Seminary Formators On F.I.R.E

The Episcopal Commission on Seminaries under the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of the Philippines held a one-month program for the Seminary Formators all over the Philippines at the St. Michael Retreat House in Antipolo beginning July 1 until 31, 2022 where our very own College Dean of Seminarians, Rev. Fr. Ruperto Jamili III was able to attend.

This live-in program is just one among the many seminar-workshops with the aim of a continuous formation for formators which is dubbed as FIRE or Formators’ Integral Renewal and Enrichment. A total of 24 formators joined the program from the different dioceses.

Commonly for the clergy, it is thought that priests are sent to seminaries as formators because it is a way of punishment or perhaps something is lacking in them. However, Bishop Socrates Villegas in his message, pointed out that it is the opposite, priests who are assigned as formators must be among the best because helping form good and holy priests is never easy.

The program is an integral part of the formators journey to equip them of all the practical ways in helping the priest aspirants in their journey. With the basic principle Nemo dat quod not habet which means no one gives what he does not have, the Episcopal Commission on Seminaries sees the need for this formation for formators.

As his first priestly assignment [being a seminary formator] and having the challenge to echo and at the same time live the learning he has acquired during the month-long program, Fr. Rupert is excited to be with the seminarians as the school year opens this week beginning with the retreat.