new home
Catechism -later a school – St. Paul Academy
The FIRST FOUNDATION
now St. Paul UniversityDumaguete
The PIONEERS to the Philippines
Mother Marthe
de St. Paul
Legendre
-French, Superior

Sr. Anna de
la Croix - French
Sr. Marie Louise
du Sacre Coeur
Nivou
- French
 Sr. Marie Josephine
Rappeport-American

Sr. Charles Aho

-Chinese

Sr. Ange Marie Bannier

Sr. Catherine
- French
de Gênes
Gutteres (Author: “Shipboard Diary”-
account of their Missionary
- Portuguese Journey and arrival in
born in Macau Dumaguete)
The harvest is great !

After Dumaguete, one foundation

followed another….
 1905: Vigan

Rosary College – “Colegio de

las Ninas” left by the
Dominicans - now St. Paul
College of Ilocos Sur
1905: Manila, Intramuros

8 French missionaries came to found St. Paul Hospital,

at the request of Archbishop Jeremiah Harty of Manila
1906: Culion

- to care for the lepers (and their children) - exiled to this island.
Mo. Damien Lelievre worked here for 48 years
1907: Tuguegarao

Colegio de San Pablo

 - then
Sacred
Heart of
Jesus
Institution

later St. Paul

College of
Tuguegarao
now St. Paul University Philippines
lead university in the St. Paul schools system
ILOILO: 1911
First a hospital -
then a School of Nursing in 1946

– now St. Paul University Iloilo

1911: Manila
First - St. Paul Novitiate
-then St. Paul’s Institution in 1912
later St. Paul College of Manila

- now St. Paul University Manila

Ten SPC foundations were opened within
the first decade, 1904-1913
1904 Oct. 29 : St. Paul Academy, Dumaguete
1905 March 14 : St. Paul Hospital, Manila (w: April 24,1927)
1905 June 5 : Colegio de las Ninas (Rosary College)
1906 April 22 : Capiz (c:December 1906)
1906 May 25 : Culion Leper Colony
1907 April 16 : School in Tayabas (c:1913)
1907 May 10 : Colegio de San Pablo, Tuguegarao
1911 Feb. 15 : St. Paul Hospital, Iloilo
1911 June 21 : St. Paul Novitiate, Malate, Manila (…to QC)
1912 Jan. 3 : St. Paul Institution, Malate, Mla.
1913: The Philippines became an
independent province!
The 1st Provincial was Mo. Theresa Verdier,
1913-1917.
She was followed by 5 other Europeans:
Mo. Marthe de St. Paul Legendre, 1917-1923
Mo. Saint XavierVermeersh, 1923-1935

Mo. Alice
de St. Paul
Huchery,
1935-1947

Mo. Bernard du Sacre

Coeur Bricard, 1947-1959
Mo. Charles de Jesus Weiss, 1959-1965
1965
51 years after the Philippines
was constituted as a Province,
Mo. Madeleine Denoga
became the 1st Filipina
and 7th SPC Provincial.
She served from 1965-1978.

Foundations were opened in her

13 years stint as Provincial.
 A woman of great vision,
Mo. Madeleine implemented the
changes after Vatican II.

She initiated many changes such as the

professionalization of the Sisters,
sending them for studies both in the
Philippines and abroad,

building the House of Studies & the Vigil houses,

opening new foundations, especially in Mindanao,
and undertaking new apostolates such as
communication media, campus ministry
in the universities, etc.
 Twice elected as Chairman of the
Assn. of Major Rel. Superiors of
Women in the Philippines,
she promoted theological formation
for Sisters and experiments on inter-
congregational endeavors such as the
Rural Missionaries and other
social action projects.

More especially, she led the Philippine Province

to respond courageously to the Church’s call
to foreign missions!
 Provincial Superiors

Mo. Marie Javelosa

1978-1988
Sr. Agnes Therese Teves
1988-1999

Sr. Mary Magdalen Torres

1999-2004
 Today, there are
36 Paulinian schools
all over the
archipelago

10 Hospitals
11 Pastoral Centers
8 Formation
& Other houses

Number of Houses from

time of Foundation – 110
Total number closed - 54
 Our schools, through
the decades, have
produced Paulinians

embodying the
best of Filipino
Paulinian
traditions ...
 Paulinians seeking
knowledge

pursuing science
art & culture

promoting and
enhancing Life
…celebrating
community
- becoming competent, responsible citizens
at the service of Society and of the Church
The Paulinian tradition of Excellence
has made our schools competitive.

