Province receives new Pre-Novices from CaReS

BAGUIO CITY–Three seminarians from Casiciaco Recoletos Seminary have been promoted to the Pre-Novitiate formation last June 6, 2021.  The formands are Br. Jestoni M. Latagan from Taytay, Palawan; Br. Reymar L. Macadagdag from Bacolod City, Negros Occidental; and Br. Joseph Pham Duc Quoc from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. The brothers will join the two Pre-Novitiate returnees on July 4, 2021 at Bahay Lingkod-Recoletos, Antipolo City.

Fray James Castelo, OAR, the Pre-Novitiate Director said that this year’s Pre-Novitate program would be different from the past formation he handled since the brothers are all members of the adult vocation program. With the first Vietnamese formand, Fray Castelo expects an exciting formation year.

The Pre-Novitiate formation program of the Province focuses on the human formation of the seminarians preparing them to the next formation which is the Novitiate. The significance of having the seminarians knowing themselves does not require a philosophical inquiry such that of Socrates but on touching and being on the ground of one’s humanity.

Fray Castelo adds that knowing and accepting oneself makes a person understand the meaning of the meditation in front of the Blessed Sacrament. Without a seminarian’s grounded humanity, he would be bored looking at the Body of Christ.            

The pre-novitiate director also advised the seminarians to live the formation not for the sake of having finishing it because, Fr. Castelo said, it is the best formation program to prepare a seminarian in the Recollect way of life.