HISTORY

1865
Established

The Seminario Metropolitano de San Vicente Ferrer is the fifth oldest and the last seminary to have been established during the Spanish colonial period. With the elevation of Jaro to a diocese in 1865, its first bishop, Fray Mariano Cuartero decided to put up this seminary.

1869
Began Operations

He requested the Padres Paules of the Vincentian Fathers (Congregation of the Mission) to run this institution. Temporarily housed in the bishop’s residence, the seminary began operations in 1869. Meanwhile, the bishop thought of building an adequate edifice for his seminary.

1871
Construction

In 1871 construction began in a new lot near the cathedral and in October of the following year classes were held for the first time in the new seminary.

1874
Completion

Five years after it began its operations (November 1874), its permanent building which actually stood on these grounds was finished. It was reputedly the best seminary at that time.

1920
Offered Bachelor’s Degrees

During the Spanish times to the 1920’s, St. Vincent Ferrer was both a seminario and a colegio.  It offered subjects leading to a Bachelor degree (Bachelor of Arts).

Academic excellence at the Seminario Metropolitano de San Vicente Ferrer made it popular that it was the best alternative to studying in Manila. Even the great hero, Graciano Lopez Jaena earned his high school diploma here. Enrollment in the colegio surpassed that of the seminario by several folds.

1891
Became a First class college

In 1891, the Seminario-Colegio of Seminario Metropolitano de San Vicente Ferrer became a first class college making it an affiliate of the University of Santo Tomas. It even offered a degree in Commerce. As more and more lay students entered the school, the seminarians decreased in number. This was to have adverse effects on seminary life and later the colegio and the seminario were separated in 1925.

1898
Cut short by the Revolution

The flourishing existence of this institution was cut short by the Revolution of 1898 when Filipino patriots rose in arms against the Spaniards. The seminary was then successively occupied by the military forces of three nationalities - the Spanish soldiers, the Ilonggo revolutionaries, and later the American forces.

With the Americans came the appointment of an American bishop to Jaro, Msgr. Frederick Rooker. Eventually, the Padre Paules who left during the Revolution, returned to the seminary and resumed their work.

1906
An unfortunate accident

On October 7, 1906, a most unfortunate thing happened. A small candle left unattended in the chapel caused the seminary to be burned to the ground. Nothing was saved. Msgr. Rooker lost no time in soliciting the help of his parishioners and that of his friends in America.

1907
Reconstruction began

Construction was soon begun and after one year (September 7, 1907), the second seminary was almost completed. However, all the jubilation was marred by the unexpected death of Bishop Rooker a day after the inauguration.

The new seminary was finished by Bishop Dennis Dougherty, successor of Bishop Rooker. Aside from finishing the construction of the seminary, Bishop Dougherty improved on the curriculum of the seminario-colegio.

1925
Colegio phased out

In 1925, the colegio was phased out after it was realized that combining a colegio with a seminario was detrimental to the latter. With the closing down of the colegio in 1925, the Padres Paules were able to devote more attention to the formation of the seminarians.

1945
World War II

The happy seminary life was again brought to a standstill with the advent of World War II. The seminarians and some of the seminary fathers dispersed to many places in the island. Liberation came but it brought along with it destruction. The second seminary building became a pile of ashes, rubble and twisted irons after American planes bombed the building on February 20, 1945.

1946
Liberated

When Iloilo was liberated in 1946, Msgr. Jose Maria Cuenco, supported by his parishioners and other benefactors, faced reality with optimism and confidence.

1954
Inaugurated

On June 19, 1954, this present seminary was inaugurated amidst much rejoicing and thanksgiving.

Within a few years, the Seminario Metropolitano de San Vicente Ferrer became the “melting pot” of major seminarians as the bishops of suffragan dioceses of Bacolod, Capiz and Antique sent their seminarians to study at this seminary.

1967
Transferred

In 1967, Msgr. Cuenco put up the St. Joseph Junior Seminary at Brgy. Cubay, Jaro. The high school department was transferred to this seminary leaving the Seminario Metropolitano de San Vicente Ferrer with the College-Philosophy and Theologate seminarians.

