De La Salle Brothers - Philippine District
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The De La Salle Brothers - Philippine District is part of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, the largest congregation of Roman Catholic religious Brothers who are exclusively dedicated to education.[1] The Institute was founded in Reims, France in 1680, with over 75,000 Brothers and lay colleagues who conduct schools as well as educational works in about 80 countries worldwide.[1]
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[edit] Background
In the aftermath of the Philippine Revolution, the Protestant faith, first introduced by the American Thomasites, was gaining a foothold among Filipinos because of the then strong anti-friar sentiment existing at that time.[2] Due to the then very small number of Catholic educational institutions in the country, the then American Archbishop of Manila Jeremiah James Harty, himself an alumnus of a Christian Brothers school in St. Louis, Missouri, would appeal to the Superior-General of the Christian Brothers in 1905 for the establishment of a De La Salle school in the Philippines. While there was a growing pressure for a De La Salle school, Harty's request was rejected, because of the Christian Brothers' lack of funds. Nonetheless, Harty continued to appeal to Pope Pius X for the establishment of additional Catholic schools in the country.
[edit] History
[edit] The Brothers' arrival in the Philippines
On March 10, 1911, upon instructions from the Vatican to the La Salle Generalate, Brothers Blimond Pierre (who would serve as the school's first director), Aloysius Gonzaga, and Augusto Correge, arrived in the Philippines from Europe. Six other De La Salle brothers arrived between March and June: Brothers Louis, Camillus, B. Joseph, Celba John, Imar William, and Martin. They came from the United States, Ireland, Luxembourg, and France.
Together, on June 16, 1911, the Brothers opened the first La Salle school in the country. The location is at the former Perez-Samanillo Compound on 652 Calle Nozaleda in Paco, Manila. The school was first attended with 100 students.[2]
[edit] Reactions from the Locals
The initial perception of Filipinos about the then newly arrived De La Salle Christian Brothers were that they were no different from the Spanish Friars who were previously the sole handlers of Philippine education for almost three hundred years. Over time, the Brothers established their congregation as being a group of full-time religious educators who have consecrated their lives for the education of the youth.
In 1921, the Brothers transferred the school from its original site in Paco, Manila to the then-wooded Taft Avenue in Malate, Manila because of the increasing school population. During this time, the Brothers' devotion to education would be cemented by the numerous visits of head of states to De La Salle and by the proclamation of De La Salle as the Philippine Islands's premier school by Dr. Paul Monroe and a commission of American educators, after an eight-month cross-country inspection in the 1930s.[2]
[edit] The February 12, 1945 Massacre
On February 12, 1945, a Japanese military officer along with 20 soldiers forcibly made their way into the college, which was then a refuge for 70 people, including 30 women and young girls, 16 Christian Brothers and the college's chaplain-Redemptorist Father Cosgrave CSSR, and the adult men of two families. The Japanese herded these people into the school chapel where they were subsequently shot, slashed, or bayoneted. Those who did not die in the attack would be later be left to bleed to death and the Japanese attempted to violate the women who were dying from their wounds. The chapel was then set on fire and only ten of the victims would survive.[3]
The following are those who were massacred:
- Christian Brothers
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[edit] The Philippine District
Up until the 1960's, the Brothers in the Philippines was a Sub-District (Province) of the De La Salle Institute District of San Francisco and thereafter, up to the establishment of the Philippine District in 1970. On February 2, 1970, the Philippine Province became an independent District of the Institute, to be known as the De La Salle Brothers in the Philippines. At present, the Sub-District of Myanmar is under the Philippine District.
[edit] The Brother Visitor
The Brother Visitor is the official title of the head of a particular District of the Christian Brothers although for purposes of communication with non-members of the La Sallian family, the title, Brother Provincial is used because of its commonality with the title used to describe the district heads of other religious congregations.
The Brother Visitor is the person responsible for assigning Brothers to their communities and providing for the different posts of responsibility as deemed necessary by the District Chapter. He is also responsible for admitting candidates to the Novitiate as well as the making of vows. Also, as specified in canon law, he is authorized to issue writings on matters of religion or morality.
The Philippine District has had eight Brother Visitors, who are elected for three-year terms. The first was Brother Justin Lucian FSC, who was elected in 1970 and was also the last Auxiliary Visitor from the Baltimore District. The incumbent is Brother Edmundo Fernandez FSC.
| # | Name | Term started | Term ended | |
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| 1 | Br. Justin Lucian FSC |  |
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| 2 | Br. Benildo Feliciano FSC |  |
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| 3 | Br. Rolando Dizon FSC[4] |  |
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| 4 | Br. Victor Franco FSC |  |
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| 5 | Br. Rafael Donato FSC |  |
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| 6 | Br. Raymundo Suplido FSC |  |
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| 7 | Br. Armin Luistro FSC |  |
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| 8 | Br. Edmundo Fernandez FSC |  |
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[edit] See also
[edit] Notes and References
- ^ a b De La Salle Institute District of San Francisco www.delasalle.org Accessed July 13, 2006
- ^ a b c De La Salle University-Manila (2003). Student handook: 2003-06. Manila: De La Salle University-Manila.
- ^ The Sack of Manila www.battlingbastardsbataan.com/ Accessed July 13, 2006
- ^ Acting Brother Visitor
- De La Salle Brother Visitors www.dlsaa.com Accessed July 13, 2006
- La Salle Brothers in the Philippines www.usls.edu.ph Accessed July 13, 2006
