The Good Shepherd House of Formation Circular 2005-07

To: All Parish Priests of the Diocese,

The Clergy of the Diocese, during our Bohol Conference last February 21-24, 2005, has expressed to me a proposal to close The Good Shepherd House of Formation.

My dialogue with the Formation Staff and the seminarians on Holy Thursday March 24 cleared a lot of gray areas. Not only were we able to clarify the functions of The House of Formation in the Diocese. We also agreed on some very practical guidelines on who are to be in a regular (College or Theology) and who are to be in a House of Formation like ours.

Based on our consultations with the Staff and the seminarians of the Diocese, The Good Shepherd House of Formation has the following functions: 1. As a clearing house of vocations referred to it either by the Parish Priests or by the Diocesan Vocation Promoter and to refer to what seminary to enter in accordance with the policies agreed below. 2. To follow up the seminarians of the Diocese scattered in all the different in or out of Metro-. 3. To implement a whole year program for our College and Theology Seminarians of the Diocese during Summer, Semestral or Christmas breaks as well as during their ordinary monthly home-weekends. 4. To provide the proper atmosphere for the “formation” for those very few inside who may have finished their Theological studies elsewhere and will have to be absorbed in a community as a requisite of the Holy See as regards formation.

The Staff and our seminarians of the Diocese have agreed with me that as a policy:

1. All those attempting to enter College 21/22 years and below should enter a regular Philosophy seminary. Failure to be admitted means either no vocation or postponement of entering the seminary at a later age! 2. All those attempting to enter the Theology at seminary at 30 years and below must enter a regular Theology Seminary. Failure to be admitted inside means no vocation or postponement of entering Theology at a later age. 3. All those attempting to enter Theology above 30 years of age must enter HAS, if he has a work experience of at least 2 years, or else a regular Theology Seminary. Failure to be admitted in HAS or any of the Theology Seminary means no vocation.

Based on these agreements, the Good Shepherd House of Formation will from here on always have very few residents accepted on very exceptional grounds after their theology only to give the Diocese more time to know the candidate. Thus its present seven formandi were asked to insert themselves to any of existing Theology Seminaries. With all its students farmed out to various seminaries, have I, in effect, closed down The Good Shepherd House of Formation?

Yes, but only for now! But with its functions clarified in the Diocese, should it still be closed down? Your Bishop has decided otherwise. I ask our Clergy even to care for it and support it: you by fishing out vocations from your respective parishes; I by giving the needed personnel for it. The Formation Team of Our Good Shepherd House of Formation consists of Rev. Frs. Charlie Aldema, Jim Lara, and Allan Samonte. Let us also never fear the Diocese will have too many priests! The world is just within our horizon!

For the information of the Clergy, here is a list of the seminarians of Novaliches: College/Philosophy 1. Ben Carl Regis - 2nd Year, San Carlos Seminary 2. Ryan Dancen Diaz - 3rd Year, San Carlos Seminary 3. Angelo Mallari - 4th Year, San Carlos Seminary (On Regency) 4. Manny Oliva - 4th Year, San Carlos Seminary (On Regency) Theology 1. Edzel A. Samarita - 2nd Year, LST/San Jose Seminary 2. Jason C. Jaya - 3rd Year, UST/Central Seminary 3. Joseph Buslon - 3rd Year, San Carlos Seminary 4. Rectorino M. Tolentino, Jr.- 4th Year, LST/Claret Formation 5. Danilo B. Ticman - 4th Year, LST/Claret Formation 6. Wesley Manzano - 3rd Year, San Carlos Seminary (On Regency)

We also have some eight (8) minor (high school) seminarians as interns at Our Lady of Guadalupe Minor Seminary in Guadalupe Viejo, City. Those who show some signs of vocation early in life during high school but who want to live as externs with their family are referred to any of the Parochial Schools in the Diocese.. For the moment, only Good Shepherd Cathedral School serves as our only minor seminary for high school externs because it is the only one so far willing to adopt a classical course for and to give scholarship to them.

Given in the Chancery in Fairview, , this 25th day of April, in the Year of Our Lord, 2005.

Most Rev. Antonio R. Tobias, DD Bishop

Attested to by:

Rev. Fr. Jaime Z. Lara Chancellor