SVD MISSION AWARDS PRESS STATEMENT

SVD MISSION AWARDS PRESS STATEMENT
JULY 13, 2009
Launching of the
Nationwide SEARCH FOR SVD MISSION AWARDEES

As a part of the SVD Philippines’ 100 year celebration this year, a number of Centennial Awards called the “SVD MISSIONS AWARD” will be given. The SVD Philippine Central Province and St. Jude Catholic School are currently working on a “nationwide search” giving special awards the SVD Mission Awards, to individuals, groups or institutions who have shared our SVD mission in the country in the last 100 years, directly or indirectly.

These awards are meant to recognize, honor and thank those who, over the past century, have most embodied the tremendous spirit of the "Christian Mission Commitment" to what the SVDs call "prophetic dialogue" spelled out as: "dialogue with the poor and marginalized, faith seekers or no faith community, other religious traditions or secular ideologies, and local culture." The SVD MISSION AWARDS was created to highlight and perpetuate shining examples of exceptional commitment, dedication and contributed extraordinary living witness to the Divine Word of God.

The Awardees will be honored in St. Jude Catholic School with a banquet on Wednesday Nov 13, 2009 and be presented with a framed certificate of recognition, an SVD Missions Awards Plaque, and a P50,00.00 cash reward.
SVD Mission Awards are given in six categories:

1. The Divine Word Award is presented to an individual who has made an exemplary mission contribution.
2. The Communio Award is presented to a group, institution or community which made an outstanding mission contribution.
3. The Abra Mission Award is presented to an individual, group or institution that made a significant contribution for the Province of Abra where the SVD began its mission 100 years ago.
4. The Father Peter Yang Award is presented to an individual, group or institution that has significantly contributed to the mission for the Chinese community in the Philippines.
5. The Vivat Cor Iesu Award is presented to an SVD-initiated, led or administered group, community or institution that has made a significant contribution for mission.
6. The Saint Arnold Janssen Award is presented to an SVD missionary priest or brother who has made a significant contribution for mission.

For a copy of the Nomination Form and more information on the Nomination Process, please visit www.svd-awards.org

Submission Deadline of SVD MISSION AWARDS Nomination is on August 30, 2009.

SVD Mission Awards

Former classmates in the SVD, Fathers Jerome Marquez and Joey Sepe; SVD confreres Fathers Bobby Ebisa and Aris Martin; and I (Fr. Randy Flores, SVD) are currently working on giving special awards--the SVD Mission Awards--to individuals, groups or institutions who have shared our SVD mission in the country in the last 100 years, directly or indirectly. In the name of the SVD Philippine Central Province and St. Jude Catholic School (near Malacanang), we would like to thank these people or groups who have shown exemplary "mission commitment" to what we call "prophetic dialogue" spelled out as: "dialogue with the poor and marginalized, faith seekers or no faith community, other religious traditions or secular ideologies, and local culture."

The awardees will be honored in St. Jude Catholic School with a banquet on Nov 13, 2009 and be presented with a framed certificate of recognition, an SVD Missions Awards Plaque, and a P50,00.00 cash reward.

SVD Mission Awards Categories are the following:

1. The Divine Word Award is presented to an individual who has made an exemplary mission contribution.
2. The Communio Award is presented to a group, institution or community which made an outstanding mission contribution.
3. The Abra Mission Award is presented to an individual, group or institution that made a significant contribution for the Province of Abra where SVD began its misson 100 years ago.
4. The Father Peter Yang Award is presented to an individual, group or institution that has significantly contributed to the mission for the Chinese in the Philippines.
5. The Vivat Cor Iesu Award is presented to an SVD-initiated, led or administered group, community or institution that has made a significant contribution for mission.
6. The Saint Arnold Janssen Award is presented to an SVD missionary priest or brother who has made a significant contribution for mission.

