SAINT MARY’S UNIVERSITY

Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya

School of Teacher Education and Humanities
Christian Faith Education

MODULE 3: THE CICM IN THE PHILIPPINES

Lesson 1: STORY OF THE CICM IN THE PHILIPPINES: From a Small Seed

At the end of Module III, Lesson 1, you must have:
___ Accomplished and submitted Missionary Response
___ Continued composing Religious Involvement Reflection Activity

At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

1. trace the humble beginnings of the CICM in the Philippines;
2. illustrate how the CICM pioneers lived their lives according to the ideals of the
CICM identity; and
3. identify the distinct contributions of the CICM to Philippine Church and
societal life.

Context
As a member of a particular parish or Christian community, conduct a
simple research about the start or establishment of your parish or Christian
community. You may ask your parish priest, catechist, pastor, or the elders of
your community. Answer the following questions.
1. When and how was your parish/church founded?
2. Who (person/s or congregation) founded or were responsible for the
establishment of your parish/church?

How did the parishes or churches come into being? Just like Jesus whose
activities laid the foundations of what later came to be the Church, founders
initiate the beginnings of the parishes, churches, or organizations. Many things
start from small beginnings and eventually become big.

For SMU School of Teacher Education and Humanities use only.

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 SAINT MARY’S UNIVERSITY
Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya

School of Teacher Education and Humanities

Christian Faith Education

Inspired Word of God

Luke 13:18-19

Then he said, “What is the kingdom of God like? To what can I compare it? It
is like a mustard seed that a person took and planted in the garden. When it
was fully grown, it became a large bush and ‘the birds of the sky dwelt in its
branches.’”

The foundation of a Church and its expansion are initiatives that are by
excellence missionary in nature. The parable of the mustard seed exemplifies this
idea. In this parable, Jesus teaches that although the Kingdom of God started
small, with Jesus and the disciples, it would grow and spread across the world to
an unlimited number of followers.

To be a missionary is not an easy task. There will be challenges and

obstacles that can be encountered along the way. Just like the CICM fathers,
being sent to foreign lands, they had faced a lot of difficulties, including harsh
terrain, severe weather, learning the language of the people, and unfamiliar
diseases. But these challenges did not prevent them in planting the seeds of
CICM missionary work. As a result, CICM mission territory expanded to many
countries including the Philippines.

Church Teaching
From: POST-SYNODAL APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION CHRISTUS VIVIT OF THE HOLY
FATHER FRANCIS TO YOUNG PEOPLE AND TO THE ENTIRE PEOPLE OF GOD, Given in
Loreto, at the Shrine of the Holy House, on 25 March, Solemnity of the
Annunciation of the Lord, in the year 2019, the seventh of my Pontificate

177. “Where does Jesus send us? There are no borders, no limits: he sends us
everywhere. The Gospel is for everyone, not just for some. It is not only for those
who seem closer to us, more receptive, more welcoming. It is for everyone. Do
not be afraid to go and bring Christ into every area of life, to the fringes of
society, even to those who seem farthest away and most indifferent. The Lord
seeks all; he wants everyone to feel the warmth of his mercy and his love”. He
invites us to be fearless missionaries wherever we are and in whatever company
we find ourselves: in our neighborhoods, in school or sports or social life, in
volunteer service or in the workplace. Wherever we are, we always have an
opportunity to share the joy of the Gospel. That is how the Lord goes out to meet
everyone. He loves you, dear young people, for you are the means by which he

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 SAINT MARY’S UNIVERSITY
Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya

School of Teacher Education and Humanities

Christian Faith Education

can spread his light and hope. He is counting on your courage, your boldness
and your enthusiasm.

The exhortation above relates to the CICM Vocation Principle, which says
“To be good missionaries, we have to go where we are most needed.” The
primary task of the Church is to give the Gospel a voice in the life experiences of
the people. This is the core of any missionary activity. The CICM congregation
constantly remained faithful to this fundamental spirit of the missions.

