Saint Paul Seminary Foundation

Academic Institution of the Society of St. Paul

SPSF History
Posted on December 14, 2011 | Leave a comment

History: Saint Paul Seminary Foundation, as an academic institution, was

established for the formation of aspirants to the Society of St. Paul. The Society of St. Paul is a religious
congregation founded on August 20, 1914, in Alba (Italy) by Blessed James Alberione. The Paulines are
consecrated persons serving the Church by announcing to man the Gospel of Jesus Christ by means of the
media of social communication.
The first Pauline missionaries landed on Philippine shores on July 7, 1935, and set up the first formation and
apostolic house in Lipa City, Batangas (Philippines). From Batangas, the Paulines transferred to Pasay City
(Metro Manila) in 1941. Formal studies in sede started in the 1950s. Academic formation was affiliated with
the Rizal City College, Pasay City.

In 1960, Saint Paul Seminary moved to Makati. In 1965, the Seminary received
recognition from the government to offer the General and Classical Secondary courses. Then in 1968, Saint
Paul Seminary was given government recognition to offer the four-year Liberal Arts course, with major in
Philosophy and minor in either History, English, or Graphic Arts. The year 1988 saw the revision of the
Seminary’s four-year Liberal Arts course which offered Bachelor of Arts, with major in Philosophy and with
minor in Mass Communication. Due to high cost of operations and maintenance the High School Department
was eventually phased out in 1989.

Taking cue from the “signs of the times”, the 1990’s saw Saint Paul Seminary
switching to “high-tech” formation of future Paulines. Development of personnel and updating of equipment
and facilities of the Seminary became the order of the decade, which culminated in the recent transfer of Saint
Paul Seminary to Silang, Cavite in June 1993. Its site having an idyllic ambiance, with an ample space of 1.6
hectares, the three-story main seminary building has an area of 4,000 square meters which houses the modern
facilities for the formation of the aspirants.

SPSF History. (2011, December 20). Saint Paul Seminary

Foundation. https://saintpaulseminary.wordpress.com/2011/12/14/spsf-history/
THE PAULINE METHOD:
THE FOUR WHEELS (PIETY, STUDY, APOSTOLATE, COMMON LIFE)

All students-seminarians are trained, formed and expected to integrate their whole person in Christ,
for a total love of God: intellect, will, heart, physical strength. The Pauline “car” has to run on four
wheels: piety, study, apostolate, and common life. The most important occupation of the Paulines is
the exercise of piety which includes Holy Mass, meditation, and the hour before the Blessed
Sacrament. With study he prepares himself intellectually for a very challenging apostolate. He
harnesses everything nature, grace and vocation for the apostolate. The work the Paulines do is
apostolate that is, translating the Gospel into present day situations. They live as brothers in
common life, and as communicators they constantly keep abreast with the issues of the times.

Formation of the whole man in Christ Jesus, means formation through a total love of God in all
aspects: intelligence, will, heart, physical energies. Everything; nature, grace, vocation is for the
apostolate. Thus the Pauline cart rests on four wheels, namely:

1. Piety
The specific objective of the Pauline Piety appears to be three:
a. The continuous contact with the sources, the Bible and the Eucharist
b. The special care in the total development of the person: “may they grow in wisdom, grace, and
virtues.”
c. Prayer oriented to the apostolic communications: “by loving sincerely with the mind, will heart
and with actions.” (cf. DSGC, 398; Io Sono con voi, p. 3)
The daily visit to the Blessed Sacrament, is born and directed as the relationship of the disciple with
Christ, Master. It is the daily class for the integral growth of life and for the sincere disposition to the
apostolate. (DSGC, 401).

2. Study
The general lines of studies, as seen by the founder, show the intention of making studies not as an
end in itself but to will it along the order of the integral formation of the person, to give it all the
breath it can assume under the light of Christ and to orient it in love which is exercised in the
apostolate. (DSGC, 402).

