ICST Pays Tribute To The SVD

VIGAN CITY -- The Immaculate Conception School of Theology (ICST) is the home of most priests and a number of bishops serving in Northern Luzon. Five years ago, the seminary celebrated its golden jubilee as an institution in its relocated site at Pantay Daya, Vigan City. Today, it continues to foster and nurture priestly vocations for Northern Luzon with its new paradigm of formation.

An important event or celebration that has already become a tradition in ICST is the alumni homecoming called "INNILIW". It happens every two years.

On January 26-27, 2009, the seminary celebrated the INNILIW 2009 with the theme: "A Grateful Heart Remembers…" This year’s celebration was special. Not only the alumni bishops and priests came for the event. The occasion was also graced with the presence of some lay alumni and the SVD Fathers. The two-day event started with great joy and excitement as the alumni of ICST engaged in different sports activities. The opening mass in the evening was presided by Most Rev. Joseph Amangi Nacua, OFM, Cap, DD, Bishop of the Diocese of Ilagan. During the dinner program, the ICST jubilarians and lay alumni were acknowledged and honored.

The second day, January 27, 2009, was ICST's celebration of the Society of the Divine Word Centenary in the Philippines. The SVD priests were acknowledged and remembered. One of the highlights of the program was the symposium. Fr. Steve Bevans, SVD, a former professor and formator of ICST, delivered a talk entitled, "A Century of Mission: Abra 1909, Edinburgh 1910, and Missionary Thinking Today". The concluding mass, presided by Most Rev. Renato Mayugba, DD, the Auxiliary Bishop of Lingayen-Dagupan, highlighted the ICST’s tribute to the SVD priests. The theme of the celebration centered on the SVD’s centennial theme: "Witness to the Word: We Remember…We Rejoice…We Renew". The seminary community together with the alumni of ICST awarded the SVD priests, SVD formators, and professors with a plaque of appreciation for their valuable service and contribution to the formation of the diocesan clergy. Among those present and honored were: Fr. Steve Bevans, SVD; Fr. Wilhelm van Kuijk, SVD; Fr. Michael Padua, SVD; Fr. Leonardo Mercado, SVD; Fr. Dionisio Miranda, SVD and Fr. Edgar Javier, SVD. Other SVDs in the area also joined the celebration. The Provincial Superior of the SVD Philippine Northern Province, Fr. Jerome Adriatico, SVD, received the special plaque of recognition given to SVD missionary priests "in sincere acknowledgment and gratitude for their invaluable contribution as dedicated missionary priests in the Northern Luzon Catholic Church of the Philippines".

The mass was immediately followed by the blessing of the new marker at St. Arnold Janssen's garden in grateful remembrance of the Society of the Divine Word’s 62 years of service to ICST (1925-1987). ICST took the occasion of the INNILIW 2009 to gratefully remember the missionary formators and professors who have made ICST into what it is now.

The Immaculate Conception School of Theology gladly remembers all the SVD missionaries who administered ICST from 1925-1987:

Fr. Philip Beck, SVD
Fr. Enrique Ederle, SVD
Fr. Henry Buerschen, SVD
Fr. Jose Dusemund, SVD
Bro. Ulrich Meyer, SVD
Fr. Hermann Willems, SVD
Fr. Panfilo Gianan, SVD
Fr. Hermann Kondring, SVD
Fr. Theodore Mittler, SVD
Fr. Richard Lyons, SVD
Fr. Matthias Heghmans, SVD
Fr. Ignatius Hetteger, SVD
Fr. Georg Puder, SVD
Bro. Carlos Rodemeyer, SVD
Bro. Michael Punto, SVD
Fr. Jose Klekamp, SVD
Fr. Dominic Wittwer, SVD
Fr. Henry Stukenburg, SVD
Fr. Robert Conrady, SVD
Fr. Benito Schmidt, SVD
Fr. Friedrich Buwi, SVD
Fr. Juan Salzmann, SVD
Fr. Delfin Taguinod, SVD
Fr. Joseph Gross, SVD
Fr. Liberato Fernandez, SVD
Fr. Jose Bette, SVD
Fr. Gerhard Kloester, SVD
Fr. Francis Goosens, SVD
Fr. Amancio Joaquin, SVD
Fr. Henry Steinfort, SVD
Fr. (Guillermo) William Schlombs, SVD
Bro. Joseph (Ladislaus) Blaszkowski, SVD
Fr. Alois Ketteler, SVD
Fr. Edward Edwards, SVD
Fr. Geronimo Galvan, SVD
Fr. Aurelio Galvan, SVD
Fr. Leo Muehl, SVD
Fr. Eugene Stoll, SVD
Fr. Friedrich Scharpf, SVD
Fr. Arthur Malin, SVD
Fr. Henry Christ, SVD
Fr. Richard Marks, SVD
Fr. Simeo Valerio, SVD
Fr. Anthony Kolodziej, SVD
Fr. Bernard Lefrois, SVD
Fr. Ernest Hoerdemann, SVD
Fr. Bernard Schlueter, SVD
Fr. Albert Gansewinkel, SVD
Fr. Francis Sirovic, SVD
Fr. Heinrich Oppenberg, SVD
Fr. Quintin Terrenal, SVD
Fr. William Neuhoefer, SVD
Fr. Jules Ypma, SVD
Bro. Xavierius Grofer, SVD
Fr. Miguel (Garay) Dittler, SVD
Fr. Hermann Köster, SVD
Fr. Heinrich Köster, SVD
Fr. Johann Martin Berry, SVD
Fr. Joseph Fuchs, SVD
Fr. Virgilio Bartolome, SVD
Fr. Gerhard Kloesters, SVD
Fr. Joseph Taschner, SVD
Fr. Carlos Breitenstein, SVD
Fr. Edward Tennant, SVD
Fr. Anton Collet, SVD
Fr. Wenceslao Hernando, SVD
Fr. George Westen, SVD
Fr. Lawrence Leisring, SVD
Fr. Victor Holobrady, SVD
Fr. Amante Castillo, SVD
Fr. Victor Drewes, SVD
Fr. Antolin Uy, SVD
Fr. Alphonse Mildner, SVD
Fr. Ludger Feldkamper, SVD
Fr. Peter Mayers, SVD
Fr. Leonardo Mercado, SVD
Fr. Bernard Toepfer, SVD
Fr. Stanley Plutz, SVD
Fr. Joseph Watzlawik, SVD
Fr. Wenceslao Fernan, SVD
Fr. Luis Schoenfeld, SVD
Fr. Gregorio Cabatingan, SVD
Fr. Constante Floresca, SVD
Fr. Norbert Hessling, SVD
Fr. Alois Lehberger, SVD
Fr. Vicente Braganza, SVD
Fr. Ambrosio Manaligod, SVD
Fr. Wim van Kuijk, SVD
Fr. Joseph Klar, SVD
Fr. Robert Fisher, SVD
Fr. Jorge Krieger, SVD
Fr. Stephen Bevans, SVD
Fr. Narciso Wagner, SVD
Fr. Bartolome Tadeo, SVD
Fr. Leo Grode, SVD
Fr. Guillermo Villegas, SVD
Fr. Anselmo Bustos, SVD
Fr. Dionisio Miranda, SVD
Fr. Pablito Bolaños, SVD
Fr. Dominador Flores, SVD
Fr. Manuel Bongayan, SVD
Fr. Bernard Raas, SVD
Fr. Michael Padua, SVD
Fr. Thomas Akkara, SVD