WEEK 1: GENERAL INTRODUCTION

Brief Historical Background of the Church

Brief Historical
Background of the
Church
 

The Etymology of the word “Church”

 
   Qahal---------------Ekklesia-----------------Ecclesia----------------Church
       (Hebrew)                 
(Greek)                       (Latin)                     (English)
 
 
The Word “Church”  is derived from the Latin word “Ecclesia” which was derived
from the Greek word “Ekklesia”; and this “Ekklesia” was derived from the Hebrew word
“Qahal” (Hebrew is one of the ancient languages of the Israelites)
 
“Qahal” means Calling together or in the context of the Israelites, it means
an assembly called by God for a religious purpose that is to worship. So, this is also the
meaning of the words “Ekklesia”, “Ecclesia” and the word “Church”.
 
From the very root word which is Qahal, Church is simply defined as an
assembly called by God to worship. Since the Church originated from the Father’s plan
of salvation which started from the Israelites until its very foundation by no other than
Jesus who also gave the Holy Spirit to guide her(Church), we will now have its complete
definition (below).
 
Church: Community (of men and women) centered in Christ, guided by the Holy Spirit,
moving Towards the Kingdom of the Father, and the bearers of the Message
of Salvation for all men.(G.S.# I)
         The official or complete definition of the word “Church” is very much implied in the
illustration above. So, the very cause of the emergence of the Church is no other than to
continue carrying out the Mission of Jesus to spread salvation/Kingdom of God which
ultimately originated from the Father’s plan since people are deviating from His Love.
         From the definition, there are five important elements of the
Church. Community, Christ’s-centered, guided by the Holy Spirit, and carrying out
the mission of spreading the Kingdom of God/salvation to all.
 
         Just to avoid confusion, some authors made a distinction between the Church
as referring to people or to buildings(worshipping place like chapels) by using the small
c church as referring to people and the capital C – Church as referring to the
people/community. This is also good, but primarily the meaning of the word “Church” is
really the community or people. How do we know then if it is referring to people or
building? Well, the best way is on how the word “Church” is used in a sentence. 
Example: The Church in Piat, Cagayan is very beautiful. This sentence obviously refers
to the building. The Church of Piat, Cagayan is very participative. This one obviously
refers to the community.
 
        With this, we hope that the word “Church” is now very clear to you.
        
The translation of the word Hebrew word “Qahal” to Greek word “Ekklesia” to Latin word
“Ecclesia” and to the English term “Church” literally tells the movement of the Church
from the Israelites/Hebrew Community to the Greek invasion of the  Israelites who were
later defeated by the Roman Empire which was centered in Rome which used Latin as
their language until its spread to the whole world.  
 
The Two Founding Events of the Church: The Public Ministry of Jesus and the
Pentecost event

1. Public Ministry of Jesus (working for the Kingdom: preaching, healing, etc.)

           Jesus of Nazareth founded a Renewal Movement within the Old Testament
(Israelites)  
           Founder of the Church:  Jesus
           How? – by gathering his disciples (the apostles)
                - The disciples experienced Jesus intimately / personally.  Later they shared
in his ministry
                - Jesus assured them of his presence (forever)
 
           Two things which inspired the apostles to come together and reflect on what was
their mission:
                    a. The Resurrection Experience -- which is the “ Ground or Foundation”
of Christian Faith.
                    b. The Pentecost Experience
 

2. Pentecost: the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and their followers.
                       :By receiving the Holy Spirit, He (H.S.) empowered them to preach the
Kingdom, to act as Community who will continue the Mission of Jesus Christ.

The Catholic Mission and Its very Ground Source

 
 

The Catholic Mission

and Its very Ground
Source
 

 
 
Sacrament: means channel, representative, visible sign of an invisible
reality
 
God ---------------------------- Jesus --------------------------- Church
         The Sacrament of God is Jesus and the Sacrament of Jesus is
the Church (John 20:21, Acts 1:8)
 
The Church started as a religious renewal “movement”/group in Jerusalem,
Israel by no other than Jesus Christ.  Jesus grounded the Church on the
foundation of the Apostles and it spread from Jerusalem to the Roman
Empire world until throughout all the earth.
The first “name” of the Church was The Way  (Acts 9:2), The members of
the Church were called Christians in Antioch (Acts 11: 26). The Church
was persecuted by the Roman Empire (which was still pagan) until the
Conversion of the Emperor Constantine in 313 AD which paved the way for
Christians to infiltrate Rome until Christianity was declared as the official
religion of the Roman Empire in 380 AD by Emperor Theodosius.        
Way back in 45 AD, the first apostle who went to Rome and started the
Church there was no other than Peter. Later, reflecting on the mission of
Jesus which He passed on to the Church, the Church’s official “name” or
title evolved into:  One (John 17:21), Holy (Ephesians 1:4, 5:27, I Peter
2:9), Catholic (Matthew 28: 18-20, Acts 1:8, Gen 12: 3, John 3: 16-17) and
Apostolic (Ephesians  2:20 )           
 
From the Church developed the Hierarchy (Bishops, priests, and deacons –
with the Pope as the overall head for the sake of division of work and
maintaining the unity of the Church while it spreads the Kingdom of God on
earth. 
 
From the Church comes the different “kinds” of priests according to
spirituality or mission area.
      a. Diocesan is a term use for priests serving their local places.
      b. Monks: started in the 3rd century AD in Egypt and in Syria with a life of
simplicity or asceticism.
        Monks who are composed of sisters (not priests) only came out later.
Example of few monks in Cagayan who are sisters are those at the St.
Claire monastery in Iguig.
     c. Missionaries are group/community of priests who really want to go to serve
remote places not yet evangelize.
           Examples of missionaries are the following:
                  c.1. The Dominicans who was founded by St. Dominic in
Prouille, France in 1216. (Dominic was a Spanish priest).
                  c.2. The Augustinians which started in 1244 in Italy (group or
no specific founder).
                  c.3. The Jesuits or called Society of Jesus who was founded in
1540 by Ignatius of Loyola, formerly a Spanish soldier who became priest.
                  c.4. The CICM and other missionary groups only came out
later. 
                         The CICM was founded by a diocesan priest Theophile
Verbist in 1862 in Scheut, Anderlecht, Brussels,   Belgium.
       
So what is a CICM? It is just one of the missionary groups which is
an arm of the Church for evangelization.
 
One of the strategies for missionaries to evangelize people especially the
youth to prepare them to become also evangelizers in the future is to
establish schools. With this, the missionary schools and even in the
schools established by the local Church, the core of the curriculum is the
Christian Faith Education of the young (children to college). In a wider
sense, the Christian formation of the Community who are in the school. The
CICM established schools for such purpose. Here at the University of Saint
Louis, our motto for us to always remember this is “Mission and
Excellence” and among the core values of our University’s Vision-Mission,
the first is Christian Living.

CICM – Philippines School Network: Vision-Mission

 
CICM – Philippines
School Network:
 

Vision-Mission
 
 
 
 
 
At the initiative of the Father,
Sent by the Son,
Guided by the Spirit,
 
Inspired by Theophile Verbist our founder,
Who heard the call of the Lord
And left his country
To proclaim the Good News in China,
 
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 reveals 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.
 
We achieve our mission
When we facilitate
The encounter between Jesus Christ and the ‘nations’.
 
Our mission includes
Enabling people
To experience the coming of the Kingdom
-proclaimed by Jesus Christ-
In their own God-given context.
 

USL’s VISION, MISSION, AND CORE VALUES

 

USL’s VISION,
MISSION, AND CORE
 

VALUES
 
  
 
 
 

VISION
      USL is a global learning community recognized for science and technology across
all disciplines, strong research, and responsive community engagement grounded on
the CICM mission and identity for a distinctive student experience.
 

MISSION
      USL sustains a Catholic academic community that nurtures persons for community,
church and society anchored on CICM’s Missio et Excellentia.
 

EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY AND CORE

VALUES
      The University of Saint Louis upholds the philosophy that education is for building of
self and persons for the Church and the Society. Wisdom builds. To these ends, the
following are University of Saint Louis’s core values integral in the formation of every
member of the Louisian community.

1. Christian Living. We are witnesses to the Gospel values as taught and

lived by Christ thus making God’s love known and experienced by all.

2. Excellence. We seek and maintain uncompromising standard of quality in

teaching, learning, service, and stewardship of school resources.

3. Professional Responsibility. We are committed to efficiently and

responsibly apply the learned principles, values and skills in the chosen field
of discipline, taking initiative and command responsibility in one’s professional
advancement.

4. Social Awareness and Involvement. We engage ourselves with society

by listening to the prevailing issues and concerns in the society, thereby
initiating and participating in constructive and relevant social activities for the
promotion of justice, peace and integrity of creation and for people’s wellness
and development consistent with the CICM charism.
 5. Innovation, Creativity and Agility. We keep ourselves relevant and
responsive to the changing needs of our stakeholders by being flexible,
solution oriented, and having cutting-edge decisions and practices.
 

Week 2: Congregatio Immaculati Cordis Mariae

The name, "Congregatio Immaculati Cordis Mariae"
 

The Name (in Latin): Congregatio Immaculati Cordis Mariae

or the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
(in Tagalog: Kongregasyon [Kapatiran] ng Kalinislinisang Puso ni Maria)
 
From the reason as to why we were given such a name to the historical lineage and
significance of what a name has come to represent, our name, beyond its objective purpose,
encompasses what and who each of us is. Its essence is at the very heart of our existence. It
signified what tribe you came from.
We have always traced the roots of our origin and identity beginning with our name as
one compelling aspect. This understanding shall shed light on the most important aspect in our
lives which is our distinctiveness while bringing to the forefront of our minds an awareness of
Biblical concepts that were thus far untapped. Finally, we shall attempt to define its
relevance to examine the relationship between one’s name and one’s purpose.
 