3. Apostolate
The end of the apostolate consists in giving salvation to humanity: Jesus Christ, Way, Truth and Life.
And in order to “bring the whole Christ to man and render the whole man to God, through Jesus
Christ” (DSGC, n. 139), the Paulines should employ the fastest and most efficacious means of
preaching through the use of the media of social communications.
The content of the apostolate must be global and all embracing; thus a “wholistic” approach of the
Pauline Apostolate includes the following dimensions:
a. Universality
An ecumenico-universal dimension is essential to the formation of the Pauline mentality. “Ut unum
sint”: that all may be one in Christ is the reason of fulfillment of our foundation (cf. DSGC, nn. 82,
83, 84).
b. Pastorality
The approach of our apostolate must be simple and ordinary, popular and pastoral (DSGC, N. 165,
166), relevant and contemporaneous. (cf. DSGC, n. 89).
c. Prophetic
The missionary spirit: “the prophetic mission of the SSP has by itself no limitations as to geographic
locations or its contents.” (DSGC, n. 88).

4. Communion of Life.
In the spirit of the Founder: “Common life for us is born out of the apostolate and in view of the
apostolate. This type of society whose goal has been so finalized includes, to be sure, the common
good of the members; at the same time, however, the very observance of communitarian life has an
organization that must take into account that ‘we are at the service of persons’; we are religious
apostles” (UPS I, 285).

a. Our religious community was born as an intention to love… all together, by our loving one another,
we express our love in the integral fulfillment of the Pauline apostolate (DSGC, n. 409). The Pauline
Community has the continuous need of feeling its presence in the Church as love in order to be
sincerely faithful to the itself up to the end and in order to be able to offer itself as a “call” to many
lives that desire to become “everything to everyone”. (DSGC, n. 408).
b. An insistence on a solid organization: “An organization would be formed, but a religious one,
where energies would be united, where dedication would be total, where doctrine would be purer.
And this society of souls, loving God with all their mind, strength, and heart, would spend
themselves in the work for the Church… (AD 21-22).
c. The persons who make up the community constitute its fundamental value, and the community’s
goal is to give them fraternal help towards their sanctification through their dedication to the
apostolate (CD, 17).
d. Typical of the Pauline poverty consists in renouncing (the independent use and administration of
things), in producing (by hard work), in preserving (that is the maintenance of things in use), in
providing (for the needs of the institute), in building (by overcoming the desire for goods) [cfr. Pred.
VP 294; CD 91.2).
THE PAULINE FAMILY

The Pauline Family constitutes 5 Religious Congregations, 4 Secular Institutes, and Lay
Collaborators or Cooperators.
The five (5) religious congregations are:
• The Society of St. Paul (20 August 1914)
• The Daughters of St. Paul, or the “Paulines” (15 June 1915),
• The Pious Disciples of the Divine Master (10 February 1924),
• The Sisters of Jesus Good Shepherd, or the “Pastorelle” Sisters (7 October 1938)
• Sisters of Mary Queen of Apostles; or the “Apostoline” Sisters (8 September 1959)

Four associated institutes:

• Institute of Jesus the Priest (8 April 1960);
• Institute of Saint Gabriel the Archangel (8 April 1960),
• Institute of Our Lady of the Annunciation (8 April 1960),
• Institute of the Holy Family (19 March 1993);
• Association of Pauline Cooperators.

The Society of Saint Paul (SSP) is a religious congregation, founded in 1914 at Alba, in Italy, by Fr.
James Alberione. Its members are known as the Paulines. They communicate the Christian message
with the use of the modern means of communication. They are present in 32 countries. They are
active in many fields: editorial and bookstores, journalism, cinematography, television, radio,
audiovisual, multimedia, telematics; centres of studies, research, formation, animation.

The Daughters of St. Paul (FSP) are consecrated women committed to follow Jesus in a radical
manner and to proclaim the Good News to all peoples through the means of social communication.
They call themselves Paulines, because St. Paul is their father, patron and inspirer. They imitate him
in his deep love for Jesus and in his total dedication to the preaching of the Good News.

