By Joseph Bernard A. Marzan
Pius XII College of Iloilo, an educational institution under the Archdiocese of Jaro, launched a 100-day countdown to the start of the 2024-2025 school year on Saturday, May 4, marking its official reopening for training future teacher-catechists.
The event began with a mass led by Jaro Archbishop Jose Romeo Lazo, attended by interim administrative officials, alumni, representatives from other Catholic schools, incoming students, and other stakeholders.
The mass was followed by a parade around Jaro Plaza in Iloilo City and a short program, which included the unveiling of a 100-day countdown marker leading to the inauguration and blessing of the new school year on August 6.
Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Tuberada, the college’s Chief Operating Officer, reflected on the challenges faced during the three-year effort to revive the school after 18 years of dormancy.
“Amidst the silent ways we prepared this college, there were skeptics, critics, and cynics, and I admit, I was also one of them, doubting that we would ever reopen,” Tuberada said.
Despite the criticism, Archbishop Lazo emphasized that the reopening was “part of God’s plan.”
“If we examine deeply, God has a plan. We didn’t know when the reopening of Pius would come, but we trusted because of time and the situation for the word to spread, this is now a reality, with whomever is blessed to implement His plans, in His time. That is why today we are thankful because we have been shown deep love by God, especially in our local church here in Jaro,” he said.
The college will offer two Bachelor of Secondary Education programs in the upcoming academic year, with majors in Values Education and Social Studies.
These programs aim to train teachers for Christian Living subjects in Catholic schools, lay organization members seeking a deeper understanding of the Catholic faith, and evangelization and missionary workers in local churches or mission territories.
Pius XII College, the country’s first catechetical school, was originally founded as the Pius XII Institute of Catechetics and Social Studies in 1958 by then-Archbishop Jose Ma. Cuenco.
The college was named after Pope Pius XII, who passed away the same year, after leading the Catholic Church since 1939.
The institution closed in 2006 due to dwindling enrollments, financial difficulties, and directional changes. It previously offered a Bachelor of Science degree in Catechetics and Social Studies and operated a laboratory high school.
Its revival was initiated in response to Pope Francis’ May 10, 2021 Apostolic Letter titled “Antiquum Ministerium,” which instituted the lay ministry of Catechist.
The Jaro Archdiocese Commission on Social Communications said in a Facebook post on Saturday said that there was a need for teacher-catechists in the archdiocese, and the college’s revival was a response to this need.