 
 

(Proverbs 22:1)
 

“22  A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,

    and favor is better than silver or gold. ”
 
Names are deeply important to human beings, a crucial way of understanding not
just the world around us, but each other. A surname roots us in history and family
tradition, while first names establish more particular identity and personality; you may
become quite attached to your name, or you may wish you were called something else.
 But does it really matter what your name is? Do you become what you're
called, or are you called what you are? The Bible is full of names, and those names
are full of meaning. Turning to Scripture may help us see whether we determine our
names, or if they determine us.

(Lk. 1:57-80)

The Birth of John the Baptist

57 
Now the time came for Elizabeth to be delivered, and she gave birth to a
son. 58 And her neighbors and kinsfolk heard that the Lord had shown great
mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. 59 And on the eighth day they came to
circumcise the child; and they would have named him Zechari′ah after his
father, 60 but his mother said, “Not so; he shall be called John.” 61 And they said
to her, “None of your kindred is called by this name.” 62 And they made signs to
his father, inquiring what he would have him called. 63 And he asked for a
writing tablet, and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all marveled. 64 And
immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke,
blessing God. 65 And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things
were talked about through all the hill country of Judea; 66 and all who heard
them laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For the
hand of the Lord was with him.

Zechariah’s Prophecy
67 
And his father Zechari′ah was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied,
saying,
68 
“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for he has visited and redeemed his people,
69 
and has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David,
70 
as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
71 
that we should be saved from our enemies,
and from the hand of all who hate us;
72 
to perform the mercy promised to our fathers,
and to remember his holy covenant,
73 
the oath which he swore to our father Abraham, 74 to grant us
that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
might serve him without fear,
75 
in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life.
76 
And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
77 
to give knowledge of salvation to his people
in the forgiveness of their sins,
78 
through the tender mercy of our God,
when the day shall dawn upon[a] us from on high
 79 
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
80 
And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness
till the day of his manifestation to Israel.
Names in the Bible can signify origin. Sacred Scriptures present examples of the
inherent connection between name and mission. After naming John, his father
Zechariah, filled with the Holy Spirit, prophesied that his son will be called prophet of the
Most High, and his mission will be to go before the Lord to prepare His ways. Jesus, on
the other hand, will be given “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.”

(Lk. 1:26-38)

The Birth of Jesus Foretold

26 
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee
named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of
the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her
and said, “Hail, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” [a] 29 But she was greatly
troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this
might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have
found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear
a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.
32 
He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High;
and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David,
33 
and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever;
and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
34 
And Mary said to the angel, “How shall this be, since I have no
husband?” 35 And the angel said to her,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you;
therefore the child to be born[b] will be called holy,
the Son of God.
36 
And behold, your kinswoman Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a
son; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For with God
nothing will be impossible.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of
the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from
her.
Names were more than just labels. To ancient Hebrews and Babylonians,
nothing existed until it had a name. Its name expressed its character.
Nowadays we do not really identify with the meaning of our names. Most of the
time, our parents chose our name because it sounded nice with our last name, or
because they wanted to honor one of our ancestors. But in the Old Testament, names
were bearers of the person’s identity.
Many Bible names contain "El" or "Yah," which are Hebrew words for God.
Notice the "el" at the end of Michael, Daniel, and Samuel. Can you hear the "yah" at the
end of Obadiah, Nehemiah, and Jeremiah?
In Old Testament times, children were usually named by their mothers. These
"El" and "Yah" names were meant to honor God and ensure that God was a part of their
children's lives.
A name change can signify a new identity. We confer identities on people
through the use of nicknames. In some cultures a name change carries great
significance. Consider one ancient biblical name change. God took care to change the
name of Abram (high father) to Abraham (father of multitudes) after promising him a lot
of descendants (Genesis 17:5). His wife also had her name changed from Sarai
(quarrelsome) to Sara (Princess) (Genesis 17:15). Jacob's name means "supplanter,"
and he lived up to his name when he stole the inherited rights belonging to his older
brother, Esau. When he became a changed man, he changed his name to Israel (he
strives with God or ”power in God”).The new name gave him a new identity, and a new
future for a nation.
In the New Testament, When Jesus wanted to emphasize that Simon would be a
steadfast upholder of his teachings, he gave him the name Peter, based on the Greek
word for rock. (John 1:42).
So, names have great symbolic import in Scripture. While there are trends in
names at different times or eras, as these shifts occur, so do our common ideas of what
aspects of a person each name represents. This suggests that we can quickly develop
shared conceptualizations of what newly trending names represent in terms of physical
appearance, personality and behavior. Your name is a crucial factor in developing your
sense of self, and thus helps propel you forward on various paths of life and career.
“How about CICM, what can be forebode relating to the implication
of its name and missionary identity? What does this name point towards
to?”
It is intriguing to ask what stuff “founders" are made of, as there may well be no
common answer. All Congregations are marked by their own charisma, which may be
as similar and yet as individualized as two fingerprints. The Vatican, amid all the
changes it initiated, took particular care to remind religious institutes to hold on to the
charisma of their founder, lest something of the beauty and variety of the religious life in
the Church be lost. It is in this rich variety that CICM has its own place. There is
something of the fingerprint of the Founder that continues to give CICM its own face,
and its own contribution to the Church.
 
 The Name (in Latin): Congregatio Immaculati Cordis Mariae or the
Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of  Mary (in Tagalog: Kongregasyon
[Kapatiran]ng Kalinislinisang Puso ni Maria)
 

Born in Antwerp, Belgium in 1823, Father Theophile

Verbist had ambitions to become a priest ever since he was a boy. So, while his twin
brother looked towards becoming a lawyer, he headed into a priestly vocation. In the
years after his ordination, he was a prefect in the minor seminary in Malines, a chaplain
at the Belgian Military Academy, and a diocesan priest in the archdiocese of Malines-
Brussels.
His first serious thoughts of being a missionary came when he was already 37
years old. Inspired by the work of the Holy Childhood Association which cared for
abandoned children in the Far East and in other parts of the world, Father Verbist felt
that he, too, should do something more for the poor and needy in China. He sought the
permission of Cardinal Engelbert Sterckx, Archbichop of Malines and Cardinal
Alessandro Barnabo, Prefect of the Propagation of the Faith. For the realization of his
plan, they directed him to established a kind of a congregation, along the lines of the 
Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith. By strenuous efforts he overcame
numerous obstacles, until his Belgian mission in China was finally approved and finally
obtain the approval of Cardinal Sterckx and the Belgian bishops to establish a new
Belgian missionary congregation. The canonical establishment of the congregation by
Cardinal Sterckx is dated 28 November 1862.The new foundation’s first formation house
was located at an old site of pilgrimage called Scheut, in the municipality of Anderlecht,
near Brussels, Belgium. Thus the name: 'Scheut Missions or Missionaries of Scheut'.
              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 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
whom they committed themselves to recommend daily the interests of the
Congregation.”  It is thus clear that they were placing the Congregation under the
 patronage of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The letters CICM are an abbreviation in Latin of
the name Congregatio Immaculati Cordis Mariae or Congregation of the Immaculate
Heart of Mary.
 
However, the CICM missionaries are also known by several other names
depending on the country where they are working.
 

 
In Europe and Africa they are widely known as the “Missionaries of Scheut” or
“Scheutist”, Scheut being the name of the locality near Brussels where the
institute was founded. In the past CICM missionaries were sometimes known as the
“Belgian Fathers” since the institute was founded in Belgium and most of its members
were Priest. However, the institute was never an exclusively Belgium institute and
includes both priest and brothers. Thus this name has fallen out of use, especially as
the institute becomes more and more multicultural.
 
In North America the institute is known as “Missionhurst – CICM” and
its members referred to as “Missionhurst Priests and Brothers”. Hurst is an old English
word meaning a small hill or a wooded rise. As the headquarters of the missionary
institute in North America are located on a small wooded hill, this became the popular
name of the institute in that part of the world.
 
 
On 2 November 1907 Fr. Devesse, together with his equally spirited eight CICM
companions, arrived in the Philippines to start the first CICM mission in the country.
During those early years of missionary work in Baguio, the CICM Fathers were locally
known as the “Missionary Priests of the Church of San Patricio,” since they were
identified with St Patrick church that they built. Later on, they were commonly called the
“Baguio Fathers,” or simply the “Belgian Fathers.

Week 3: The Current CICM Emblem

The Current CICM Emblem
 

"Logos are special. They are not just a combination of shapes,

text, and graphics. They tell stories."
 There is also another component that goes into a remarkable logo: meaning.
With the right mark, you convey everything your organization stands for, your values as
a brand, and your heritage too. Logos are distilled insights into your brand essence.

For some congregations, showcasing the heart of their organization means going

back to traditions. An emblem is one of the most original forms of brand mark. In a world
that’s continually evolving, there’s something to be said for this sense of heritage. After
all, even as new ideas emerge every day, many consumers are still more interested in
what’s trustworthy and well-established than what’s “new.”

As symbols of tradition, strength, and security, the emblem style logo can spark
unique relationships with your target audience. In today’s topic, we are going to dive
into the history and definition of the CICM emblem and unravel the different symbolism
and its long-standing implications in the life of the missionaries.

The Current CICM Emblem

(1955)
The current CICM emblem includes in its upper portion the Virgin with a
Child inside a trunk, who is Our Lady of Grace of Scheut, which was
venerated in the village where Fr. Verbist established the first
headquarters of the Congregation.
Karel Denys, CICM published an article on the
CICM emblem with precious indications on the
miraculous trunk in Scheut and on the statue of Our
Lady of Grace.