The Pious Disciples of the Divine Master (PDDM) carry out the Eucharistic-Priestly-Liturgical
apostolate. The apostolate of the Pious Disciples of the Divine Master consists primarily in the
witness of their life which they are to foster through prayer and penance. In accordance with their
specific end, they honor Jesus Master Way, truth and life in their apostolic action at the service of the
Eucharist which springs from the love of Jesus Master present in the mystery of the church of Christ;
service and collaboration with the priestly zeal which arises from the love of Jesus Master living in
the Priesthood, and service of the Liturgy which is derived from the love of Jesus Master present in
the Church.

The Sisters of Jesus Good Shepherd (SGBP), or the “Pastorelle” Sisters (7 October 1938) are
dedicated to parish work, sharing various pastoral activities with the parish priest. Their apostolate is
characterized by the service of the Word in evangelization, catechesis, liturgical animation and the
education of pastoral leaders. They are also open to other forms of service such as: education, parish
animation, etc. They carry out their mission in close collaboration with the pastors with a joint sense
of responsibility that flows from the complementarily of gifts in mutual esteem and trust. This
sharing of intent and initiatives is aimed at giving rise to new form of cooperation in the Christian
Community for the service of the whole Church.
The Sisters of Mary Queen of Apostles (8 September 1959) called “the Apostolines,” they were
founded in 1957 to fulfill a request of the Holy See. Their specific apostolate is the search for, care of
and direction of priestly and religious vocations in the Church. Their motto is: “All vocations for all
apostolates.” The Apostoline Sisters work in a special way with young people who show signs of
having a vocation and direct them to the Institutes for which they are best suited. Their life and
mission is inseparably fused with an interior life nourished by the Eucharist. Their intense apostolic
activities are carried out through the most advanced techniques of diffusion: in printed words, films,
radio, television programs, etc. They organize exhibits, conventions, vocation days, prayer triduum
and week-long retreats for vocation.

THE SECULAR INSTITUTES (AGGREGATED TO THE SOCIETY OF ST. PAUL):

Institute of Our Lady of the Annunciation (April 8, 1960) is an institute aggregated to the Society of
St. Paul whose lifestyle is that of the “secular institutes.” The members, called Annunciationists, are
women totally consecrated to God by means of the three evangelical vows of poverty, chastity and
obedience. But they live their consecration remaining and living in the world. The members share the
same spirituality as all Paulines, and that is, to follow Christ who is the Way, Truth and the Life, in
such a way as to incarnate Him in their lives and thus be able to say with St. Paul: “The life I live now
is not my own; Christ is living in me” (Gal. 2:20).

The Institute of St. Gabriel Archangel, (for men, young and adult): are lay persons, without any
religious mark of distinction. They live at home, work in schools, offices, factories and carry out
witnessing within these institutions. They, however, remain consecrated persons… They shall be
‘salt’ and ‘leaven’ in the contemporary world… They shall be consecrated to God and dedicated to the
apostolate in the world and with the means of the world… in order that to all men Christ may be
proclaimed, He who meets, rather overcomes, all the longings of the human spirit: Christ, Way,
Truth and Life… The Society of St. Paul, which is like the mother of the other Institutes, has to give
them the Pauline spirit…

Institute of the Holy Family (19 March 1993). This institute is for married Christians who wish to
consecrate their lives in the Pauline spirit, according to their state in life. Members take private vows
(in a public, Church regulated ceremony) of poverty, chastity and obedience and make a promise of
fidelity to the Pope and the Magisterium of the Roman Catholic Church. These vows are adapted
according to the conditions of the married state and the normal requirements of family life. The
Institute was begun in 1960 and received full approbation from the Holy See in 1993.

Institute of Jesus the Priest (8 April 1960): for Bishops and priests of the diocesan clergy, with the
aim of assisting them on the spiritual plane and in the ministry entrusted to them, to give them a
greater efficacy through the vows of chastity, poverty and obedience and through the media of social
communication. The Institute offers to its members — human, spiritual and supernatural assistance
— for their own sanctification and for a pastoral ministry always more open and updated according
to the directives of the Church.

