A year of Anniversaries

From 11–14 July Father General visited the Philippine Province to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the return of the Jesuits to the country and the founding of what is today the Ateneo de Manila University. It is also 50 years since the erection of the Philippines Province.

A history with so many anniversaries is very rich. Spanish Jesuits first came to the Philippines in 1581. They soon began the Colegio de Manila and many other works which endured until 1768 when all 154 Jesuits were expelled.

After restoration of the Society, Spanish Jesuits returned to Mindinao and Jolo, and established mission stations. In 1859 they took responsibility for a school in Manila, later known as the Ateneo Municipal. Jose Rizal, the architect of Philippines independence from Spain, studied there. But only in 1900 were Filipino candidates accepted as Jesuit novices. And they had to travel at their own expense to Spain to enter the novitiate.

North American Jesuits came to the Philippines in the early 1900s. They took responsibility for the Ateneo de Manila in 1912. By the 1920s, they had gradually replaced the Spanish missionaries. By this time native born Filipinos were encouraged to become Jesuits. A local noviceship was established.

In a changing society, Jesuits saw education as a high priority. It was necessary to form leaders for a country that would one day become independent. So they established colleges in many centres, and handed back mission stations to the local churches.

Jesuits also became involved in the social apostolate, communicating Catholic social teaching through courses and workshops. Generals and Congregations had emphasised the importance of this ministry. Fr Hogan shaped the ministry along more practical lines. This led to some conflict with local church authorities.

The mission became a vice province in 1952, and a province in 1959. Fr Horatio de la Costa became the first Filipino born Provincial. The province benefited from the many Jesuits who settled there after missionaries were expelled from China.

Establishment of the Loyola School of Theology in 1965 marked the beginnings of theology in a Filipino key. Jesuits also encouraged development of Christian faith in Filipino style, particularly through music. The work of Fr Hontiveros and its continuation through Jesuit music ministry was described in the previous edition of Jesuits in East Asia and Oceania.

Identification of Jesuits with the local culture, too, was developed through the political crises of the last 40 years, particularly those at the end of the Marcos government.

The Ateneo de Manila has grown to a student population of over 18,000. Fr Nicolás celebrated the Eucharist to mark its 150 years on 12 July in the company of about 200 Jesuits and a congregation of some 4000. The following day he spoke on issues and challenges in Jesuit education today to a group of Jesuits and their lay collaborators from the five universities, one college and other schools of the Philippines Province.

During the anniversary of the province Fr Arrupe also visited the Arrupe community, many Jesuits working in different pastoral ministries, and the East Asian Pastoral Institute where he had happily been director for six years.