The Trunk with the Virgin

and Child
This is the oldest element that can be found in all the
CICM coats of arms, except for that of China, Mongolia and
Congo. It is thus good to give some historical explanations on this
subject.
In the series of articles by J. Calbrecht mentioned above, we read that since the
year 1445 a statuette attached to a linden tree by a pious shepherd and dedicated to
Our Lady of Grace had been venerated at Scheut. Scheut was then a village outside the
town of Brussels, in the midst of the countryside. The story goes that pilgrims went to
this sanctuary where miracles had been duly noted. In 1455, a chapel was erected
there. A little later, seven Carthusian monks settled next to the chapel. In the course of
the centuries, the chapel was destroyed three times-by the Protestants in 1580, by the
emperor-sacristan Joseph II in 1783, and during the French Revolution. For about sixty
years, the chapel remained in ruins and abandoned, until in 1855 a well-to-do inhabitant
of Brussels, J. C. Brabandt, who could no longer stand the profanation of this sanctuary,
bought the land and the chapel and had it restored at his own expense.
Rutten wrote that our Founder Theophile Verbist "had a great devotion to Mary
that brought him to Scheut, and it was the devotion of several servants of Mary who
gave him the sanctuary of Our Lady of Grace." In October 1861, Msgr. J. M. Mouly,
Lazarist, Apostolic Vicar of Peking, while visiting Brussels, confirmed the possibility of
ceding to the "Belgian priests" a large part of the vicariate of Mongolia. Immediately
after this visit, Theophile Verbist and his first companions-Alois Van Segvelt, Frans
Vranckx, and Remi Verlinden-resolved to meet regularly to occupy themselves with the
organization of the Mission and to draw the Statutes of the new Congregation." During
the first conference, they unanimously agreed to consecrate the Mission to the Holy
Incarnation of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the Immaculate Heart of the Very Blessed
Virgin Mary, to whom they committed themselves to recommend daily the interests of
the Congregation.
A little later, the first Statutes of the Congregation were approved by Cardinal E.
Sterckx of Mechlin (November 28, 1862). Some words of the "first conference" report
are recognizable: "The Congregation is dedicated to the Incarnation of Our Lord Jesus
Christ, under the invocation of the Immaculate Heart of the Very Blessed Virgin Mary"
(Art. 2). By the will of our Founder Theophile Verbist and his companions, the new
Congregation would carry the title "Immaculate Heart of Mary" who will be its Patroness.
Our Founder and his companions did not choose the name "Congregation of Our Lady
of Grace."
Why did our Founder and his companions choose the name CICM? In an article
on the devotion to the Heart of Mary, L. Barbé has given us without a doubt a good
answer: "The proclamation of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception [in 1854], in
reviving the Marian devotion, contributed to the rapid development of the devotion to the
Heart of Mary and the spread of the name of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.' It was then
that its liturgical feast was adopted about everywhere in the world." Given such current
of devotion at that time to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, it is understandable why our
Founder and his companions chose the name CICM.
And why did they, and others after them, nevertheless keep the miraculous tree
trunk of Our Lady of Grace as the CICM coat of arms? Here are some indications. It
was at Scheut, near the sanctuary of Our Lady of Grace, where the CICM was born.
Our Founder and his companions lived there; they met there many times; they
immersed themselves in the history of the sanctuary; and they prayed to Our Lady of
Grace. It was there, too, where they prayed one last time before departing for mission.
After the 1974 Chapter, a century after the death of our Founder, the old sanctuary of
Our Lady of Grace was replaced by another chapel. The statue, which J. C. Brabandt
had placed in his chapel and restored in the years 1855-1860, is now found in the new
chapel at Scheut. A beautiful CICM emblem executed in ceramic had been mounted
against the outer wall of the new provincial house.
 The Heart Surrounded by Twelve Stars
The Heart surrounded by twelve stars: What does this mean? A difficult question!
It is generally said that the Heart with the twelve stars comes from a text of the
Revelation (12:1).
Let us look at the text: "And a great sign appeared in heaven, a Woman adorned
with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars."
In a note about this text in the La Sainte Bible, the commentator concludes his
reflection thus: "With the image of the woman, did John also wish to symbolize the
Virgin, the new Eve? (Rv 12:1). This seems questionable." With regard to Revelation
12:1, The New Jerome Biblical Commentary (1993) notes that the identity of the woman
has been debated. According to a traditional Catholic interpretation, this woman is Mary,
the Mother of Jesus, who is also the new Eve. Others say that this woman is the
heavenly Jerusalem, wisdom personified or even the Church. Our Predecessors opted
with no problem for the traditional Catholic interpretation: Mary is the woman with the
twelve stars.
Regarding the second emblem composed at the end of the 19th century, we
have seen that the miraculous tree trunk of Scheut with the Virgin and Child was
replaced by our Predecessors with the Heart surrounded by twelve stars. The Heart is
the Virgin, the Woman surrounded by twelve stars. In opting for the traditional Catholic
interpretation, our Predecessors did nothing exceptional. In fact, there already existed at
a Carmelite convent in Brussels a beautiful statue of the Virgin crowned with twelve
stars. "This statue of the Immaculate is gothic, in wood, without doubt from the 15th
century. It represents the 'Woman crowned with twelve stars' (Rv 12:1)."
But did our Predecessors know of this statue at a Carmelite convent in Brussels?
We know that Karel Van Sante, CICM, assistant to the Superior General from 1887 to
1920 and rector of the Scheut-Brussels house from 1890 to 1900, was in contact with
most of the Carmelite convents in Belgium during his rectorate. His correspondence,
preserved in our Archives, attests to the fact. But we cannot elaborate on this matter.

Cor Urnum et Anima Una

‘One heart, One soul” — this is the translated Latin term of the inspired motto of
CICM. This will be further discussed in the succeeding topics, but to give you the whole
depiction of the emblem, let us have a glimpse of the meaningful implication embedded
behind this motto.
The expression is taken from the Acts of the Apostles (4,32). It means “one heart
and one soul.” It was used to describe the way the early Christian believers lived. The
full text is as follows: “Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and
soul, and no one said that any of the things that belongs to him was his own, but they
had everything in common.”
This is the spirit of unity we should develop and have in any grouping we may
belong to, be it a family, a class, an office, a community, etc. Our sense of unity should
not just be in the level of the physical, professional, social, political, etc. It should involve
our heart and soul. In other words, it should involve our whole being.
Can this spirit of unity be doable, given the tremendous amount of differences we
have with each other, let alone, our unavoidable conflicts? The quick answer may be
No, or at least, that it is doubtful. But if we go by our Christian faith and realize that our
spirit of unity has to be founded on God, then it is possible. Precisely the early
Christians managed to live it. They lived “cor unum et anima una.”
We need to realize that the spirit of unity we are talking about here is not
uniformity which can only take place when things are taken only in their physical
aspects. It is a spirit of unity that allows for plurality and variety, where differences are
acknowledged and even promoted but used for a common end.
It is a spirit of unity that is spiritual and moral in character. It is a very dynamic
spirit, ever active and reactive to any situation, since it is animated by Christian love that
can take on anything. It is always in the process of composing and recomposing itself
as it responds to the changing demands of the times.
This spirit of unity can only be made possible when it is rooted on the unity of
God who are three persons in one God. Let’s remember that we are God’s image and
likeness, made children of his through his grace. We are meant to reflect in our life that
unity of the Trinitarian God who is full of goodness, love, truth, justice, etc. This spirit of
unity which we should try to live in any grouping we may belong to is never one that
leads to elitism. This spirit, if truly inspired by unity of the Trinitarian God, will always
have a universal scope, eager to understand and love everyone, including those who
may consider themselves as our enemies.
In fact, we don’t restrict ourselves in any grouping only. Our spirit of unity should
cover more and more areas and levels, until we reach the universal family of God, the
complete communion of saints. We need to develop the appropriate attitudes and skills
to develop this kind of spirit of unity. We have to learn to listen to everyone, including
those whose views may different from ours. We have to sharpen our social skills,
always thoughtful of the others, knowing how to empathize and sympathize, how to be
understanding and compassionate. From merely sharing things, let’s move toward
giving ourselves to others more and more. Let’s not be afraid of the sacrifices involved.
Let our differences and conflicts stir the dynamic of complementation. Let’s trust more in
Christ’s words that the more we give, the more we will receive from him. It would be
good if we pause from time to time to consider our duties of building up and
strengthening this spirit of unity, giving more teeth to our desires for it. We can always
come up daily with one concrete detail, no matter how small, to further this duty of ours.
Week 4: Dedicated to the Incarnate Word and Mary,
Mother of the Incarnate
Dedicated to the Incarnate Word
Jesus the Incarnate Word was sent by the Father to redeem humankind. He washed the feet of
his disciples to give them an example of a life of service, on the night before he was to suffer
death on the cross, his ultimate act of self-giving. Jesus’ act of redemption does not only refer to
saving from sin. But includes liberation from socio-economic evil such as poverty, ignorance, ,
disease etc. As dedicated to the Incarnate Word, to Jesus, these forms of evil are addressed by
the CICM through their various missionary involvements. The CICM is indeed dedicated to
Jesus the Incarnate Word who lived a life of ultimate service.

The heart of the CICM spirituality is “completely centered on the Incarnation of the Word, as its
principal source” (CICM Constitutions Commentary, 44). That is the reason why the CICM is at
Ole service of the work of Redemption. Art 12-16 of the CICM Constitutions of 1988 deal this
dedication to the Incarnate Word—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; all these endeavors are
related to the work of Redemption, directed towards the building up of the Kingdom.

CICM’s missionary spirituality is characterized and oriented by our dedication to the

Incarnate Word (cf. CICM Constitutions Commentary, 8).