8 PAASCU Accredited
5 Centers of Excellence in Teacher
Education, Nursing, Engineering,
Information Technology and
Business
4 ISO 9001-2000 Certified
5 granted Full Autonomy
and Deregulated Status
by the CHED
Consistent high passing rate in board
examinations
6 schools (SP Quezon City, SPC Manila, SP Iloilo, SP
Dumaguete, San Nicolas Surigao, with SP University
Tuguegarao as lead institution) became the first
University System in the Phil. recognized by the
Commission on Higher Education.
Forming the spirit

Developing competencies
 … reaching out to
the underserved and
the underprivileged

increasing access to
Paulinian education
 … empowering others
as they themselves have
been empowered.
Our hospitals have become leaders and
vanguards in advanced health care.
Promoting healing for
both body and spirit ..
 - Reaching out
to bring health
care to the grass
roots …
Evangelization
& Catechetics

Family Apostolate

Home
visitation
 Women
empowerment

Voter Education
Pastoral Guidance

Self-help &
sustainability
 Advocacy Work for
Indigenous Peoples

Community
organization

Leadership
training Solidarity
for Political
reform
Total number of Sisters
from the time of foundation - 1,032
Total departed or separated - 502
LIVING PROFESSED - 530
Perpetual - 496
Temporary - 36
IN FORMATION - 28 : 18 Novices
8 postulants
7 aspirants
Education - 249
Health Care - 85
Pastoral Work - 59
Prov’l Admin.Formators - 23
Retired/Sick - 90
Students - 16
On exclaustration - 2
21 years after its foundation, the Philippine Province began
sending missionaries abroad:
Present No.
Thailand: 1925 4
Korea, Hongkong, Taiwan, Japan 2
Indonesia/East Timor 13
Cameroun, Brazil 6
Peru/Columbia 15
USA 4
Ireland, England, Italy, France 18
Israel 4
Today, there are 66 Filipina missionaries
in 13 countries

Peru
Columbia
 Indonesia
East
Timor

-with East Timorese

children
-and the Australian
peacekeeping force
(female soldiers)
France
Italy
Bethlehem
 Africa

Brazil
 England

Ireland

United States
 Perhaps the “crown” on
SPC Philippines’ missionary
efforts is the mission in
Indonesia which the
Philippines initiated in 1967.
 Where there are now 9
houses (with 2 in East
Timor) and 53 Indonesian
Sisters.
SPC CONTRIBUTIONS to the CHURCH
Catechists, Educators
Social Workers,
Priests, Bishops
Religious Vocations
Missionaries
 Service to the Vatican

Managing
Church Programs
Work among migrant workers

Training of catechists &

campus ministers
Women
Empowerment
SPC CONTRIBUTIONS TO SOCIETY
Paulinians are in all walks of life –
As Teachers,
Doctors, Nurses
Artists, Writers
Media practitioners
Engineers, Lawyers
Accountants, Managers
Government &
Civic leaders
Sharing in the Paschal Mystery
1. Adjustments to different cultures, language difficulties,
uncertainties and deprivations of the first foundations
2. Fires, storms, earthquake and other natural calamities
3. The WAR YEARS
4. Martial law years that saw the death of many freedoms
enjoyed by the people
5. Closure of some houses due to lack of resources,
misunderstandings with the bishop or parish priests
6. Realities of the human condition, struggle with human
weakness and limitations within and without the
community
Knowing in whom we believe,
we rise from the ashes
from Death – to NEW
LIFE!
Guided by leaders with
vision and compassion -
 … we journey
towards the
New Heavens

and the
New
Earth…
Challenged to live and model the
values of ST. PAUL
and our FOUNDERS …
 The Paulinian 5Cs
CHRIST-centeredness: Christ is our Lord
and Saviour; we strive to be like him in all
things, in His obedience, compassion, love and
suffering
Community-orientedness: we live and work with others to
build a better world

Commitment to Mission: spirit of service, sense of mission

to spread the good news of Christ

Charism: developing one’s gifts to the full, to become the

best person one can possibly be, to do one’s best in
whatever one does - for the good of the community

Charity: loving and serving with the heart of Christ, being

brother/sister to all, esp. the underprivileged
To proclaim

Always and
everywhere
in LIFE,
LOVE,
WORK!
The Centennial
celebrates our
Story…
 … and
remembering,
we
rediscover
ourselves
reclaim
our Spirit
 and gain
new
pastoral
perspectives
for a
continuing,
ever
renewing
Mission!
 “We pray to remain
grateful of the past and
be daring towards the
future, so that our
Philippine Province will
continue to respond to
new challenges and
vibrate according to the
signs of the times”

Centennial Prayer Year 3

Lord, allow us to offer
ourselves as a
community of people
whom you have called
to live more
meaningfully, and to
do Christ’s mission
more zealously
in the 21st century.
*Sr. Mary Magdalen Torres, spc
I am with you
always -

until
the end of
the ages!
Mt. 28:20
The End…

… and
the Beginning …
Sr. Flordeliza C. Deza, SPC
CENTENNIAL TEAM
Heritage Committee
2004