The CICM in the Philippines

At the start of the 20th century, the CICM faced a vital missionary
challenge: The Philippine Church. In a letter dated February 14, 1906 the
distinguished Msgr. Ambrosius Agius, Papal Delegate to the Philippines during
the time of Pope Leo XIII, wrote Rev. Fr. Adolf Van Hecke, CICM Superior
General, to send missionaries to the Philippines to arrest the growing shortage of
priests, due to political and religious turmoil in the country.
After careful deliberation on the standing request from the Philippine
Church and diligent reconnaissance of the proposed mission territories for the
CICM to take care of the Diocese of Nueva Segovia (Vigan), namely, Nueva
Vizcaya, Lepanto-Bontoc, and Benguet (since reportedly there was only one
priest serving these places with then over 150,000 inhabitants), the CICM sent its
first caravan of nine missionaries to the Philippines who arrived in Manila on
November 2, 1907. The pioneer CICM missionaries sent to the Philippines were
Jules Sepulchre, Albert Dereume, Christain Hulsbosch, Seraphine Devesse, Henri
Verbeeck, Constant Jurgens, Octaaf Vandewalle, Pieter Dierickx, and Florimond
Carlu.
From Manila the missionaries went on to their respective assignments. They
were divided into two groups. One group proceeded to Cervantes, Ilocos Sur,
as gateway to the Mountain provinces, and other went up to Benguet with
Baguio as mission center. The missionaries – who had to climb mountains and
cross treacherous rivers in the region – soon engaged themselves mainly in
opening schools and building churches in key areas, as well as in promoting
trade and livelihood among the locals for the communities’ economic well-
being.
Finally on April 9, 1909, the CICM Philippine Province was established with
“Home Sweet Home” in Baguio, Benguet as the Provincial House. Fr. Henri
Raymakers served as the first Provincial Superior (1909-1915).
World War II created a great havoc on the CICM. The CICM suffered
heavy losses in terms of resources and personnel. In the course of the war, a
number of CICM missionaries were imprisoned in concentration camps, some
were killed, and others missing. Churches and schools built by the missionaries
and their benefactors were destroyed and razed to the ground. Also, during the
war in 1944, “Home Sweet Home” was seized and occupied by the Japanese

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 SAINT MARY’S UNIVERSITY
Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya

School of Teacher Education and Humanities

Christian Faith Education

soldiers as their headquarters. After the war, the needed road to recovery was
immediately paved and the expansion began. It was in 1954 that the CICM
Provincialate was transferred to its present location in Quezon City. By 1957 or
exactly fifty (50) years after the historic arrival of the CICM in the Philippines, the
number of their mission apostolates significantly grew to include 60 mission
stations.

The CICM Pioneers and Distinct Contributions of CICM in the

Philippines

The foundation of the CICM in the Philippines was credited to the pioneers
who began the evangelization of the people in Northern Luzon. The journey of
the first CICM missionaries lived their lives according to the ideals of CICM
missionary identity. As servant leaders, they had focused on the goal of their task
of evangelizing people. Through their accomplishments, they were portrayed as
prudent and patient leaders who remained serene in the midst of difficulties and
uncertainties of their mission, true shepherd who addressed the needs of their
flock, witnesses of true missionary spirit, resourceful who prudently maximized the
limited resources and funds they had at that time, and loving providers to the
poor who helped set livelihood projects to improve the economic needs of the
communities where they were assigned.
Today, the numerous parishes, churches, chapels that were established in
the places where they were assigned are living testimonies done by these
missionaries. Evidently, in the field of education, they have done an impressive
work. Thus, they are known as builders, educators and catechists, and service
providers.

1. Church Builders
The CICM pioneers and followed by the succeeding CICM missionaries
assigned in the Philippines initiated the establishment of numerous parishes,
churches, and chapels in Northern Luzon. Alongside these parishes or
churches, are schools founded by the CICM. At present, only few parishes
and schools remained under the care of the CICM and most were turned
over to the dioceses. To give an example, we have Fr. Florimond Carlu,CICM,
known as the “Builder,” was instrumental in the construction of many
structures that are well known today. One of them is the “twin towers” of
Baguio City: the Baguio Cathedral. Because of this, a street near Baguio
Cathedral was named after him. In his previous stint in other parishes he
administered the construction of new buildings and supervised the
renovation of existing structures. (For more information about the parishes,
churches, and chapels in the Philippines that were founded by the CICM,
you can watch the attached video: The CICM Legacy in the Philippines).