The CICM at the Service of the Work of Redemption

We have seen that, during the foundation period of the Congregation,
Theophile Verbist and his companions wrote in the first Statutes of 1862: “The Congregation is
consecrated to the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Art 2).
How should this phrase be understood? Commenting the same Article 2 (now in the 1948
Constitutions), J. Vandeputte noted that in the oldest texts and in the first Statutes, we always
find Incarnationi D.N. J. C.
However, in the decree of erection (1862), one reads Salvatorem nostrum J.C. 16 Which is
which then: the “incarnation of Christ” (the Word Incarnate), or more simply “our Saviour Jesus
Christ”?

Let us look more closely at J. Vandeputte’s commentary on Art. 2.

Without the least doubt, since the beginning of the Congregation, as well as in the commentary
of J. Vandeputte, it is a matter of consecration to the Incarnate Word; but this consecration is
understood rather as an availability for the work of redemption — the members are entirely
devoted to the service of Christ. In addition, it is a matter Of consecration to the Incarnate Word,
i.e. “to Him from whom all redemption comes and to his incarnation which is its foundation. “17
In elucidating J. Vandeputte’s commentary, Jacques Thomas rightly concludes: “In citing the
Incarnate Word, the accent is not the incarnation as such, it is rather a title used to designate
Christ. “18
The provisional Constitutions of 1968, striking a different note, say that the CICM is consecrated
to the Incarnate Word, and we are invited to continue the mission of Christ by following the road
that he himself followed until death, which he conquered by his resurrection (Art. 7).
Commenting on Article 61 on “Mission and Culture,” J. Thomas made this observation: “For the
first time, the incarnation of Christ as such is invitation presented as the model for our
missionary presence and as an invitation to a more effective integration.”19

In the Constitutions of 1988, there is a whole section dealing with the dedication to the Incarnate
Word (Art. 12-16). Article 12 says that CICM “is dedicated to the Incarnate Word.” According to
Jean Lefebvre, “this means that we are at the exclusive service of the Son of God made man
and of the mission that he has entrusted to us. It is in reference to the Incarnate Word that we
are seeking to discern the demands of this mission. It means that this constant reference to the
person of Jesus should profoundly characterize our whole life.”20 We 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 incarnation of the Word inspires all our missionary commitment (cf. Art. 12). The Incarnate
Word is our fundamental inspiration.

In accepting God’s plan for the world, Jesus responds to the love of God who wishes to bring
together all of humanity. To unite them in a single family of brothers and sisters (cf. Eph 1:10).
In this way, the Kingdom of God is progressively realized, a Kingdom of justice and love, of
peace and joy. Our consecration to the Incarnate Word demands of us of the Congregation and
of each of us. To be faithful servants of Gods plan as it is manifested in Christ and as our
Constitutions concretize it. This faithful service often brings with it challenges, even a kenosis, in
following Christ.
Is this why our Predecessors drew a cross on the CICM coat of arms (second stage of
designing the 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. The incarnation of the Son of God “makes us aware of the fact that
to evangelize, following the example of Jesus, means to accept the cross that results from the
proclamation and the inauguration of the Kingdom” (CICM Constitutions Commentary, 37).

What has been described is the heart of CICM’s spirituality which is “completely centered on the
incarnation of the Word, as its principal source” (CICM Constitutions Commentary, 44). Those
who would like to deepen their knowledge of our CICM spirituality can read the whole article of
J. Lefebvre (supra) as well as that of William WyndaeIe.21

Mary, Mother of the Incarnate

MOTHER OF THE WORD INCARNATE
MOTHER OF GOD
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.
On the CICM coats of arms, we see the tree trunk with the Virgin and Child. In the second stage
of the coat of arms, the Virgin Mary seems to be absent. But in fact the Heart surrounded by
twelve stars is the symbol of the Blessed Virgin. Biblically speaking. The heart is the center of
the person. When C. Daems reintroduced the miraculous tree trunk of Scheut in the CICM coat
of arms. He also kept the Heart (from the second stage), as if he wished to say that the trunk
refers to Our Lady of Grace of Scheut and the Heart to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

The Heart with the twelve stars is placed in the center of the cross (second stage). In doing this,
our Predecessors wished to show the link between Mary and her Son dying on the cross. It
seem’ to me that J. Vandeputte expressed well the idea of those who composed the CICM coat
of arms: “The role that the Blessed Virgin played in the work of redemption and her spiritual
motherhood in the Church make us think of our missionary vocation. We find in it the example of
the most sublime cooperation with the work of redemption and of the extension of the Kingdom
of God in the souls. “22 This explanation also in line with the Congregation being at “the service
of the work of redemption.”

Concerning the expression of apocalyptic origin, “surrounded by twelve stars.” Let us

the draw attention to the following:
The text of Revelation 12:1-6 was introduced for the first time in the post-conciliar liturgy of the
Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. God makes Mary participates, in soul and body, in
the glory of his risen Son. Mary is the Woman crowned with stars who “shines forth on earth,
until the day of the Lord shall come, as a sign of sure hope and solace to the people of God in
pilgrimage” (Lumen gentium. N. 68)
Let us now turn to the Constitutions:
“God chose Mary to be 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. We turn to her. Model of faith and total dedication to God and to her
Son’s mission” (Art. 16).
This goes into the Marian aspect of CICM spirituality, but we will limit ourselves to the
following points:
We reserve a special place to Mary in our missionary lives. We venerate her as the Mother of
the Incarnate Word. She is the first servant of the mystery of the incarnation. Because of her
cooperation with the work of the Redeemer. We recognize her as our Mother in the order of
grace.
During the last forty years, in a good number of publications about Mary, the accent has
repeatedly been put on her faith at the moment of the annunciation: “Behold, I am the handmaid
of the Lord; let it be to me according to your Word” (Lk 1:38). This is her faith throughout her life.
Especially when she found herself at the foot of the cross.
There is an aspect of not comprehending. And especially of surrender to Gods will but there
was also progress in her faith as God’s plan became more and more known to her. Our
Constitutions invite us to turn towards Mary as “model of faith and of total dedication to God and
to her Son’s mission,” and “to follow the example of Mary In the way that she deepened her own
vocation. “23

Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday is the beginning of the Lenten Season in the Catholic Liturgical Calendar
(calendar of worship celebrations). Lent is 40 days. As we discussed in CFED 1013, 40 days in
the Old Testament symbolizes time for purification. It is time for us to purify ourselves and
undergo conversion and return to the Lord if we have not been doing good in our past days. It is
time for repentance and metanoia. Ash is a symbol of mortality, and people in the Old
Testament used it when they ask for forgiveness from the Lord. Aside from using ash, there are
also two things that we (Catholics) do during Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.

Fasting and Abstinence. Fasting does not mean you will not eat the whole day. It means take
one full meal a day. Out of your three meals, you should get full only once, and take little food
for the other two meals. Aside from purification, fasting also means sacrifice, that we share in
the sacrifice of Christ who suffered for our sins. Abstinence. This means do not eat meat. Point
to ponder: If you go to a so called “burol ng patay” and they will offer you food with a meat as
your “ulam”. How do you feel? In line with this, we also respect the body of Christ which suffered
and died for our sins. As Catholics, we are expected to practice these two.

We are only required to do these during Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Two days only.
While other sects do not eat blood for the whole of their lives. Fasting and abstinence also
means abstain from doing other pleasurable things or from Joyous moments during these days.
“Nagfasting ka nga ng food pero naglaro ka naman ng favorite mong games the whole day, e
nawala.na yung essence ng pagfasting mo! These two days are the official days for us to
practice fasting and abstinence. Other Fridays of the year Is Just recommended but not
obligatory. Why Friday? Because Jesus died on a Friday. For your assignment, research on the
exemptions or who are exempted from doing fasting and abstinence.

Week 5: CICM Spirituality - The Mission Statement

The Mission Statement
Introduction:

Mission statement is one of the most defined ways to express a cultural identity
to others. The values, norms, and beliefs of an organization create a unique cultural
environment, and mission statements provide an official method for expressing that culture.
The CICM mission statement has clearly reflected these values to guide the actions and
organizational initiatives of the missionaries. It has guided the missionaries to see the
meaning and purpose of their commitments.
       To broaden this understanding, let’s trace back the aspirations of the CICM
founders in forming a unanimity of purpose to the congregation and imbue a sense of
belonging and identity.

 “One Heart, One Soul”

In his book Sing a New Song (1999), Timothy Radcliffe, Magister of
the Dominican Order, writes about his Vocation: "When I joined the Order I
was drawn above all by the hunger to understand my faith. The motto of
the Order Veritas attracted me.8 Not so long ago, we visited a
Benedictine monastery in Siena, Italy. We admired the Order's
motto Ora et labora chiseled in a large stone placed in the church
choir. These mottoes reveal something about the
religious life project of the respective Founders.
They have been chosen to express concisely the
essence of their vocation.
  
Our Founder Theophile Verbist, who died barely five years
after founding the CICM, did not bequeath a motto. C. Daems
entrusted to us that task at a difficult moment in the CICM history.
Let us have a closer look at this motto taken from the Acts of the
Apostles: "The whole group of believers was united, heart and soul"
(4:32). This sentence expresses God's ideal about humankind, his
creation. What does it mean? 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.
          In the early nascent Church, this awareness of the revelation aroused joyful
enthusiasm. The Christians were aware of living God's life. They felt it as a source of
intense communion, a source of joy and peace. C. Daems chose this motto of
brotherhood and joy that would become a missionary motto.