Association of Pauline Cooperators (1915) are committed lay faithful who, animated by the same
Pauline spirit and in union with the Pauline Family, strive to live their Christian life better each day
for the glory of God and for the salvation of humanity. They are genuine Christians who, while living
in the world, support the mission and ideals of the Pauline Family in varying degrees of participation
– spiritual and apostolic sharing of talents, time and finances (cf. DCSSP, 32).
Founder
Posted on December 14, 2011 | Leave a comment

BLESSED JAMES ALBERIONE

«Here he is, humble, silent, tiredless, contained in his thoughts, which flows from prayers to works, always
ready to read the signs of the times. Our Father Alberione has given the Church news instruments to express
herself, new means to give vigor and new breadth to its apostolic mission … May the Pope, in the name of the
whole Church, express its gratitude.»

These are the words of Paul VI on 28 June 1969. Father Alberione had been received in audience with
representative sisters and priests of the Pauline Family on the occasion of the second General Chapter of the
Society of Saint Paul.
On this occasion, the Pope granted to the founder and the Pauline Family the cross “Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice”.
Two years later, in late afternoon, on 26 November 1971, Paul VI visited Fr. Alberione on his death bed.

He died that same day at 18:30. His last words that he left to his sons and daughters, as his spiritual testament
are an invitation for hope: “I die… I pray for all, Paradise!”.
Important moments of his life:
• 1884, 4 April – James Alberione was born in San Lorenzo di Fossano (Cuneo), Piemonte, North of Italy.
• 1890-1891 – Starts primary school in Cherasco (Cuneo) and a year after said to his teacher: “When I grow up
I will be a priest”.
• 1896, 25 October – Enters the seminary of Bra (Cuneo). He leaves it in April 1900.
• 1900, October – Enters the seminary of Alba (Cuneo). He is directed by Can. Chiesa.
• 1900, 31 December – During the noctural adoration in the Cathedral of Alba “he feels obliged to do
something for the people of the new century”.
• 1907, 29 June – He is ordained priest in Alba. He finishes theology, and after a brief ministry in Narzole is
nominated Spiritual Director of the Seminarians.
• 1912 – Starts to publish the magazine “Vita pastorale”.
• 1913, 12 September – Assumes the direction of the weekly “Gazzetta d’Alba”.
• 1914, 20 August – Opens the “Little Workers” Typographical School, the future Society of St Paul (SSP),
with two young boys: Desiderio Costa and Torquato Armani.
• 1915, 15 June – Founds the Pious Society of the Daughters of St Paul (FSP).
• 1917, 30 June – Founds the Union of Cooperators of the Good Press (today the “Association of Pauline
Cooperators”).
• 1921 – Birth of the “La Domenica”, periodical which he calls the “Assistant Parish Priest on Paper”.
• 1924, 10 February – Founds the Pious Disciples of the Divine Master (PDDM).
• 1924, 1 October – Begins to publish the magazine “Il Giornalino”.
• 1926, 13 January – Sends Fr Giaccardo to found a community in Rome. .
• 1927, 12-13 March – Canonical erection of the Society of St Paul and Religious Vows of Fr Alberione in
front of the Bishop of Alba, Msgr. Francesco Re.
• 1931 – First Pauline foundations overseas: Brazil, Argentina and the United States.
• 1931, 25 December – Birth of the weekly “Famiglia Cristiana”.
• 1932, 15 August – Start of the magazine “La Madre di Dio”.
• 1936, July – Fr. Alberione transfers definitely from Alba to Rome.
• 1938, 7 October – Founds the Sisters of Jesus the Good Shepherd, “Pastorelle” (SJBP).
• 1940-1945 (II World War) makes a vow to build a Sanctuary to Mary for the safety of all the members of the
Pauline Family.
• 1941, 10 May – Pontifical approval of the SSP and its Constitutions.
• 1954, 30 November – Consecration of the Sanctuary of the Queen of Apostoles in Rome.
• 1957, April-May – First General Chapters of the institutes SSP, FSP, PDDM.
• 1959, 29 June – Founds the Sisters of Mary Queen of Apostoles for vocations, “Apostoline”.
• 1960, April – Monthly Course of Spiritual Exercises in Ariccia (Rome) for the updating and pontifical
approval of the Pauline Instititues of Consecrated Llife, aggregated to the Society of St Paul: Jesus, the Priest,
St. Gabriel the Arcangel, Mary, of the Annunciation and Holy Family.
• 1962-1965 – Fr. Alberione participates in the II Vatican Council.
• 1963, 3 December – Conciliar Decree “Inter Mirifica” which consecrates the preaching with the means of
social communication.
• 1969, 28 June – Honored by “For the Church and the Pope” from Pope Paul VI.
• 1969, 5 August – II General Chapter of the SSP proclaims Fr Alberione Superior General emeritus and elects
to succeed him Fr Luigi Damaso Zanoni.
• 1971, 26 November – At 18,30 Fr. Alberione breaths his last in his room in the General House, an hour after
the personal visit of the Paul VI.
• 1981, 4 May – Nulla osta per the Cause of his Beatification.
• 1996, 25 June – He is declared Venerable by John Paul II.
• 2003, 27 April – Fr. Alberione is declared Blessed.
This great work had been foreseen in 1918 when Fr. Alberione, addressing a small group of his first youth,
inspired by the Holy Spirit, said: “Lift up your eyes, look up on high and see the great tree of which no one can
see the top: this is our House, which is really a great tree (alberone); your are but the roots. In fact, the actual
house is the root of this great tree. You are at the foot of a great mountain, go up, look out, the horizon is the
whole world”. Today, the paulines throughout the world, give thanks to the Lord for having given to His
Church this tiredless apostle.