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 SAINT MARY’S UNIVERSITY
Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya

School of Teacher Education and Humanities

Christian Faith Education

2. Educators and School Builders

The CICM missionaries have acknowledged the fact that schools is one of
the most significant conduits of God’s word. As such, for every mission station
that was started, a Catholic school that nurtured and cultivated the
intellectual and spiritual needs of the youth soon followed. To give an
example, we have Fr. Seraphin Devesse, CICM, who was responsible for
opening the first Catholic mission school using the sacristy of the church he
put up along Session Road, Baguio City. That school was the beginning of
what is now Saint Louis University.
Furthermore, the pioneers like Fr. Carlu and Fr. Dereume initiated the
establishment of trade and vocational schools. These schools were primarily
designed to provide the people the necessary skills that were needed by the
community to survive economically. Among those skills were cloth sewing
and weaving, rattan crafting, and shoe making.
Most schools that were founded by the CICM missionaries were turned
over to the local parishes and dioceses. Six educational institutions are
retained by the CICM Philippine province because these are considered
strategically important to their new pastoral direction, especially in terms of
the evangelization of the youth and the development of the locality. The six
CICM schools in the Philippines with the respective years of their
establishments are: (1) Saint Louis in Baguio City – 1911; (2) Saint Mary’s
University in Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya – 1928; (3) Saint Louis College in San
Fernando, La Union – 1964; (4) University of Saint Louis in Tuguegarao City,
Cagayan – 1965; (5) Saint Louis College in Mandaue City, Cebu – 1969; and
(6) CICM – Maryhill School of Theology in Quezon City – 1972.

3. Catechists
Catechesis is an essential part of the CICM missionary activity. An essential
aspect of missionary life is to be a teacher of God’s word to the people.
According to Fr. Jan Van Bauwel, CICM, “catechesis was and remains to be
an important concern of all CICM missionaries in the Philippines, since their
first arrival on November 2, 1907.” In fact, a number of them excel as authors
and trainers in the field of Catechesis.
One example is Father Constant Jurgens who single-handedly took care
of catechesis during the pre-war period through publications. One of his most
important publications was an Ilokano version of a catechism entitled
“Katechismo ti Doctrina Kristiana.” His accomplishments as an effective
catechist led to his appointment as Bishop of Tuguegarao. In his mural at the
Tuguegarao Cathedral, Fr. Jurgens was described as a “Bishop Catechist.”
In Tagudin, Ilocos Sur, CICM missionaries trained many catechists who
helped in the Christianization of the Cordillera provinces. In Manila, Fr. Joseph
Tahon, CICM, wrote The First Instruction of Children and Beginners (Sheed
and Ward, 1930). In Bauko, Mountain Province, Fr. Gaston Declercq, CICM,
wrote a pre-war textbook for the training of catechists.

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 SAINT MARY’S UNIVERSITY
Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya

School of Teacher Education and Humanities

Christian Faith Education

4. Service Providers
Literally, missionaries are called and sent for a vocation that is, “to work for
the transformation of persons and society through the promotion of social
justice and authentic human development, especially the poor. In line with
this, the CICM fathers have dedicated themselves to the service of humanity
with various projects involving the youth, the poor and the oppressed,
including health care and social economic development.

The following are projects established by the CICM fathers past and present:
- Rehabilitation Centers (Youth Re-Education Home Sweet Home)
- Youth Training Centers (Bukal ng Tipan: Youth and Pastoral Training Center)
- Orphanages (Infant Jesus Orphanage Tondo)
- Housing Projects (SLU-SVP Housing Project)
- Livelihood and Skills Development Centers (weaving, silkworm, etc.)
- Farmer Cooperatives (Bayombong Farmers Association established by Fr.
Vandewalle)
- Hospitals and Medical Relief Operations (SLU Hospital)
- Parish Youth Groups
- Summer Camps for street children
- Reaching out through Media as a means of evangelization (The Catholic
Mission Press
- Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya, Mountain Province Broadcasting Corporation,
Baguio City - DZWT & DZWR)

As Marians, may the journey and contributions of the CICM fathers be a

source of inspiration that will guide and help us in our respective journeys of
living out the Christian faith in the CICM spirit. Essentially, as members of the
entire flock of CICM schools, may we realize that we are co-CICM
missionaries in our own simple ways.

(For a detailed reading on the CICM in the Philippines, see the attached
document written by Dr. Wilfried Vanhoutte (Module 3 Church Teaching).
Watch also the two videos entitled A Journey of Faith:.. & The CICM Legacy
in the Philippines for a better appreciation of the contribution of the CICM to
Philippine Church and Society.)

Inspired by Mission
This study source was downloaded by 100000843514558 from CourseHero.com on 03-18-20221/F RT Bldg.,
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