Fr. Theophile Verbist 3c423d

Fr. Theophile Verbist (1823-1868) The life story of our Founder, Fr. Theophile Verbist, is not long. He was born in Antwerp in 1823. He had a twin brother, Edmond, who became a lawyer. Theophile studied in the Seminary of the Archdiocese of Malines and was ordained a priest in 1847. During the firrst years of his priestly ministry, he was on the staff of the minor seminary. Later, he became the chaplain of the military school in Brussels and concurrently served as chaplain of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. In 1860 he was appointed National Director of the Holy Childhood, a pious association that animates its to the missions, especially children in need, and more specifically in China. His work with this association, combined with his two other appointments, represented the first visible mark of his orientation to the mission. It was not, however, the beginning of his missionary vocation. According to oral tradition, it is in the chapel of the Sisters that, whilst praying, Theophile Verbist set up his plan to become a missionary. The flame was lit in his heart, nourished in gratitude for the faith so easily received in Catholic Belgium, and in comion for the many who had not yet heard the Good News. It took more concrete shape by his involvement in the work of the Holy Childhood and by his s with the missions in this context. Verbist wanted to found a missionary congregation, but he knew he could not do it without having experienced the mission himself. In a letter of April 1866, Verbist writes, “Every day I thank the Lord that He allowed me to go personally to the mission of the Congregation so that I would learn and experience what the demands of the missionary life are in reality.” At the same time, he also observed the mission critically. To his sister Elisa he wrote: “The missionary would jeopardize the success of his efforts if, before attempting to reform the world around him, he would not first study matters in silence, observe with care, and, above all, exercise an enduring patience.” It is from this experience that he would challenge the novices in Belgium to test their vocation well. They have to make sure their vocation is rooted in a pure love of God. As a Founder, Verbist was appointed pro-vicar of the mission of Mongolia. No matter how seriously others

worried about the difficulty and extension of this mission, Verbist remained full of enthusiasm and dynamism. Even though he was confronted with the difficult and sensitive take-over of the mission when he arrived in China, Verbist was optimistic that something good would come out of it in the end. Because of his many responsibilities, Verbist had almost no time to focus on the study of the Chinese language. Still, as soon as the could express himself somewhat in Chinese, he got involved in direct apostolate in Hsi-wan-tzu. The Final Legacy

Theophile Verbist died on February 23, 1868 in a small place in China. He had left Hsi-wan-tzu, the main mission station, for a trip of five months to visit the whole Vicariate before he would go back to Belgium. The travel was done by ox-cart which moved slowly, and shall we say “painfully” because it had no suspension, over the rocky roads and through the mountain es. He did not want one of the confreres to travel with him so as not to deprive one of the Christian communities of their priest. After 10 days, on February 13, he arrived sick and feverish in Lao Hu-kou, a small village with a few poor Christians. He was far away from confreres and Chinese priests. The villagers took care of him as well as they could and a messenger was sent to look for assistance. The first priest who reached the place was a Chinese priest, Fr. Mathias Chang Ching Hsiu. When he learned the news, he was at a distance of three days’ travel from Lao-hu-kou. He found Verbist on a Chinese heated bed-oven, already unable to speak. He showed Verbist the small violet stole priests usually have with them to ister the last sacraments to the sick. Verbist nodded and the priest istered the sacrament of the sick. Two hours later, Verbist ed away.

The Founder’s task was finished. He left behind a legacy, not of words – these we find in his many carefully written letters – but of a life given to the end in the service of the mission. The little flame that had been lighted in the chapel of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur had continued to burn the candle till the end.

Introduction to the Life of St. Aloysius Gonzaga:

St. Aloysius Gonzaga was born in Northern Italy, between Brescia and Mantova. His father was a famous condottiere, a mercenary soldier. Saint Aloysius received military training, but his father also provided him with an excellent classical education, sending him and his brother Ridolfo to Florence to study while serving at the court of sco I de Medici. Quick Facts:

Feast Day: June 21

His father was adamantly opposed to the idea, both because he wanted his son to follow in his footsteps as a condottiere, and because, by becoming a Jesuit, Aloysius would give up all rights to inheritance. When it became clear that the boy was intent on being a priest, his family tried to convince him to become a secular priest and, later, a bishop, so that he could receive his inheritance. Saint Aloysius, however, was not to be swayed, and his father finally relented. At the age of 17, he was accepted into the Jesuit novitiate in Rome; at the age of 19, he took vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience. While he was ordained a deacon at the age of 20, he never became a priest.

