Christ the King Mission Seminary

The Divine Word Mission Seminary (also known as Christ the King Mission Seminary) is a Roman Catholic seminary in Quezon City, Philippines, operated by the Divine Word Missionaries.

Divine Word Mission Seminary
Other name
Christ the King Mission Seminary
TypeSeminary
Established1933 (1933)
FounderFr. Theodore Buttenbruch
AffiliationDWEA, CEAP
Religious affiliation
RectorRev. Fr. Pablito Tagura, SVD
DeanPablito Tagura
Address
1101 E. Rodriguez Sr. Avenue
,
Quezon City
,
Philippines
CampusUrban
Colors  Blue

Overview

The seminary offers junior and senior high school education, and both a bachelor's degree and a master's degree program in philosophy.[1][2] This seminary is also known as the Society of the Divine Word (SVD).

History

In 1929, the SVD General Council under the Superior General, Father William Gier, SVD, approved the establishment of a new mission seminary for SVDs in the Philippines. Father Theodore Buttenbruch, SVD, as Regional Superior, was given the task of building a seminary on a twenty-acre plot of land in the newly opened area in Quezon City. Bishop William Finnemann, SVD, who was then Bishop of Manila and later became the first bishop in Mindoro, supported the purchase of the land to construct the seminary.

On August 4, 1933, ground was broken for the founding of the mission seminary. They would focus specifically on the education of Filipinos, which was unusual for the time. In the past, Filipinos were only elevated to the secular clergy and were only selectively admitted to religious orders. Bishop Guerrero said of the new foundation, "It is the first institution of its kind for our Filipino youth and their need has long been felt."

In 1934, Christ the King Mission Seminary was inaugurated and officially opened to receive candidates for the priesthood.

The high school division of the seminary was opened after World War II in 1946. At that time, the seminary was the formation center that included the two-year college course prior to entering the novitiate, a two-year program of spiritual formation. The second year included the study of Philosophy, followed by another year to complete the study of philosophy. Seminarians had the option of continuing their studies to earn a master's degree, attain the regency, or continue the four-year theological studies leading to ordination to the priesthood.

The first building, now called the Buttenbruch Building, housed all seminarians, faculty and staff. The influx of vocations from the various mission areas, especially in Abra and Mindoro, necessitated the construction of additional buildings. Facilities such as a swimming pool, a stage, basketball and tennis courts, Arnoldus Hall, the Faculty Building, the Novitiate and the Scholasticate followed in rapid succession. As vocations grew, so did the need for economic support mechanisms. Thus, the carpenter's workshop, the handicraft and mechanic workshops, the piggery and the poultry farm were built one after the Brothers, all of which were run by the other. The part facing the road and the church was used as a sales point for religious materials and as a place for meetings of small groups.

In 1963, due to the continuing increase in vocations, the Novitiate and Scholasticate (philosophy and theology students) were gradually moved to the city of Tagaytay, a place more conducive to prayer and study.

In 1988, Christ the King Seminary High School was closed. This left the seminary as the center for the study of philosophy for the four-year preparatory course for the postulancy and novitiate. Feeder seminaries in the north were located in Urdaneta, Pangasinan. Davao City in the south offered a two-year philosophy course. These seminarians supplemented the students for the last two years of the philosophy course at Christ the King Seminary.

In 2016, Divine Word Formation Center Urdaneta Pangasinan and Davao was temporarily closed due to the development of the new education system in the Philippines, especially the introduction of the Senior High Curriculum as an additional requirement for students. Due to this development, all prospective SVD candidates are now transferred to Christ the King Seminary as the SVD Philippines' central seminary for philosophy education.

Today, Christ the King Seminary is called Divine Word Mission Seminary.

Architecture

It is a unique structure in the Philippine environment because it is modeled after a medieval castle.

References
  1. Divine Word Seminary
  2. ‘’Coursefinder’’ website
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