A New Beginning: The Holy Spirit’s Guidance in Seminary Formation

At the commencement of each new formation year, the St. Francis Xavier Regional Major Seminary of Mindanao community gathers to celebrate the Mass of the Holy Spirit. The significant mass is to lead the whole community in a new academic year, welcome the seminarians, the new set of formators and faculty. This celebration was an opportune time to invoke the grace of the Holy Spirit and to ask God’s blessings for renewal and commitment. The mass was graced by the archbishop of the Archdiocese of Davao, Most. Rev. Romulo G. Valles. The good archbishop shared in his homily significant thoughts that will guide the formators and the seminarians for this formation year. He mentioned that the presence of the Holy Spirit invokes a kind of awareness, a new beginning. Just like the Church, in its birth, also marks the new beginning, the breath of the Holy Spirit. Abp. Valles emphasized that this formation year is new beginning, a new stage of creation, and configuration.

One of the stories that the good bishop shared was the experience of one of the priests of the archdiocese, Msgr. Ed Labagala, from a homily of a PME priest, Fr. Lahaye way back the 70’s. He said that “many are called but only few are choosing.” Abp. Valles shared, that in the seminary, especially in the configuration stage, these two realities play a significant aspect: to see if the seminarians are those among who are called, or to see if they are choosing to say yes to the calling. He also added the teachings of the Gospel, to be teachers of faith. The Holy Spirit teach everything and remind us to make us new and to re-configure us, so that as a follower of Christ, one will be adhering “agere in persona Christi.”

Furthermore, the good archbishop cited three things that seminarians and priest formators must remember. First, “is to be familiar with the Holy Eucharist.” Priest and seminarians must become the Eucharist itself. He reminded that this is one of the realities, that a priest and seminarian must have a great capacity to sacrifice. One should have a deep capacity to suffer, to be tolerant in pain or suffering. The second point is “the Holy Spirit teaches us to love the Word.” The good bishop added that the seminary formation is not just about studying and memorizing, but also loving the Word of God. One must become the second nature, to be like the prophets of old, or St. Paul or Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit make us to love the word, to be intertwined with the Word, making the words to be proclaimed with love and conviction. The third point, “the Holy Spirit creates and molds to be shepherds who know his flock.” Just like Jesus, one must know his sheep, to smell like the sheep. The archbishop concluded his homily, asking these graces from the Holy Spirit. Thus, he reminded seminarians to do the daily choosing for this calling to the priesthood. Allowing the Holy Spirit through the formators, to create and mold seminarians, so that someday, they will lead the people “agere in persona Christi.”

After the homily, was the rite of oath of fidelity before the archbishop, of the new priest formator who will join the REMASE administrative council, Rev. Fr. Leo Cloves Buchan of the Diocese of Tagum, as the new Asssitant Pastoral Director and Configuration Year 2 Companion Priest. The whole community also witnessed the special profession of faith of the REMASE Priest formators and faculty. Before the conclusion of the mass, REMASE rector, Rev. Fr. Reynaldo Retardo gave his message of thanks and introduced to the faithful the number of resident seminarians composing of 49-CY1, 23-CY2, 12-CY3, 11-CY4, and 11-CY5 students making it to a total of 106 seminarians. He also acknowledged the team of resident formators, non-resident priest professors, and new staff of REMASE present during the mass celebration. The Holy Mass was also attended by the Friends of REMASE members, who are generous in helping the seminary. Before the final blessing, the community sung the hymn of St. Francis Xavier, the patron saint of the seminary, asking for his guidance and prayers for this new formation year. (John Darrel D. Rillo | CY2)