Type of Feast: Memorial Readings: Sirach 48:1-14; Psalm 97:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7; Matthew 6:7-15 (full text here) Dates: March 9, 1568 (Castiglione delle Stiviere, Italy)June 21, 1591 (Rome) Birth Name: Luigi Gonzaga Patron of: Youth; students; Jesuit novices; AIDS patients; AIDS caregivers; sufferers of pestilence Beatification: October 19, 1605, by Pope Paul V

In 1590, Saint Aloysius, suffering from his kidney problems and other ailments, received a vision of the Archangel Gabriel, who told him that he would die within a year. When a plague broke out in Rome in 1591, Saint Aloysius volunteered to work with plague victims, and he contracted the disease in March. He received the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick and recovered, but, in another vision, he was told that would die on June 21, the octave day of the Feast of Corpus Christi that year. His confessor, St. Robert Cardinal Bellarmine, istered Last Rites, and Saint Aloysius died shortly before midnight.

Canonization: December 31, 1726, by Pope Benedict XIII Prayers: Prayer Commending Oneself to Mary; Prayer to Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, Patron of Youth; A Prayer To Be Said by Young Men The Life of St. Aloysius Gonzaga:

In Florence, Saint Aloysius became ill with a kidney disease, and, during his recovery, he devoted himself to prayer and the study of the lives of the saints. At the age of 12, he returned to his father's castle, where he met the great saint and cardinal Charles Borromeo. Aloysius had not yet received his First Communion, so the cardinal istered it to him. Shortly thereafter, Saint Aloysius conceived of the idea of ing the Jesuits and becoming a missionary.

Pious legend has it that Saint Aloysius's first words were the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, and his last word was the Holy Name of Jesus.

In 1907, the CICM Missionaries arrived in the Philippines, mandated by the Holy See to evangelize the northern part of the country. Pretty soon, it became apparent that Baguio, then a small mountain village resort in the province of Benguet, around two hundred and fifty kilometers north of Manila, will be pivotal for the region. With an elevation of at least 1,500 meters above sea level, Baguio is a natural gateway to and from the Cordillera mountain range, which traverses the Mountain Provinces (Montañosa), the home of numerous indigenous tribes. Thus it was that in 1911, Rev Fr Séraphin Devesse, CICM, founded a one-room elementary school in Baguio for ten local boys. From these humble origins, Saint Louis School began. In 1915, the intermediate grades and a trade school were started under the guidance of Fr. Florimond Carlu. In 1921, the high school was inaugurated. In 1952, college-level courses in the Liberal Arts and Commerce were offered, and Saint Louis College had its first Rector. Other courses and further developments soon followed, under the guidance of the following Rectors/Presidents-

1952-54 Fr. Gerard Decaestecker 1954-62 Fr. Albert Van Overbeke 1962-64 Fr. Gerard Linssen 1964-76 Fr. Paul Zwaenepoel 1976-83 Fr. Ghisleen De Vos 1983-96 Fr. Joseph Van den Daelen 1996-2005 Fr. Paul Van Parijs 2005-present Fr. Jessie M. Hechanova

In 1955, the graduate-level programs of Saint Louis College were granted recognition, but the real turning point came on 13 May 1963, when Saint Louis College

was conferred University status by the Philippine Government. From the one-room Saint Louis School for ten boys in 1911, Saint Louis University has grown to a four campus University with more than thirty buildings catering to more than thirty thousand students.