A Missionary Motto

From the sixties onward,

the motto introduced by C.
Daems will be more and more
emphasized in CICM
documents and its content will
grow considerably.
      In fact, the motto One
Heart, One Soul appears in the
provisional Constitutions of
1968 (Art. 4). Later on, when
referring to our missionary
commitment, the 1974 Chapter
declares: "we want to be signs and instruments of universal brotherhood" (Kindling the
Fire, 45). Still later, the 1978 General Conference pays special attention to our vocation
to universal brotherhood in Jesus Christ. The report of this Conference is published
under the title One Heart, One Soul. Finally, the 1988 Constitutions also refer to the
motto: "Religious missionaries of different races and cultures, we live and work together
as brothers. 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 their universal mission" (Art. 2).
 It is remarkable that the motto is directly related to the words "witness to
universal brotherhood." The view is fairly well summarized in a paragraph of the
CICM Constitutions Commentary (1989: "The ideal of the first Christian community, one
heart, one soul (Acts 4:32), has also become our missionary motto" (17). This is how
our motto found its place in our Constitutions' missionary manifesto (Art. 2). It expresses
a fundamental aspect of our CICM vocation.
 

CICM Mission Statement

 
How does CICM understand its mission in the context of today's
world? How does it view its specific contribution to the realization of
the mission the Lord entrusted to his Church?
 
The CICM mission statement succinctly answers these questions.
 
What is a mission statement all about? One should be aware of the fact that it
is not a summary of the Constitutions, neither is it a synthesis of the individual
commitments of the confreres. A mission statement is always future-oriented and sharply
focuses on the corporate commitment of the members of the institute. It does not elaborate
on the conditions required for its implementation such as an adequate formation or the
indispensable mobility of the members. The Criteria for Our Missionary
Involvements deal with the practical implications of the mission statement.
 
The specific commitment of CICM is in frontier situations, its basic approach is an
encounter that eventually develops in an in-depth interreligious dialogue and/or in first
evangelization. World solidarity is a logical consequence of this movement. CICM is not
a lone fighter, it belongs to a larger community, the Church which is at the service of the
mission. The same holds for the CICM community: it is first of all at the service of the
mission.
 
Mission Statement
 
At the initiative of the Father,
sent by the Son,
guided by the Spirit,
 
Inspired by Theophile Verbist our founder,
who heard the call of the Lord
and left his country
to proclaim the Good News in China,
 
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 other 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
to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ
wherever it is most needed.
 
We achieve our mission
when we facilitate
the encounter between Jesus Christ and the 'nations'.
Our mission includes
enabling people
to experience the coming of the Kingdom
proclaimed by Jesus Christ
in their God-given context.
 
The foundational assumptions with which we approach our mission are:
 
God's Plan of Love
We believe that God plans to
reconcile the whole of Creation to Him, in
Christ, through the Spirit. He calls us to
proclaim salvation as His great gift which
liberates from oppression and disruption.
Salvation is not merely of human persons,
individually or communally, but the entire
world. Mission therefore also comprises
sharing in God's care for the whole of
creation. The goal of the mission is the Kingdom of God of which the Church is the
servant.
 
          Our Commitment to Frontier Situations
We affirm that it is the specific charism of CICM to bring the Good News of Jesus
Christ wherever it is most needed, e.g., in frontier situations such as geographic areas
where the Gospel is not known or lived, isolated areas where people feel abandoned,
large cities where the feeling of anonymity prevails, marginalized groups, refugees and
displaced persons, people who live in extreme poverty, young people who feel there is
no future for them. Our direct involvement with these groups should be supported by a
prophetic presence in the world of communications, organizations that participate in the
struggle for liberation, justice and peace groups, organizations committed to
safeguarding the created world, associations which seek to influence international
decision-makers.
Our Commitment to Dialogue
We fully respect the freedom of people. "The Church proposes she imposes
nothing' (RM, 39). We are called to encounter people of all religions and convictions,
and to establish a dialogue of life with them. As part of this commitment, we acquire
adequate knowledge of the language and the culture of the people who welcome us and
make every effort to insert ourselves in their life situation. Some among us nourish and
enrich this common commitment by engaging in an in-depth interreligious dialogue.
Our Commitment to First Evangelization
           We are particularly grateful when people, through the action of the Spirit, open
their hearts to the message of the Gospel and express the desire to join the Church of
Jesus Christ. We share with them the message of joy that transformed our own lives
and invite them to share with us their faith experience. We jointly convert ourselves to
God and form dynamic communities that live and proclaim the Gospel within the God-
given context of the people. When these communities, in communion with the universal
Church, reach maturity and become a local Church assuming full responsibility for her
mission in the world, we move on to other places where our presence is most needed.
Our Commitment to World Solidarity
        We acknowledge with sorrow the growing gap between the Gospel vision of a new
humanity of freedom, fellowship, and justice, and the world where there is poverty,
oppression, lack of freedom, inequality, injustice, violence, and hatred. This is not a
mere accident; it is a situation created by a powerful minority. We, therefore, participate
in the struggle of the marginalized to restore their dignity as responsible persons
created in the image of God and called to fully participate in building a better world for
all. As part of this commitment, we seek to challenge the rich nations to adopt a more
austere lifestyle, to abandon the old economic order based on unlimited growth for the
benefit of a few, and to commit themselves to a new model of global development
based on global sharing.
Our Commitment to the Local Church
            We affirm that the mission of Jesus Christ in which we share is entrusted to the
entire community of believers coming from all cultures, races, and nationalities. As a
missionary institute, we are a visible sign of the commitment of the whole Church to the
mission of Jesus Christ in the world, especially concerning those who do not belong to
the Church. In dialogue and cooperation with the leadership of the universal Church, we
discern where our presence is most needed. We loyally cooperate with the leadership of
the local Churches while remaining faithful to our commitment to frontier situations. In
doing so, we are a sign of solidarity among the local Churches in their universal
mission. As part of this commitment, we help the faithful of the Churches in which we
are present to develop a growing awareness of their missionary responsibility and
gratefully welcome young people who in their turn hear the call of the Lord and express
the desire to join the institute.
Our Commitment to Community
           We believe that how we live and work together is important in fulfilling our
mission. It is our task to foster with the Spirit dynamic communities of praying and active
believers. Since we cannot give what we are not, we live and work as much as possible
in intercultural evangelizing communities that foster values such as mutuality,
interdependence, a simple lifestyle in solidarity with the poor, conscious and respectful
interaction with each other and the culture in which we live, common prayer nourished
by and oriented towards our mission.

Father Theopiel Verbist (Théopile), CICM

Born: 12 June 1823,
Antwerp, Belgium
Died: 23 February 1868, Mongolia
Nationality: Belgian Organization founded: CICM Missionaries

Week 3
CICM IN THE WORLD
ASIA-AFRICA-AMERICA-EUROPE
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 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.” Drawing from the
inspiration set by Jesus Himself, the ClCM commits to the same mission of bringing the Gospel
to God’s children in the different parts of the world. “CICM missionaries are currently working in
some 20 countries around the world. Their work continues to be sharing the hope and comfort
of the Gospel while relieving the suffering of our poorest and most neglected brothers and
sisters in Christ.”
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, lan, 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 all of these are
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. They are seen as essential elements in today’s new
evangelization, 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)
"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.
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.
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 rum 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 TV# 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 (Mat.11:29f) By
a truly evangelical life, (4) in much patience, in long suffering, in kindness, in unaffected love (ef.
2 Cor. 6:4f), 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.
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 e emphasis is on evangelization and attempts to the great religions of the
region; and
• in America, the accent is on solidarity in the struggle for Liberation
Inspired then 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. Today,
the CICM missionary priests and brothers are found in the different areas of Europe, the
Americas, Africa and Asia, 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.
This reality is a clear proof that the sacrifices of Fr. Theophile Verbist and his companions are
not in vain. In fact after the death of the founder, CICM missionaries continued the work He and
his companions started. “He left a flame burning that marks CICM. His death left a call for others
to continue the mission with a total gift of self in different mission stations worldwide. As was
mentioned earlier in the revious discussions, after the death of Fr. Theophile Verbist, the CICM
had sent 74 missionaries to continue the missionary work in Inner Mongolia from 1865 – 1887.
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, was 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 the 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.in
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.
Aside from the challenges, 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.
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, Senegal, and Angola), in the Americas (Haiti,
the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Brazil, Mexico and the United States), and in Europe
(Belgium, Netherlands, Italy, France and Germany)
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.
CICM IN 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 IN ASIA
CICM missionaries spend their lives with their people, sharing in their hope 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.
CICM IN AFRICA
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. 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.
CICM ministry in Africa revolves around the three specific domains as follows:
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.
CICM IN AMERICA
AMERICA
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.
CICM IN AMERICA
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.”
CICM IN EUROPE
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.
CICM 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,
there was a 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.
Week 4: Distinct Contributions of CICM in the World Contributions
The Mission Statement of Jesus
The 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. 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.
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…”
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 which are both them instructions which 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.
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 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, lan, 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 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 challenge of bringing social a 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 – pastoral,
health care, education, interreligious dialogue, IP’s, etc. Their witnessing to the Gospel of Christ
is a powerful means of bringing social transformation to a reality.
The CICM, being an international missionary congregation, dedicated to the Incarnate Word,
takes this mandate as its primordial concern. This they realize in the different areas of the world
where they are stationed. As missionaries, they have their distinct contributions to the world as
indicated below:
01. Pioneering/ Daring Spirit
a. In 1888 Fr. Emerick Cambier, CICM explored the unknown and mysterious territory
upriver on the Congo and Kasai Rivers in Central Africa, in Kasai Province, and founded most of
the large missions there. When the fierce Batetelas tribe revolted in 1895, he saved the mission
emboldened by his rifle, which he was not afraid to fire.
b. The above story exemplifies 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.
c. Mongoliacent example; the CICM with the Filipino Bishop Wenceslao Padilla practically
started the Church in that country, and two years ago the first Mongolian priest was ordained.
After a few more years when the time is ripe, the CICM will once more relinquish leadership of
that Church to the local clergy and hierarchy.
In such a contribution to the world, 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.
The heart as a symbol of the inner being of the human person expresses capacity for truth,
goodness, and beauty. Theophile Verbist rightly animates his missionaries to take courage in
the face of tribulations and persecutions, since they have a good and beautiful mission.
Accordingly, the life-giving force that “ensouls” the universe truly inspires a meaningful life when
developed in the care of God’s people and creation. Thus, 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. They live as vanguards
for change in the world.
02. Multiculturality
a. As the CICM motto espouses, the Congregation is of “One Heart and One Soul”:
“Internationalization as a universal brotherhood is not a project the Congregation set for itself,
but a call from the Lord.” 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. “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 their universal mission.” (CICM Constitution, Art. 2)
b. Therefore, the CICM has advocacies directed towards intercultural understanding. For
example, in Japan, in the CICM Oriens Institute for Religious Research the students study and
reflect on Japanese culture and religious thought and are concerned with religious dialogue and
contact between the different religious traditions in their country.Such ‘mark’ of multiculturality
makes the CICM an inclusive community working for the promotion of God’s kingdom.

