Vocation to priesthood increasing!

“Therefore said Jesus to them, the harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few: pray you therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers into his harvest” (Lk 10:2).

The Archdiocese of Davao is known to have two seminaries, namely the St. Francis Xavier College Seminary (XACOSE) and the St. Francis Xavier Regional Major Seminary of Mindanao (REMASE).

The XACOSE now has a total of 197 diocesan seminarians, including the Pre-College who all come from the Archdiocese of Davao (30). The said seminarians at XACOSE come from the Archdiocese of Davao and the Dioceses of Digos and Mati.

In XACOSE, seminarians undergo 1-year Pre-College program and finish with the degree of Bachelor of Arts, major in Philosophy and minor in English in four years after which they proceed to REMASE.

The REMASE has a total of 110 diocesan seminarians coming from all over Mindanao. After one year in Pre-Theology, in four years they finish Theology with Masters degree in Pastoral Ministry and get ordained to the priesthood.

“The increase in number of seminarians is indeed a good problem,” says Archbishop Romulo G. Valles during the celebration of the Holy Spirit Mass at the Saint Francis Xavier College Seminary chapel last June 11, 2013, Tuesday.

Last year total population of XACOSE reached over a hundred and sixty eight (168) seminarians. This school year 2013-2014, it reaches over two hundred and nineteen seminarians (219) from the three sub regions of Davao, Digos and Mati and from the different religious congregations like the Society of Divine Vocation, Society of the Divine Word, Apostles of Jesus Christ Crucified, and the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin.

For the archbishop, the said increase in the population of seminarians only tells that God is so good that He continues to providing future priests as His chosen ones. Though there might be problems to consider and be addressed in accommodating the seminarians’ needs such as additional beds, lockers, computers and the increase in the food budget, Abp. Valles considers this as a good problem. “There are many seminaries which have good and new facilities, yet they don’t have seminarians,” Abp. Valles said, adding: “we are are so blessed that we have a great number of seminarians,” he added.

Rev. Fr. Maximo Bahinting and Msgr. Abel Apigo, the Rectors of XACOSE AND REMASE, respectively continue to lead in the formation of future priests according to the heart of Christ. (By Sem. Hanzel P. Lizardo/ Contributor/@dcherald)