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9163

January 23, 2002

AN ACT ESTABLISHING THE NATIONAL SERVICE TRAINING PROGRAM (NSTP) FOR TERTIARY LEVEL STUDENTS, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7077 AND PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 1706, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled: Section 1. Short Title - This Act shall be known as the "National Service Training Program (NSTP) Act of 2001". Section 2. Declaration of Policy - It is hereby affirmed the prime duty of the government to serve and protect its citizens. In turn, it shall be the responsibility of all citizens to defend the security of the State and in fulfillment thereof, the government may require each citizen to render personal, military or civil service. Recognizing the youth's vital role in nation-building, the State shall promote civic consciousness among the youth and shall develop their physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual and social well-being. It shall inculcate in the youth patriotism, nationalism, and advance their involvement in public and civic affairs. In pursuit of these goals, the youth, the most valuable resource of the nation, shall be motivated, trained, organized and mobilized in military training, literacy, civic welfare and other similar endeavors in the service of the nation. Section 3. Definition of - For purposes of this Act, the following are hereby defined as follows: (a) "National Service Training Program (NSTP)" is a program aimed at enhancing civic consciousness and defense preparedness in the youth by developing the ethics of service and patriotism while undergoing training in any of its three (3) program components. Its various components are specially designed to enhance the youth's active contribution to the general welfare. (b) "Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC)" is a program institutionalized under Sections 38 and 39 of Republic Act No. 7077 designed to provide military training to tertiary level students in order to motivate, train, organize and mobilize them for national defense preparedness. (c) "Literacy Training Service" is a program designed to train students to become teachers of literacy and numeracy skills

to school children, out of school youth, and other segments of society in need of their service. (d) "Civic Welfare Training Service" refers to programs or activities contributory to the general welfare and the betterment of life for the of the community or the enhancement of its facilities, especially those devoted to improving health, education, environment, entrepreneurship, safety, recreation and morals of the citizenry. (e) "Program component" shall refer to the service components of the NSTP as enumerated in Section 4 of this Act. Section 4. Establishment of the National Service Training Program. - There is hereby established a National Service Training Program, which shall form part of the curricula of all baccalaureate degree courses and of at least two (2)-year technical vocational courses and is a requisite for graduation, consisting of the following service components: (1) The Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC), which is hereby made option and voluntary upon the effectivity of this Act; (2) The Literacy Training Service; and (3) The Civic Welfare Training Service The ROTC under the NSTP shall instill patriotism, moral virtues, respect for rights of civilians, and adherence to the Constitution, among others. Citizenship training shall be given emphasis in all three (3) program components. The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), in consultation with the Department of National Defense (DND), Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges (PASUC), Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations of the Philippines (COCOPEA) and other concerned government agencies, may design and implement such other program components as may be necessary in consonance with the provisions of this Act. Section 5. Coverage - Students, male and female, of any baccalaureate degree course or at least two (2)-year technical vocational courses in public and private educational institutions shall be required to complete one (1) of the NSTP components as requisite for graduation.

Section 6. Duration and Equivalent Course Unit - Each of the aforementioned NSTP program components shall be undertaken for an academic period of two (2) semesters. In lieu of the two (2) semester program for any of the components of the NSTP, a one (1)-summer program may be designed, formulated and adopted by the DND, CHED, and TESDA. Section 7. NSTP Offering in Higher and Technical-Vocational Educational Institutions - All higher and technical-vocational institutions, public and private, must offer at least one of the program components; Provided, that State universities and colleges shall offer the ROTC component and at least one other component as provided herein; Provided, further, that private higher and technical-vocational education institutions may also offer the ROTC if they have at least three hundred and fifty (350) cadet students. In offering the NSTP whether during the semestral or summer periods, clustering of affected students from different educational institutions may be done, taking into logistics, branch of service and geographical considerations. Schools that do not meet the required number of students to maintain the optional ROTC and any of the NSTP components shall allow their students to cross-enroll to other schools irrespective of whether or not the NSTP components in said schools are being istered by the same or another branch of service in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), CHED and TESDA to which schools are identified. Section 8. Fees and Incentives - Higher and technical vocational institutions shall not collect any fee for any of the NSTP components except basic tuition fees, which shall not be more than fifty percent (50%) of what is currently charged by schools per unit. In the case of ROTC, the DND shall formulate and adopt a program of assistance and/or incentive to those students who will take the said component. The school authorities concerned, CHED and TESDA shall ensure that group insurance for health and accident shall be provided for students enrolled in any of the NSTP components. Section 9. Scholarships - There is hereby created a Special Scholarship Program for qualified students taking the NSTP which shall be istered by the CHED and TESDA. Funds for this purpose shall be included in the annual regular appropriations of the CHED and TESDA.

