The newly restored belfry tower of the Jaro Cathedral in Iloilo City. FILE PHOTO
ILOILO CITY — The country’s first catechetical school, which closed 18 years ago, is set to reopen its doors to teachers and students in August this year.
The Pius XII College Iloilo, located within the Jaro Cathedral’s complex, held a 100-day countdown on May 4, leading up to its inauguration and blessing at the beginning of the school year 2024 to 2025.
The event was marked by a Mass led by Jaro Archbishop Jose Romeo Lazo and was followed by a parade around the Jaro Plaza and the revealing of the countdown marker.
Officials of the archdiocese, the school, incoming students, other Catholic schools, Pius XII alumni, and other stakeholders attended the countdown.
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The reopening of the school was a response to Pope Francis’ Apostolic Letter of May 10, 2021, titled Antiquum Ministerium, instituting the lay ministry of catechists.
In a Facebook post on Saturday, the Commission on Social Communications of the archdiocese said the revival of the institution was aimed at having more teacher-catechists.
Fr. Emmanuel Tuberada, chief operating officer of the commission, admitted there were doubts about reopening the school.
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“Amid the silent ways to prepare this, there were skeptics. There were critics. There were cynics, and I’m sorry, I’m also one of them. We thought we would not come to reality in finally doing the opening of Pius XII College Iloilo,” Tuberada said.
Archbishop Lazo addressed the skepticism, saying it was “God’s plan” to reopen the school.
“If we examine deeply, God has a plan. We didn’t know when the reopening of Pius would come, but we trusted because of the time and the situation for the word to spread. This is now a reality with whoever is blessed to implement His plans. In His time,” the archbishop said.
“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 added.
The Pius XII Institute was founded by then Archbishop Jose Ma. Cuenco in 1958, the same year that its namesake, Pope Pius XII, died.
It offered a Bachelor of Science in Education degree, with majors in Catechetics and Social Studies until 2006, when it had to close down due to low enrollment.
In its revival, it will offer two new degrees: Bachelor of Secondary Education with majors in Values Education, as well as Social Studies.
These programs were aimed at forming teachers in Catholic schools, members of lay organizations who feel the need to understand and know the Catholic faith deeper, and evangelization and missionary workers in local churches or mission territories.