1972-1975
The First Three Secular Priests

School year 1972-1973 witnessed the entrance of the secular-priest formators and lay faculty into the Seminario Metropolitano de San Vicente Ferrer. The first three secular priests to join the administration of the seminary were Fr. Jose M. Gamboa as procurator, Fr. Claudio Sale as liturgist and Fr. Esperidion Celis as Music Director. Fr. Gamboa (who later became a Monsignor) became the first Filipino diocesan Rector of the seminary in 1975.

1976-1977
St. Vincent Ferrer Seminary

By the school year 1976-1977, however, the high school department was brought back to the Seminario Metropolitano de San Vicente Ferrer and the Theologate seminarians transferred to the Cubay site which was renamed the St. Joseph Regional Seminary. It was then that Msgr. Jose Gamboa, being the Rector, applied to the Department of Education Culture and Sports (DECS) for a change of name of the Seminary from Seminario Metropolitano de San Vicente Ferrer to St. Vincent Ferrer Seminary on October 30, 1976.

St. Vincent Ferrer Seminary takes pride in having produced distinguished clergymen like Msgr. Gabriel Reyes, the first Filipino Archbishop of Manila and Jaime Cardinal Sin who also became Archbishop of Manila. One of the latter’s dreams while he was Archbishop of Jaro was a home for the retiring clergy of the archdiocese. This dream was made a reality by his successor, Msgr. Artemio G. Casas. In 1977, “Home Sweet Home”, now St. John Marie Vianney Center was finished.

1989
Structural addition

Another structural addition to the St. Vincent Ferrer Seminary compound was the Pre-College building, a project of Archbishop Casas’ successor Msgr. Alberto J. Piamonte. Located parallel to the “Home Sweet Home”, this building houses seminary applicants who graduated from other secondary schools. It was inaugurated in February of 1989, when St. Vincent Ferrer Seminary celebrated her 120th anniversary.

1987
CASA Formation Program

March of 1987 is a very significant year in the history of St. Vincent Ferrer Seminary. This is the year when the CASA Formation Program was born. This is a kind of Seminary Formation geared towards the formation of an “integrated human person, Christ-centered, Apostolic proclaimer and Contemplative pastor”. CASA stands for Community Life, Academic Life, Spiritual Life, and Apostolic Life. The first letters of which, consist the Program’s name.

2000
Human Formation

With His Grace, Angel N. Lagdameo (2000 to February 2018), showing his all-out support for the updating of the seminary Program, upgrading of seminary facilities and the on-going formation of seminary personnel; the present program of the Seminary is built upon the modified CASA Formation Program, but this time aligned to the Updated Philippine Program of Priestly Formation which was approved for implementation in 2005 and the leads of the Third Diocesan Synod of Jaro (2004-2006). This Formation Program is anchored more solidly on Human Formation, thus it is now CASA/H.

2018
Updating and revitalization

Deepening the on-going updating and revitalization of the Seminary Program, Human Formation and Spiritual Formation (re: Psycho-Spiritual Development) became the grounding of the Community, Academic, Spiritual and Apostolic Life. With this clearly settled the Human Formation Office was established formally with a professional psychologist, guidance counselor for each department (Junior High School and Senior High School, Pre-College, College and Professional Integration Program Departments), consultants and lay collaborators.

With the new shepherd in the archdiocese, Archbishop Jose Romeo Lazo (2018); the new challenges presented by the new Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Sacerdotalis (2017); and the restructuring of the academic programs because of the K-12 Curriculum has to be faced with resilience.

2019
150th Foundation Anniversary

Last November 2019, the seminary celebrated her 150th foundation anniversary. It was an experience of looking back with gratitude. This home of formation in the Archdiocese of Jaro is hopeful and ready to respond to the challenges in the formation of future priests under the patronage of St. Vincent Ferrer and the intercession of Our Lady of Candles.

SVFS envision priests of the 21st century as servant leaders of the community, integrated young men armed with virtues and values with Christ as their center and apostolic proclaimers of the gospel and contemplative pastors for the community.

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