You can download here the nomination form. Deadline of submission is on August 30, 2009.
For more information on the nomination process. please visit www,svd-awards.org

CD Album - SVD Night Prayers and Vespers

Soon to come out from Divine Word Seminary, - on the occasion of the 100 years of SVD Philippines. Limited copies, please place your order to Fr. Raul 09282756270 / raulsvd@yahoo.com. The following are sample tracks:
Track 04 - Day is Done
Track 09 - Nunc Dimittis
Track 12 - Hail, Holy Queen
Track 37 - O Loving Mother
Track 40 - Blest be the Lord
Choir includes the Provincial (Fr. Nielo), the Rector of DWST (Fr. Fred), and other SVDs. Recorded at ARCOM Tagaytay, executive producer--Fr. Raul under Logos Publications, musical director--Nez Marcelo.
Click here SVD Night Prayers and Vespers

Professor James H. Charlesworth lectures at Divine Word Seminary

Should the Gospel of John be used in Reconstructing Jesus’ Life and Thought?
A Theological Symposium with Professor James H. Charlesworth

Venue: Divine Word Seminary
SVD Road, Tagaytay City, Philippines
Date: July 17, 2009 (Friday)
Time: 9:00 am – 11:00 am Tel. no: 046-4131253 // Text: 09273909863
Email: rrandy33@yahoo.com

Professor James H. Charlesworth is Princeton Theological Seminary’s George L. Collord Professor of New Testament Language and Literature and director and editor of the Seminary’s Dead Sea Scrolls Project. He holds a B.D. from Duke Divinity School, a Ph.D. from Duke University Graduate School, and an E.T. (Elève Titulaire) from the Ecole Biblique de Jerusalem. He is a Fellow of the Norwegian Royal Academy. An ordained Methodist minister, Charlesworth is active in the United Methodist Church Greek Orthodox and Methodist Symposia and directs the Syrus Sinaiticus Project at St. Catherine’s Monastery in the Sinai. His academic interests include the Dead Sea Scrolls, apocryphal works, the historical Jesus, the Gospel of John, and the Revelation of John. He teaches courses on the relationship between the Jesus traditions in the gospels and the theologies of the Dead Sea Scrolls, the life and thought of Jesus of Nazareth, the Old Testament in the New, the Gospel and Epistles of John, and the Hebrew and Theology of the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Major Publications

The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, 2 vols. (1984–1985)
Jesus and the Dead Sea Scrolls (Doubleday, 1992, 1995)
The Beloved Disciple (Trinity Press International, 1995)
The Bible and the Dead Sea Scrolls, 3 vols. (Baylor University Press, 2006)
The Serpent: A Symbol of Life or Death? (Anchor Bible Reference Library, 2006)
The Historical Jesus (Abingdon Press Essential Guides, 2008)
The Good and Evil Serpent: How a Universal Symbol Became Christianized (Yale University, 2009)

The symposium is hosted by Divine Word Seminary-Tagaytay City in honor of the 100 years of the Society of the Divine Word (SVD) in the Philippines and sponsored by the Catholic Biblical Association of the Philippines (CBAP) which is celebrating its 10th foundation anniversary.

Fr. Randolf C. Flores, SVD
President, Catholic Biblical Association of the Philippines

CD Album - SVD Night Prayers and Vespers

Soon to come out from Divine Word Seminary, - on the occasion of the 100 years of SVD Philippines. Limited copies, please place your order to Fr. Raul 09282756270 / raulsvd@yahoo.com. The following are sample tracks:
Track 04 - Day is Done
Track 09 - Nunc Dimittis
Track 12 - Hail, Holy Queen
Track 37 - O Loving Mother
Track 40 - Blest be the Lord
Choir includes the Provincial (Fr. Nielo), the Rector of DWST (Fr. Fred), and other SVDs. Recorded at ARCOM Tagaytay, executive producer--Fr. Raul under Logos Publications, musical director--Nez Marcelo.
Click here SVD Night Prayers and Vespers

Certificate in Theological Studies at DZMM 630 TeleRadyo

A group of fresh/first graduates of Certificate in Theological Studies was interviewed last May 31 over radio DZMM (ABS-CBN's Tele-Radyo) at the program Salitang Buhay (Word Alive) aired every Sunday from 8:30 to 10:00 in the evening hosted by SVDs Fr. Bel San Luis and Fr. Jerome Marquez, and Miss Ilsa Reyes.

CTS is a Saturday program of the Divine Word Seminary, Tagaytay city for religious, leaders of charismatic communities, catechists, religious education teachers, BBS facilitators, Liturgical Lectors and Animators, BEC lay workers, ex and future seminarians, and faith seekers.