Section 10. Management of the NSTP Components - The school authorities shall exercise academic and istrative supervision over the design, forumulation, adoption and implementation of the different NSTP components in their respective schools; Provided, That in case a CHED- or TESDAaccredited non government organization (NGO) has been contracted to formulate and ister a training module for any of the NSTP components, such academic and istrative supervision shall be exercised tly with that accredited NGO; Provided, further, That such training module shall be accredited by the CHED and TESDA. The CHED and TESDA regional offices shall oversee and monitor the implementation of the NSTP under their jurisdiction to determine if the trainings are being conducted in consonance with the objectives of this Act. Periodic reports shall be submitted to the CHED, TESDA and DND in this regard. Section 11. Creation of the National Service Reserve Corps There is hereby created a National Service Reserve Corps, to be composed of the graduates of the non-ROTC components. of this Corps may be tapped by the State for literacy and civic welfare activities through the t effort of the DND, CHED and TESDA. Graduates of the ROTC shall form part of the Citizens' Armed Force, pursuant to Republic Act No. 7077. Section 12. Implementing Rules. - The DND, CHED and TESDA shall have the t responsibility for the adoption of the implementing rules of this Act within sixty (60) days from the approval of this Act. These three (3) agencies shall consult with other concerned government agencies, the PASUC and COCOPEA, NGOs and recognized student organizations in drafting the implementing rules. The implementing rules shall include the guideline for the adoption of the appropriate curriculum for each of the NSTP components as well as for the accreditation of the same. Section 13. Transitory Provisions - Students who have yet to complete the Basic ROTC, except those falling under Section 14 of this Act, may either continue in the program component they are currently enrolled or shift to any of the other program components of their choice; Provided, That in case he shifts to another program component, the Basic ROTC course he has completed shall be counted for the

purpose of completing the NSTP requirement; Provided, further, That once he has shifted to another program component, he shall complete the NSTP in component. Section 14. Suspension of ROTC Requirement - The completion of ROTC training as a requisite for graduation is hereby set aside for those students who despite completing all their academic units as of the effectivity of this Act have not been allowed to graduate. Section 15. Separability Clause - If any section or provision of this Act shall be declared unconstitutional or invalid, the other sections or provisions not affected thereby shall remain in full force and effect. Section 16. Amendatory Clause - Section 35 of Commonwealth Act No. 1, Executive Order No.207 of 1939, Sections 2 and 3 of Presidential Decree No. 1706, and Sections 38 and 39 or Republic Act No. 7077, as well as all laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations and other issuances inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby deemed amended and modified accordingly. Section 17. Effectivity - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in two (2) newspapers of national circulation, but the implementation of this Act shall commence in the school year of 2002-2003. Approved, (Sgd) FRANKLIN M. DRILON President of the Senate

(Sgd) JOSE DE VENECIA, JR. Speaker of the House of Representatives This Act which is a consolidation of H.B. No. 3593 and S.B. No. 1824 was finally ed by the House of Representatives and the Senate on December 19, 2001.

(Sgd) OSCAR G. YABES Secretary of the Senate

(Sgd) ROBERTO P. NAZARENO

Secretary General House of Representatives

Approved: January 23, 2002

(Sgd) GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO President of the Philippines

Verse A D E I’m forgiven because You were forsaken A D E I’m accepted; You were condemned A D E I’m alive and well, Your Spirit is within me D E A because You died and rose again

I'm forgiven because you were forsaken I'm accepted, You were condemned I'm alive and well Your spirit is within me Because you died and rise again

Chorus A D2 Amazing love, how can it be A Esus that You, that my King, should die for me A D2 Amazing love, I know it’s true A Esus it’s my joy to honor You D2 Esus A in all I do, I honor You

Amazing love, how can it be? That you, my king. would die for me Amazing love, I know its true It's my joy to honor you Amazing love how can it be? that my king would die for me Amazing love I know its true It's my joy to honor you In all I do I honor you

Bridge A You are my King, You are my King Jesus, You are my King, You are my King

I'm forgiven because you were forsaken I'm accepted, you were condemned I'm alive and well Your spirit is within me Because you died and rise again

I'm forgiven because you were forsaken I'm accepted, you were condemned I'm alive and well Your spirit is within me Cecause you died and rise again Amazing love, how can it be? That you, my king. would die for me Amazing love, I know its true It's my joy to honor you Amazing love how can it be? that my king would die for me Amazing love I know its true It's my joy to honor you In all I do I honor you You are my king You are my king Jesus, You are my king Jesus, You are my king Amazing love, how can it be? That you, my king. would die for me Amazing love, I know its true It's my joy to honor you Amazing love how can it be? that my king would die for me Amazing love I know its true It's my joy to honor you In all I do I honor you