IAN EMPIG ORDAINED DEACON

Posted on December 14, 2011 | Leave a comment

St. Paul Sanctuary, Makati City

Cl. Ian Paul Empig is ordained deacon by the Bishop of Balanga-Bataan Most Rev. Ruperto Santos, DD at the
Santuaty of St. Paul, SAV, Makati City on December 12, 2011.

Cl. Empig hails from Igbaras, Iloilo and finished his Philosophy and Mass Communication Courses (2003) at
the St Paul Seminary Foundation, Inc., Silang, Cavite and obtained his degree in Theology at the Loyola
School of Theology, Ateneo de Manila, Quezon City (2010). Presently he assists Fr. Ramil Tapang, SSP in
Vocation Promotions even as writes for The Youngster Magazine, the leading youth oriented magazine in the
Philippines.

Recently, Cl. Ian Paul Empig made his pertual profession in front of the Provincial Superior Rev. Fr. Jose S.
Aripio, SSP at St. Paul Seminary Chapel, Silang-Cavite, on November 6, 2011.
Our logo represents well the dynamism which fills us and represents both the
Congregation and its apostolic activities, uniting them in a single sign.

In 1991 the Society of St Paul initiated the study for the development of a
new visual identity: "evangelize with the modern means of communication".

The creator Giorgetto Giugiaro developed and realized the new logo of our
Society.

It is composed of two elements: a straight line and a curve in a spiral manner.

Both elements, combined as much in structure as in colour, present a modern
dynamic figure of considerable impact and are in a certain sense enigmatic.

In the two lines, one ascending and the other descending, we perceive the
salvific movement of the Word of God - and we should not overlook the
skillfully stylised allusion to the Sword of St Paul, the double-edge sword (cf.
Hebrews 4:12), which expresses the penetrating power of the Word of God.

In the parabolic spiral (helicoid), the discerning eye will capture the "P" for
Paul, who is the key to our institutional and apostolic identity.

In the Logo the two dimensions of our mission engage and interact with each
other: to proclaim the Word of God among the people of our day and to
enable them to discover the Truth hidden in the heart of the events.

From the public survey regarding the logo, the following comments were
expressed:
 appreciation for its formal and esthetic beauty
 reading it in terms of free associations, it was described as characterizing the combination of two
different elements with great dynamism
 the major values associated to the logo were: precision, energy, tension, openness, dynamism,
creativity, spirituality, infinity
 the products to be combined with the logo were: cultural products, public opinion, spiritual creativity.

By its nature, the sign that expresses the visual synthesis of the mission of our
Congregation and ST PAULS Publishing, is not the equivalent of a logical
reflection or a linguistic affirmation.
The St Paul logo is not a contradiction, on the contrary, it may suggest the
mission of putting in contact the Word of God and the unfolding of history as
the rich and dynamic apostolate of Saint Paul.