Though the past two months have been very unsettling times for many of us, and extremely difficult especially for the many individuals who contracted the disease, and for their families, we will continually trust in the Lord’s providence as he works, for example, through the services of the many dedicated frontliners who have offered, and continue to offer their lives so that others may be safe and live.
Among our 35 STB graduates here in LST, 14 are Filipinos and 21 come from various countries of Asia and Africa. Your batch is by far the most international among our graduating batches since 1965. For the first time also, graduates from our affiliates have joined our graduation: 2 diocesan seminarians from St John Vianney Theological Seminary in Cagayan de Oro, Philippines, and 8 Vietnamese Jesuit, Camillian and Passionist scholastics from St. Joseph Jesuit Scholasticate in Ho Chi Minh,Vietnam. Among our graduates also are 12 women religious from various congregations and 7 laymen and women.
Though not exhaustive, these data that I have mentioned indicate what makes theological and ministerial formation in LST distinct.
Here diocesan and religious seminarians are being prepared for the ordained ministry with an international and global perspective. They experience the church as both “particular” and as “universal” as they reflect on the Gospel of Jesus locally in the context of their parish, city, or country but always with an Asian and global perspective, and never too narrow nor parochial.
Moreover, here in LST, lay women and men, and religious sisters – as they pursue professional development for their respective careers and ministries – they do play a crucial role in the formation of our future priests. How, you might ask?
In many various ways, but one that is most significant at least to me is this. To our lay men and women and religious sisters: by your presence and your active engagement in and out of the classroom, we are able to conduct theological formation of seminarians and priests in LST in a more integrated environment of equality and collaboration and mutual respect and exchange. Theology is done in LST in a setting that provides opportunities for priests-to-be to dialogue, to listen, to discern, and to learn from voices and perspectives other than their own and their own ecclesiastical circles, and in the process they are challenged to become more humble and listening – and less self-entitled – servants of Christ’s mission.
Congratulations once again to the LST Class of 2020!