CTS classes begin on 13 June 2009 (Saturday). Enrollment is going on, please text Bing at 0915-788411 or email ctstagaytay.yahoo.com.

More on CTS at DZMM, click here

For CTS website, click here

To down load the brochure, click here

Report on Arnoldus Library

by Fr. Randolf C. Flores, SVD
OIC - Arnoldus Library
01 June 2009

“If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need”—Cicero. We have both, even more gardens.

Founded thirty-six years ago (in 1973) and designed by Architect Jesus M. Bondoc, then the dean of the Institute of Institute of Architecture and Fine Arts at the Far Eastern University, the Arnoldus Library, with a tower and a roof garden, stands today as one of the most artistic, ingenious and well-crafted library edifices in the country.

At one point it had housed a huge collection in philosophy, social sciences, and theology— 76,000 volumes and a multi-purpose hall (Arnoldus Hall). Most of the non-theology books are now relocated to Christ the King Seminary—SVD’s school of philosophy in Quezon City. The Arnoldus Hall, where the Reference Section is currently located, is also now a reading hall for the students. The Library—still with 36,277 books; around 15,000 bound periodicals/journals (615 titles); 2,164 duplicates; and 462 textbooks—is one of the best Catholic theological libraries in the country.

Arnoldus Library has a budget of 1 million pesos a year —acquiring an average of 300 books and 61 periodicals (43 foreign and 18 local) per annum with the latest in Theology and Exegesis ordered the fastest way possible; maintains a computer section (10 units working) with internet connection (broadband and wireless); and houses at its basement the Nicasio Preacher’s Collection (NPC)—books and other materials on preaching from the collection of Fr. Linus Nicasio, SVD, and the Arnoldus Communications Center (ARCOM)—a high-tech recording studio run by Fr. Raul Caga, SVD. Soon to be added are the Old Testament collection of the late Fr. Anthony Ceresko, OSFS and the New Testament collection of Fr. Carlito Reyes.

Last summer (May 2009), the outer wall of the library was repainted— green, to go with the ecological color of the seminary’s surroundings, thanks to Miss Angelita Gabuna and her friend Sir Romy and Kemwerke, Inc. who donated around 70 gallons of paint (they also donated a similar volume for the repainting of the Heinemann building); cost of labor was PhP 120,000. Roof leaks were also repaired including repainting the roof.

After five years, the Library will now have a professional librarian. Miss Veronica Jimenez Lepalam, a native of Zamboanga City, a library science graduate of Universidad de Zamboanga (2005) where she is an MA candidate, and a licensed librarian will join the staff on 05 June 2009. Frater Franlou Bardon, SVD scholastic who has taken units in Library Science at the University of San Carlos (Cebu City), has also joined the team composed of Mrs. Cecille Badillo (circulation), Fr. Randolf C. Flores, SVD (acquisition), Mr. Ace Malabanan (maintenance), and Fr. Antolin Uy, SVD (Director).

Three things are foreseen to be accomplished before the end of this school year 2009-2010, Philippine SVD centennial year:

(1) Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) where users around the world can search our library catalogue to locate books, periodicals, audio/visual materials or other items under control of the Arnoldus library.

(2) Covered walkway from the carport of the Heinemann Building to the main entrance of the Arnoldus Library.

(3) An intensive campaign to attract more library users. Based on the logbook, an average of only 20 students everyday used the library in last school year. Frequent users include Franlou Bardon, John Paul Marquez, and Abraham Borja of the SVD; Willy Alibagon of the OSJ (although most OSJ students frequent the library); Serge Kabamalan of the Eudists; and among the faculty members—Fr. Randolf Flores, SVD and Fr. Ronnie Crisostomo, SVD.

Prayer: “May our students enter Arnoldus Library and relish the ever delicious nutrimentum spiritus (‘food for the soul,’—from the inscription at the Berlin Royal Library), now na.

Divine Word Seminary: Fr. Henry Schenk, SVD - 50 years in the priesthood

video 1 Fr. Henry Schenk, SVD - 50 years in the priesthood

video 2 Fr. Henry Schenk, SVD - 50 years in the priesthood

Pictures