The Seminary Community
The Seminary Community: A Communion of Communities
ICST is a regional seminary. Northern Luzon, however, is neither one culture nor one language. It is many cultures and languages. It is difficult to speak of a contextualized formation program when major cultural groups are not represented in the faculty. If seminarians are to grow in their love and appreciation of their local Churches and their cultures the best persons to teach them are their own. Thus, the seminarians are divided into regional communities, each guided by a formation community director and a spiritual director who hail from their respective region.
This shift of formation paradigm has allowed Immaculate Conception School of Theology to be a purely academic institution. Seminarians come to ICST for their theological studies but they reside in their own regional houses of formation inside the campus. This structure assures seminarians of a quality theological education. It also provides seminarians quality formation because with a smaller community formators spend more time for each seminarian and closely monitor their individual progress.
At present, ICST is currently comprised of three (3) Regional Formation Communities:
1) The Nuestra Señora de la Caridad Formation Community or the Ilocandia Formation Community hosts seminarians from the Diocese of Laoag (Ilocos Norte), Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia (Ilocos Sur), Diocese of Bangued (Abra), Diocese of San Fernando (La Union), Diocese of Alaminos (Pangasinan), and Diocese of Urdaneta (Pangasinan).
2) The Immaculate Heart of Mary Formation Community or the Montañosa Formation Community hosts seminarians from the Diocese of Baguio (Benguet), Apostolic Vicariate of Bontoc-Lagawe (Mountain Province and Ifugao), and Apostolic Vicariate of Tabuk (Kalinga and Apayao).
3) The Our Lady of Piat Formation Community or the CAVISA Formation Community hosts seminarians from the Archdiocese of Tuguegarao (Cagayan), Diocese of Ilagan (Isabela), and Diocese of Bayombong, (Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino).
Nuestra Señora de la Caridad Formation Community
Director: Rev. Fr. June Caesar S. Ragonjan (Diocese of Laoag)
Spiritual Director: Rev. Fr. Manuel Jayson M. Ragil (Diocese of San Fernando de La Union)
Immaculate Heart of Mary Formation Community
Director: Rev. Fr. Jason A. Cabacab (Apostolic Vicariate of Bontoc-Lagawe)
Spiritual Director: Rev. Fr. Benedict Jason P. Lopez (Diocese of Baguio)
Our Lady of Piat Formation Community
Director: Rev. Fr. Chate Leir M. Javier (Archdiocese of Tuguegarao)
Spiritual Director: Rev. Fr. Jefferson E. Magulod (Archdiocese of Tuguegarao)
St. Joseph Formation Community (Spiritual Formation Year)
Director: Rev. Fr. Amiel Christian M. Oineza (Diocese of Alaminos)
Spiritual Director: Rev. Fr. Aristotle M. Maggay (Archdiocese of Tuguegarao)
Our Lady of the Way Formation Community (Extra-Seminary Formation)
Director: Rev. Fr. Chate Leir M. Javier (Archdiocese of Tuguegarao)