03. 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.
c. [St. Paul Agricultural School has been one of the best developmental projects that ever
happened among the Toradja mountain people in Indonesia. Founded in 1969 in Makale by Fr.
Roger Leleu, CICM who had an agronomist’s degree from the University of Louvain, the school
introduced new methods of farming to hundreds of graduates who have been influential in
improving the lives of thousands of farms who today harvest two rice crops a year.]
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.
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.
Furthermore, the CICM missionaries affirm their participation in the transformation initiated by
Jesus as they say; “Our initial ‘yes’ is only the beginning of the journey-not the end. We have all
had moments of ‘going about doing good. We have all had moments of suffering. We all will
experience that final moment of our own personal death and personal resurrection. But over and
above all that living and dying, we have known transforming moments of grace, we have been
instruments of transforming grace for others people. It is a God who continues to journey with
His people. Little by little over the years, most of us have known fleeting moments of grace,
personal transformational moments that give promise of the fullness of our personal
Resurrection yet to come.”
Such missionary presence of the CICM priests and brothers in the world is therefore a clear
manifestation of God’s liberating presence in the lives of people, liberating them from all forms
of suffering, oppression or dehumanization. Coming from different cultures, the CICM
missionaries embrace other cultures, bearing the inclusive character of the Kingdom proclaimed
by Christ, the Incarnate Word, as they work for social transformation.
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,
4) Solidarity with the poor through the establishment of an inclusive society.
Week 5: CICM in the Philippines
After the Philippine revolution against Spain in 1898, which had been successful with the help of
the United States, all Spanish missionaries were expelled. The Philippines then became an
American Territory and American bishops were appointed, among them Bishop Dennis
Dougherty (later Cardinal archbishop of Philadelphia) who was assigned for the diocese of
Nueva Segovia in Vigan, Ilocos Sur. If covered the whole northern part of Luzon.
In 1906, Bishop Dougherty sent a pressing appeal for missionaries to the headquarters of the
CICM Congregation in Scheut-Brussels. The challenge was immediately accepted and in
September 1907, Bishop Dougherty welcomed the first eight CICM priests and one CICM
brother who began in earnest the evangelization of the people of the Mountain Province, the
lgorets as they are called, who were then still largely animists with a tradition of violence. They
were headhunters. Vengeance called for killings between village and village, between tribe and
tribe. Today, most Igorots are very well disposed towards the Church and more than two-thirds
have become Christians.
THE CICM PIONEERS IN THE PHILIPPINES
At the start of 20th century, the CICM faced a vital missionary challenge: The Philippine Church.
In a letter dated February 14, 1906 the distinguished Msgr. Ambrosius Agius, Papal Delegate to
the Philippines during the time of Pope Leo XIII, wrote Rev. Fr. Adolf Van Hecke, CICM
Superior General, to send missionaries to the Philippines to arrest the growing shortage of
priests, due to political and religious turmoil in the country.
After careful deliberation on the standing request from the Philippine Church and diligent
reconnaissance of the proposed mission territories for the CICM to take care of the Diocese of
Nueva Segovia (Vigan), namely, Nueva Vizcaya, Lepanto-Bontoc, and Benguet (since
reportedly there was only one priest serving these places with then over 150,000 inhabitants),
the CICM sent its first caravan of nine missionaries to the Philippines who arrived in Manila on
November 2, 1907
The pioneer CICM Missionaries sent to the Philippines were:

• Jules Sepulchre;
• Albert Dereume;
• Christain Hulsbosch;
• Seraphine Devesse;
• Henri Verbeeck;
• Constant Jurgens;
• Octaaf Vandewalle;
• Pieter Dierickx; and
• Florimond Carlu.
From Manila the missionaries on to their respective went assignments. They were divided into
two groups. One group proceeded to Cervantes, Ilocos Sur, as gateway to the Mountain
provinces, and other went up to Benguet with Baguio as mission center. The missionaries who
had to climb mountains and cross treacherous rivers in the region – soon engaged themselves
mainly in opening schools and building churches in key areas, as well as in promoting trade and
livelihood among the locals for the communities’ economic well being.
Finally, on April 9, 1909, the CICM Philippine Province was established with “Home Sweet
Home” in Baguio, Benguet as the Provincial House. Fr. Henri Raymakers served as the first
Provincial Superior (1909-1915).
World War II created a great havoc on the CICM. The CICM suffered heavy losses in terms of
resources and personnel. In the course of the war, a number of CICM missionaries were
imprisoned in concentration camps, some were killed, and others missing. Churches and
schools built by the missionaries and their benefactors were destroyed and razed to the ground.
Also, during the war in 1944, “Home Sweet Home” was seized and occupied by the Japanese
soldiers as their headquarters.
After the war, the needed road to recovery was immediately paved and the expansion began. It
was in 1954 that the CICM Provincialate was transferred to its present location in Quezon City.
By 1957 or exactly fifty (50) years after the historic arrival of the CICM in the Philippines, the
number of their mission apostolates significantly grew to include 60 mission stations.
CICM PIONEERS
1. Rev. Fr. Pieter Dierickx, CICM (1862-1946)
Appointed by CICM General Government as Superior to the new mission to the Philippines –
Most senior among the first batch – Spent 10 years as a missionary in China CICM in the
Philippines by JLO – As a man of peace, he was described as a prudent and patient leader who
remained serene in the midst of difficulties and uncertainties of their mission.
2. Rev. Fr. Florimond Carlu, CICM (1875-1950)
Former professor in a college for several years before going to the Philippines for mission – He
was revered and well-loved parish priest of the Baguio Cathedral – Provided health care
services for his mission assignments – Known as the “San Roque of the Philippines” – Famous
in the area of education initiated the establishment of trade and vocational schools (e.g. cloth
sewing and weaving, rattan crafting, and shoe making) – Known as the “builder” – he was
instrumental in the construction of many famous structures that are well known today. One of
them is the “twin towers” of Baguio City: The Baguio Cathedral. This is the reason why a street
near the Baguio Cathedral was named after him. – Another trademark of Fr. Carlu as a parish
priest is the formation of the youth. He was instrumental in forming the first youth choir of the
parish, the St. Patrick choir.
3. Bro. Christian Hulsbosch, CICM(1877-1950)
Only brother among the group who dedicated 43 years in the Philippine mission – He built many
churches and mission posts that remain as beautiful witnesses to his common sense and zeal.
He became the procurator of the mission in the Philippines – he was described as a prudent
and wise procurator.
4. Rev. Fr. Constant Jurgens, CICM (1879-1952)
Only Dutchman among the pioneers He became the Bishop of Tuguegarao. – He shared their
family business – manufacturing of margarine and other products – in supporting his missionary
projects. – While in Bontoc, he with the help of Fr. Sepulchre, initially constructed a dormitory for
boys, which eventually became a school where the students were offered Christian education.
He was one who initiated the beginnings of Saint Mary’s University in Bayombong, Nueva
Vizcaya. – He is well-known in the area of catechism – published an Ilocano version of
catechism entitled “Katekismo ti Doctrina Kristiana” – He put up silk-worm industry in Bontoc.
5. Rev. Fr. Jules Sepulchre, CICM (1880-1912)
Founded the mission station in Bauko, Mountain Province – In Bontoc, a commemorative bust
was constructed for Fr. Sepulchre. With his great influence, there were people who used the
pioneer’s surname for their own as a gesture to expressed their high regard and respect for him.
– Died from a treacherous fever – His tomb can be found in front of the communion rail of Sta.
Rita church in Bontoc.
His tomb was covered with an engraved stone with the following dedication “Deo templum, sibi
sepulchrum aedificavit” (He built a temple for God and a “sepulchre” for himself)
6. Rev. Fr. Albert Dereume, CICM (1881-1953)
Lived his zeal among the people of Itogon, Benguet – Devoted his first years of apostolate to
the working class and to vocational instruction. His interest was primarily directed to the
education of the youth. – His main thrust in education was the creation and organization of
vocational schools. Follows the motto “Everything for everyone” – Can be described as the
friend and confidant of the youth.

