Fr. Orly
celebrates Thanksgiving Mass in ICST
Fr. Orlando
Mallillin of the Archdiocese of Tuguegarao came home to ICST to thank our
beloved Institution for the priestly formation given him. He celebrated
a thanksgiving mass on November 15, 2007 at the ICST
chapel during which was also the induction of the new SC officers. He was
ordained priest by the Most Rev. Diosdado Talamayan in the Basilica
Minore of Piat together with 3 other deacons on October 14, 2007.
He is now assigned as Parochial Vicar in San Jose Parish, Bagao, Cagayan.
Fr. Orly belongs to the Bin-I Class of 2007
NL Bishops
visit ICST
Last November
2006, our Northern Luzon Bishops had their regular meeting here in ICST.
That meeting marked a momentous event in the history of ICST for
the Bishops finally approved the implementation of the New Paradigm
of Formation otherwise known as the Paradigm Shift. The Bishops also have
agreed that they are to hold their meetings here in ICST every first
Tuesdays of November.
And so on
November 12, 2007, the Northern Luzon Bishops flocked to ICST for
their regular meeting. This meeting was to check on the progress of the
implementation of the paradigm shift. Father Rector presented the growth
of the paradigm shift, to which bishops have expressed their continued
support for the new formation program. Also, Sem. June
Ceasar Ragunjan and Sem. Leo Nedic shared before the bishop their personal
experiences about how the new paradigm is helping them in their formation.
The bishops, after their meeting, joined the seminarians in their respective
regional formation communities for the celebration of the Eucharist
followed by a simple dinner program held in their honor.
Fr. Mayo
returns to ICST
Fr. Lain Mayo
of the Diocese of Alaminos is back in ICST. He was sent by the NL Bishops
to the University of Navarre, Spain on June 2005 to further his studies
in Dogmatic Theology. After completing his studies and earning for
himself a Doctorate Degree, Fr. Lain will take on the responsibilities
of the office of the Dean of Studies beginning this second
semester. He will also teach Moral Theology to the second year seminarians.
Welcome back, Apo Lain.
ICST celebrates
Feast Day
In the middle
of preparations for the PARAISO concert, the ICST community discontinued
work for a while as they celebrated the Solemnity of the Immaculate
Conception on December 08, 2007. A Eucharistic celebration at the
grotto was held in the morning where friends from Pantay Daya came to be
one in the celebrations. During lunch time, Fr. Nick Vaquilar served
the community with Lechon while the seminarians and the personnel
sung and danced to celebrate the occasion.
ICST speaks
for Mother Earth through
PARAISO:
A concert for creation
At
the start of the school year, the ICST community had expressed loud and
clear that they would contribute their share in caring for the environment.
As a concrete response, the community launched the
Let’s GLOW
Program (Guard and Love Our World) where several conservation
and awareness programs and activities were initiated.
On December
11-13, 2007, the ICST successfully staged PARAISO: a Concert for
Creation participated in by the different talents of ICST, the
St. Paul College of Ilocos Sur High School Glee Club and the St. Benedict
Institute Women’s Chorale. This aimed to raise awareness of the dangers
of global warming to the greater population of Ilocos Sur.
Kapihan
III: “Tokun” and the ICST Benefactors Night celebrated
The Montanosa
Formation Community sponsored the 3rd Kapihan with the theme Tokun
on December 14, 2007 at the ICST Patios.
Tukon is a Kalinga word
which literally means Please Come. It is often used during
harvest season where each one in the community is enjoined to come and
help in the harvesting of palay. The Montanosa Formation Community
gladly hosted the event welcoming the benefactors and friends of
the seminary in recognition for their many contributions to the seminary.
The activities
were opened through a Eucharistic Celebration presided over by Rev. Fr.
Ronnie Degay, Director of the Montanosa Formation Community. Dinner followed
after the Mass where pinicpican and tapuey
were added to the main course. During the program, the benefactors and
friends of the seminary were given tribute through songs and tokens
of gratitude. Honored also during the celebration was the return
of Fr. Lain Mayo to ICST, and the remembrance of the birthday celebrators
for the month of November and December.
Team Red
dominates THEOLYMPICS II
The ICST community
ushered in the activities of the year with Theolympics II on January 04-05,
2008 at the ICST Basketball Courts. The chosen theme was Starting
great at 2008 which speaks about the need to sweat and burn out
the fats accumulated during the Christmas holidays and to start the year
right through a healthy lifestyle by engaging oneself in sports and recreation.
Four teams
participated in both indoor and outdoor games, they are: Team Blue (first
years), Team White (second years), Team Black (fourth years), and
Team Red (priest formators plus the third years). Emerging champions in
this year’s Theolympics II are the Team Red. Congratulations to our Formators
and to our third year brothers.
ICST celebrates
RECTOR’S DAY
The unity and
order that the ICST community is enjoying today, as Father Ramelo Somera,
Director of the Ilocandia Formation community stressed, could be attributed
to the active leadership of the Office of the Rector. It is the unifying
factor that smoothens and interlinks the different aspects of community
life and formation. Appreciative of the services rendered by Father
Rector John Habawel, the whole community of seminarians, priest-formators
and personnel paid tribute to him as they celebrated the Rector’s Day at
Stella Maris Beach Resort in Cabugao, Ilocos Sur on January 06-07, 2008.
The Rector’s Day commenced through a thanksgiving mass held at the ICST
chapel on January 05, 2008 which coincides with the 15th priestly anniversary
of Fr. John. During the homily, he challenged everyone to a life of prayer
and contemplation, for each one to be modern day mystics is to contribute
in the life and future of the Northern Luzon Church. A dinner program
by the beach was held in honor of Father Rector on January 06, 2008. The
different formation communities serenaded Fr. John with their songs and
dances while the priest-formators expressed their well wishes and messages
to Father John. Congratulations, Father John, on the occasion of your 14
years of priestly ministry—14 years of service, still green
and full of sap.
