36 neophytes find home in foster families

BAGUIO CITY–This year’s 36 neophytes now have their home away from home in the context of an apostolate program of the seminary.

This as the neophytes were distributed to 17 foster family members of the Family Apostolate Program during the First General Prayer Meeting last August 25, 2019 at the seminary chapel.

“It feels good to belong to a family who is concerned with my vocation,” said Br. Elven M. Palma, a neophyte who will join this year’s first year college seminarians.

Fr. Ralph Laureen Ciceron, OAR, priest-in-charge of the program, thanked the foster families for their “time and effort in looking after the vocation of these seminarians.”

Fr. Ciceron, who is also the Prefect of Discipline of the college seminarians, however, reminded the foster families not to put any pressure on the seminarians to really pursue religious or priestly vocation.

“We should not ask the question, ‘how many of them will continue?’; ask instead: ‘how can we be of help to these seminarians?’” Fr. Ciceron said. “Becoming a priest is very difficult. What we can do is help them attain Christian perfection so that whatever journey they will be taking in life is a journey directed towards God.”

The Prefect of Discipline also warned the seminarians not to abuse the generosity and charity of their foster families.

For this year, the foster families have grown to 17, up by 3 from last year’s 14. The Pablo and Lacopia families are both returnees from hiatus, while the Tenefrancia family is the newest addition to the program. The three families have seven foster sons among them from this year’s neophyte seminarians.