QUEZON City, Nov. 1, 2012 –The lay and ordained alumni of San Jose Seminary are set to gather for their 83rd Alumni Homecoming on November 15-16 at the Ateneo de Manila campus, in Quezon City.
The gathering this year enjoins all Josefino alumni to reflect on their Christian mission on the occasion of the 50thAnniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council.
The theme for this year’s gathering is “Tanglaw-Bayan: Josefino at Vatican II.”Fr. Joselito Henson, President of the San Jose Alumni Association, said the two-day homecoming aims to invite the lay and ordained alumni to share the light of Christ to our fellowmen in the context of the Second Vatican Council’s challenge to partake in the role of Christ as Light of the nations.
“Tanglaw-Bayan is an attempt to translate ‘Lumen gentium.’ Lumen gentium – Light of the nations – of course, refers primarily to Jesus Christ. At the same time, it also embodies the role that the whole church is called upon to assume in the world, namely, to radiate Christ’s light and make it real and palpable especially – in the context of PCP II – among the poor and powerless,” Fr. Henson said when asked about the relevance of this year’s theme.
“Fifty years after the opening of the Second Vatican Council, we Josefinos, as part of the larger church, have to reflect on how far have we succeeded in doing our part in advancing the church’s mission. It is my humble opinion that it is on our fidelity (or lack of it) to this mission that our identity as Josefinos – seminarian, lay and ordained – stands or falls,” he continued.
Among the highlights of the event are the reflection points on mission and Vatican II to be given by Most Rev. Pablo Virgilio S. David, DD, Auxiliary Bishop of San Fernando; and a talk on Social Justice Ministry 50 years after Vatican II to be given by Fr. Edu Gariguez, Executive Secretary of the CBCP-National Secretariat for Social Action, Justice and Peace. Both speakers are alumni of San Jose Seminary.
Seminarians will show a simple theatrical presentation during the evening’s program, to highlight and deepen further the theme of the celebration.
The seminarians’ presentation is traditionally a major part of the event and much-awaited by the alumni.
About 200 alumni from all over the Philippines and also from abroad are expected to grace the annual occasion. The alumni community will also honor its Golden Jubilarian Class of 1962 and Silver Jubilarian Class of 1987.
Established in 1601, San Jose Seminary is a national seminary under the care of the Philippine Province of the Society of Jesus. Among the illustrious alumni of the 411-year-old institution include Most Rev. Luis Antonio Tagle, D.D., Archbishop of Manila who will be elevated to the College of Cardinals on November 24; and Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales, D.D., Archbishop Emeritus of Manila. (Edmel Raagas/CBCPNews)
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