7. Rev. Fr. Oktaaf Vandewalle, CICM (1879-1968)

Became parish priest in Baguio, Bayombong, Solano, Bontoc, and Tagudin – Appointed as
Superior Procurator, Vice-Provincial and Provincial Council member – In Baguio, he performed
the duty of a Rector to the Scheut house and became the first Apostolic Prefect of Mountain
Province in 1933. – His last appointment was in Belgium where he was the Rector of the
Mission House in Torhout.
In the absence of Catholic schools, he taught in public schools and grabbed every opportunity to
instruct people by preaching. – He, together with the mayor of Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya,
agreed to organize an association – “Bayombong Farmers Association”- That would help the
people recover from the poor harvest during that time. Editor of several missionary magazines
like “The Little Apostle of the Mountain Province”.
8. Rev. Fr. Henri Verbeeck, CICM 1879-1938
He started the CICM mission in La Trinidad, Benguet and eventually became the first parish of
what is known today as San Jose Parish. – As a missionary, he put himself at the service of the
poor. A leader and unifier by way of his preaching and teaching.
9. Rev. Fr. Seraphin Devesse, CICM (1883-1945)
The youngest among the pioneers – Known as “Vessius” to his companions – In Baguio, he
built the first Catholic church named the St. Patrick church. From that small church later grew
the Baguio Cathedral we know today. He also established another church in Campo Filipino in
the same city. From this church soon emerged what is now the St. Vincent Church.
He was also responsible for opening the first Catholic mission school using the sacristy of the
church he put up along Session Road, Baguio City. That school was the beginning of what is
Saint Louis University. – He was assigned as a parish priest in Bambang, Nueva Vizcaya and
built a Catholic school there. He also became a parish priest of Santiago, Isabela and he,
together with his assistant Rev. Fr. Laurent Decaestecker, CICM, was executed there by the
Japanese.
Distinguished himself as a man of dialogue – he was an ecumenical pastor where he
succeeded in uniting as one people the Catholics, Aglipayans, and the Protestants in Bambang,
Nueva Vizcaya.
CICM Provincial Apostolate over the years
CICM PROVINCIAL APOSTOLATE
From the early days, Scheut Missions-CICM in the Philippines has accepted challenges outside
the Mountain Province in many lowland parishes which have been without priests for years. And
from that concerted effort towards the evangelization of the Igorots and the revitalization of
whole Christian areas, the greatest achievement CICM is proud of are the more than 150 native
Philippine CICM members, of whom about eighty priests are missionaries in other countries
today. In addition, there are about three dozen native Igorot diocesan priests working among
their own people in the Apostolic Vicariates of the Mountain Provinces under the leadership of
native bishops, one of whom is a member of CICM. Father Francis H. Lambrecht, CICM (1895-
1978) was one of the most energetic CICM missionaries in the mountains of Luzon. Ordained in
1923, he arrived in the Philippines the next year. For seventeen years, he evangelized the
Ifugao people, at the same time mastering their language and ancient traditions.
In 1941, he became secretary and procurator of the Apostolic Prefecture, later Vicariate, of the
Mountain Province. He founded St. Francis Xavier Seminary in Baguio City and for thirty years
he was involved in the training of native priests for the Mountain province. At the same time, he
taught anthropology at Maryhurst (CICM) Seminary, St. Louis University and Baguio Colleges

Father Francis’ anthropological researches were published in scientific periodicals of several

universities worldwide. Among his lasting anthropological contributions are his research on the
Ifugao Epic Sagas which he called remarkable pieces of primitive literature.” Father Francis’
scientific research, however, was always for “the purpose of being a better missionary” as he
said in his acceptance speech after being awarded a doctor’s degree of Humane Letters,
honoris causa, by the Ateneo de Manila University in 1976. His life was a priestly journey, a
pilgrimage of the spirit, of sacrament and service.
“Bishop William Brasseur has been an indispensable factor in the development and
Christianization of the Mountain Provinces.” This is how Jaime Cardinal Sin, Archbishop of
Manila, characterized this zealous missionary during the homily at Bishop Brasseur’s golden
jubilee as a priest. Born in 1903, Father “Willy” was ordained a priest in 1929 and arrived in the
Philippines in 1931, where he worked tirelessly in several missions among the Benguet tribes
until on June 20, 1948 when he was appointed Vicar Apostolic of the Mountain Province and
ordained a bishop in Baguio Cathedral two months later.
A warm, simple-living, kind and prayerful man, Bishop Brasseur had a dream for the Mountain
people which he was able to see come true. His first challenge was to reconstruct the physical
plants of the missions, eighty percent of which were destroyed by the war. He established
farmers cooperatives. Under his administration, eight rural hospitals and twenty dispensaries
were erected. He established Catholic school system which now counts thirty-six high schools,
twenty-four primary schools, three colleges and one university, prestigious St. Louis University
in Baguio City. He also founded the native Congregation of the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart
of Mary, which counts fifty-five professed sisters.
Catholic Education is probably the single most effective factor for change in the Mountain
Provinces towards a more Christian mentality and more openness to the modern world. In 1911
Fr Seraphin Devesse, CICM, founded a one room elementary school in Baguio for ten local
boys. From this humble origin the Saint Louis School system began.
Apart from the Saint Louis University, the CICM Missionaries also run the Saint Mary’s
University in Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya, and the Saint Louis College in San Fernando, La
Union, and the Saint Louis College in Tuguegarao, in the Cagayan valley, thus covering major
part of Northern Luzon with outstanding educational institutions.
The century long commitment of the CICM Missionaries has produced impressive fruits and
major developments for the people of the Mountain Provinces.
Filipino CICM Missionaries in the World Today In the early 1950’s, the CICM missionaries in the
Philippines decided that it was time to share their charism and missionary vision with Filipino
young men. A juniorate for possible candidates for the foreign missions was started. On March
6, 1953, the General Council of the Institute officially erected the CICM novitiate in Baguio City,
which opened in May of that same year with eight novices
Today there are over 150 native Filipino members in the Institute, several of whom have
important positions in the administration of the Philippine CICM province and in the formation of
novices and candidates. Over eighty Filipino CICM priests are engaged in missionary work in
Mexico, Guatemala, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Cameroon, Congo, Nigeria, Zambia,
Mongolia, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Indonesia.

CICM SCHOOLA I THE PHILIPPINES

Transforming Communities through Education
Introduction:
From the CICM Philippines mission standpoint, education aims at evangelizing cultures
and society. Historically, evangelization through education has always been an integral aspect
of CICM work in the Philippines. Mission/parochial schools always were at the heart of the
CICM missions in the Cordillera region as well as in the dioceses where we worked. Our
schools were unique in the Philippines, perhaps in the world, for the very high proportion of
education on the elementary level.

Lesson Proper:

Since the start of CICM, the apostolate of education has always been considered a special
means of accomplishing the congregation’s mission. This is evident in the first edition of the
CICM constitution in 1900, which states that: “The CICM mission is to preach the good news to
the people of China, to establish the Christian community and to take care especially of
abandoned children.
From a broader Christian perspective, education may be seen as the proclamation of the good
news of God in Jesus Christ and the formation of Christian communities, especially among the
youth. It is not surprising, therefore, that as soon as they were settled in their parishes, the
CICM missionaries in the Philippines immediately started to build primary schools. Later, many
of these elementary schools expanded their educational services to include high school and
college, thanks to the tremendous efforts of dedicated lay collaborators, as well as religious
sisters especially the missionary Canonesses of Saint Augustine, the Franciscan Sisters, and
the Tuding sisters. The exact number of schools that CICM missionaries founded is not known,
although it would be safe to say that in almost all the 203 stations where CICM was assigned,
the confreres built schools.
As the number of CICM missionaries decreased through the years, many of the mission schools
and seminaries that were started by the CICM fathers were turned over to the parishes and
dioceses. Most of these schools still exist under the direction of the diocesan priest or bishop.
However, a few academic institutions that were considered strategically important to the new
pastoral direction of CICM Philippines, especially in terms of the evangelization of the youth and
development of the locality, were retained.
By 2007, the year of its centennial celebration, the CICM Philippine province directly
administered only six educational institutions, listed here according to the date they were
established: Saint Louis University in Baguio in 1911; Saint Mary’s University in Bayombong,
Nueva Vizcaya in 1928; Saint Louis College in San Fernando, La Union in 1964; the University
of Saint Louis in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan in 1965; Saint Louis School in Mandaue, Cebu in
1969; and Maryhill School of Theology in Quezon City in 1972.
In the Philippines, CICM schools are known as institutions that offer quality education with
relatively lower tuition fees. Three of the 30 institutions of higher learning originally granted full
autonomous status by the Philippine Commission on Higher Education in 2001 were run by
CICM: Saint Mary’s University, University of Saint Louis Tuguegarao, and Saint Louis University
in Baguio City. Furthermore, many of the programs in these institutions were granted level II and
level III status by the Federation of Accrediting Agencies of the Philippines, meaning they are
considered to be of good quality.
The CICM confreres in the education apostolate have always adhered to the policy of giving
poor students access to quality education. In all CICM schools of higher learning, at least one-
fourth of the student population enjoys scholarships given
By the respective institution, the confreres, alumni, and other benefactors. It is indeed a
managerial marvel how CICM schools are able to give quality education to many indigenous
and poor students with their modest tuition fees.
Although the historical development of the role of schools in CICM’s pastoral work has had its
period of doubt and questioning, the CICM confreres in the Philippines today emphatically affirm
that the school apostolate is indeed a missionary priority. In the commentary of the CICM
constitutions in 1999, the confreres are reminded that the focus of their missionary concern is
the kingdom of God and the transformation of the world. Hence, all their varied and particular
pastoral activities must be directed towards bringing about the reign of God and the
transformation of societies. The school apostolate therefore, being a particular missionary work
of the CICM province, must be understood within this Christian perspective.
The late Cardinal John Henry Newman, one of the greatest teachers of the Catholic Church and
founding president of the University College of Dublin in Ireland, wrote in his famous book The
Idea of a University: “When the church founds a university, she is not cherishing talent, genius
or knowledge for their own sake but for the sake of her children, with a view to their spiritual
welfare and their religious influence and usefulness, with the object of training them to fill their
respective positions in life better and of making them more intelligent, capable and active
members of society.”
In this voluminous work, Cardinal Newman affirms that Catholic universities exist because of the
Church’s responsibility for the spiritual welfare of the young, who have a potential evangelizing
influence when they are trained to think well, to be competent professionals, and to be
committed members of society. The educational philosophy of Newman implies that Catholic
universities, through their students, are to be agents or instruments by which society can be
transformed.
The late Pope John Paul II, in his encyclical on Catholic universities, reiterated this idea. The
institutional goals of CICM schools capture this educational philosophy in their respective vision-
mission statements, as follows: True Christian living, academic excellence, professional
responsibility, and creativity and social commitment are key interrelated dimensions of their
institutional goals.” These four goals of CICM education point out that the most profound and
enduring mission of CICM schools is the transformation of the person, the community, and the
environment in which they are embedded. Aware that the Founder had a special concern for the
neglected orphans and children in Mongolia, the CICM schools pay special attention to the
marginalized sectors in their host communities. Thus, the CICM schools also provide
opportunities
For growth in the communities, they serve through extension services.
By devoting themselves to the formation of Competent, creative, and socially committed
Christian professionals, the CICM schools continually strive to be faithful to the mission of CICM
and the Church of bringing about the transformation of societies and the fulfillment of the
Kingdom.
- Fr. Jessie M. Hechanova, CICM
- The CICM Philippines Educational Apostolate
- From the CICM Philippines mission standpoint, education aims at evangelizing
cultures and society. Historically, evangelization through education has always been an integral
aspect of CICM work in the Philippines. Mission/parochial schools always were at the heart of
the CICM missions in the Cordillera region as well as in the dioceses where we worked. Our
schools were unique in the Philippines, perhaps in the world, for the very high proportion of
education on the elementary level.
- Education in the North was a very effective factor in alleviating poverty and in
making a positive impact on indigenous communities. These schools envisioned and structured
as essential instruments of evangelization, offered and continue to offer, to the youth in far
places solid basic education. They opened up a future for the youth in a world that was wider
than their native place. These schools became also breeding grounds for missionary vocations,
in particular for CICM.
- Apart from these, CICM Philippine Province has five CICM educational institutions
reaching out to a broader area on college and university level. These institutions, catering to
more than 70,000 students, are very much part of our missionary presence in the Philippines.
Many scholarships are given to deserving students.
- In response to the challenge of restructuring and re-orienting our missionary
presence in the schools, our colleges and universities (namely, Saint Louis College – San
Fernando, Saint Louis College – Cebu, University of Saint Louis – Tuguegarao, Saint Louis
University – Baguio City, and St. Mary’s University – Bayombong), which are presently
administered and animated by our confreres, are being re-directed to bring about missionary
consciousness among the youth. The Office of the Vice President for Mission and Identity has
just been introduced in the Organizational Structure of our Schools.
- In the exploratory stage is the goal to create the merger of our schools, including
Maryhill School of Theology, into the One CICM School Network, to be governed by one Board
of Trustees, with the respective Chancellors or Executive Officers in the different campuses.
Competent and trusted Lay Collaborators are being prepared for the different sensitive functions
in the schools, including the position of Chancellor. Our Maryhill School of Theology (MST)
attends to the academic and pastoral formation of our CICM student-confreres and some 300
seminarians and religious sent by several dioceses and more than 20 religious institutes
enrolled in the General Theology Program (GTP). The Adult Theological Education Program
(ATEP) has students, mostly lay, who take up evening and Saturday classes to be more
capable to serve in their local communities. MST is known to have the most complete collection
of books, journals, magazines and reference books, among all the other theological graduate
schools in the country. MST aspires to offer programs that would lead to a civil degree of Doctor
in Missiology.
- THE CICM SCHOOLS IN THE PHILIPPINES
-
- Saint Louis University – Baguio City
- In 1911, four years after the arrival of the CICM in the Philippines, Fr. Seraphin Devesse,
CICM started a one-room elementary school near what is now the Baguio cathedral. Originally
intended for ten local boys, the school soon offered intermediate grades and a trade school
under the guidance of Fr. Florimund Carlu, CICM and the help of the missionary canonesses of
Saint Augustine, later known as the CICM sisters.
- From these humble origins, Saint Louis University (SLU) has grown with the
demands of its students and faculty to become one of the country's most respected educational
institutions. Located in Baguio City, around 250 kilometers north of Manila, SLU has played a
pivotal role in the evolution of its host city into a major metropolis. Known as the summer capital
of the country because of its temperate climate, Baguio City is now the center of commerce as
well as the center of education in the northern Philippines.
-
- University of Saint Louis – Tuguegarao City
- The university’s history dates back to January 6, 1965, when Msgr. Teodulfo S. Domingo
wrote CICM Provincial Superior Fr. Charles Pieters asking the congregation to open a Catholic
school for boys in Tuguegarao. The request from the Bishop of Tuguegarao was prompted by
the appeal of many parents for a Catholic education of their boys in the province. With the
approval of the CICM Superior General, Fr. Pieters accepted the appeal.
- Guided by the CICM educational apostolate, Saint Louis School was established
with a mission to be a beacon for true Christian living, academic excellence, professional
responsibility, social awareness and involvement.
- In June 1965, Saint Louis School opened its portals to 138 boys enrolled in first-
year and second-year high school. Fr. George Hantson, CICM was the first rector. In 1971, its
high school department offered a science curriculum and started admitting girls.
- In 1968, the name of the school was changed to Saint Louis College with the
opening of the college department. In 1977, the graduate school was opened, initially offering
Master in Public Administration. For the school year 1999-2000, seeing the need for harnessing
potential and for partnership with sister schools, Saint Louis entered into a Twinning Program
with Saint Mary's University in Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya for the opening of a Doctor of
Philosophy in Science Education.
- Preparatory and primary school had a late start at Saint Louis, with Kinder I and II
opening only in 1997. The elementary school department started accepting Grade I pupils in
1998. This was also the start of determined efforts to change the school charter to reflect its
academic expansion.
- On May 20, 2002, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) finally granted
the school's new charter, and its name was changed to the University of Saint Louis
Tuguegarao. This brought the institution closer to realizing higher education's threefold function
of instruction, research and extension.
-
- Saint Mary’s University – Bayombong (Nueva Vizcaya)
- The university traces its roots to the vision and initiative of Msgr. Constant Jurgens, one
of the earliest CICM missionaries to arrive in the Philippines. In pursuit of his dream to establish
a school for the Christian education of his parishioners' children, he purchased a lot and some
materials but upon his recall to Europe, his successor, Fr. Achilles de Gryse, CICM saw his
dream through.
- Their efforts resulted in the inauguration of the St. Mary's Elementary School in
June 1928. The High School department was opened in 1934 under Rev. Fr. Godfrey
Lambrecht, CICM, and college Department formally operated with several course offerings. The
university has remained steadfast in its vision of being a nurturing and zealous missionary
Catholic educational institution, committed to forming and animating competent, creative, and
community-supportive Christian disciples.
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- Saint Louis College – San Fernando (La Union)
- Since its establishment in 1964, Saint Louis College has been proving its worth as a
beacon of wisdom in the northern Philippines. In line with its vision for integral formation of the
youth, SLC provides programs that build a dynamic Christian missionary community and
enhance human dignity.
- Almost 43 years after it was founded, SLC is now preparing the requisites to
become a university. With its Human Resources Development Program assisting the employees
and students in harnessing their talents and potentials, the college has identified spiritual
formation as the primary focus for it believes that a strong spiritual foundation is fundamental for
social transformation. It continues to strive for further improvement in the quest for academic
excellence, professional leadership and committed social involvement.
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- Saint Louis College Cebu – Mandaue City (Cebu)
- The desire to contribute to the Christian formation of the youth brought the CICM
Missionaries to Sudlon, Maguikay, Mandaue City in March 1969. In response to the request of
Julio Cardinal Rosales, they established a Catholic high school under the guidance of founder
Fr. Wilfried Daels, CICM.
- Like a deeply rooted plant, Saint Louis School made it through every rain and
storm. It has now fully blossomed into a huge tree whose branches continue to spread in every
direction. In the beginning of school year 2003, under the supervision of Fr. Arturo Arnaiz,
CICM, the school underwent a major transformation. The offices, laboratories, and library were
simultaneously renovated. Towards the end of the school year, the long-held dream of having
an elementary department became a reality. The construction of the two-storey canteen and the
ground floor of the elementary building was undertaken and, in June 2004, both edifices were
blessed and inaugurated.
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- The CICM Maryhill School of Theology
- Founded by the CICM missionaries in 1972, the Maryhill School of Theology's
beginnings seemed to mirror the events during the turbulent year of the declaration of Martial
Law. This period coincided with the time of renewal in the Church after the Vatican II Council
(1962-65). In previous years, CICM had been rendering service to the formation of seminarians
of the local Church in San Carlos Seminary, Manila. The search for renewal led to conflicts. It
was time to move on.
- Initially, Maryhill in Taytay became the home of a school of theology that gave solid
training to a small group of CICM seminarians and guest students from the dioceses and other
congregations in the Philippines and abroad. They took up the General Theology Program,
following the Catholic Church norms for priestly formation. Soon, however, the "Founding
Fathers" looked beyond the boundaries of CICM and sought to develop a school that would
offer theological and missionary formation, not only to religious and diocesan seminarians but
also to sisters and laypeople.
- From its original location, MST transferred to the Sister Formation Institute and finally to
the current premises beside the CICM Philippines Provincial House in New Manila. This new
location made it possible for the school to start the Adult Theological Education Program for
non-seminarian students, both lay and religious. Currently, three MA programs are offered: MA
Theological Studies, MA Religious Studies and MA Pastoral Ministry. This includes a Summer
Theological Institute and the annual Mission Studies Lecture Series, in which a topic of
theological and pastoral significance is discussed in-depth by a panel of speakers before a
multi-sectoral audience. From time to time, seminars and symposia are held during the regular
semester on issues of national and international interest to help the students relate Christian
faith and practice to contemporary realities.