The Pontificio Collegio Filippino (

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

: ''Pontifical Filipino College'';

Filipino Filipino may refer to: * Something from or related to the Philippines ** Filipino language, standardized variety of 'Tagalog', the national language and one of the official languages of the Philippines. ** Filipinos, people who are citizens of th ...

: ''Dalubhasaang Pilipinong Pontipikal''), officially named the ''Pontificio Collegio Seminario de Nuestra Señora de la Paz y Buen Viaje'' (

: ''Pontifical College Seminary of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage'';

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

: ''Seminarii Sanctae Mariae de Pace, et in Collegio S. Bon Voyage''), is a college for

diocesan priest In Christianity, the term secular clergy refers to deacons and priests who are not monastics or otherwise members of religious life. A secular priest (sometimes known as a diocesan priest) is a priest who commits themselves to a certain geogr ...

s from the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

studying at

pontifical universities A pontifical university is an ecclesiastical university established or approved directly by the Holy See, composed of three main ecclesiastical faculties (Theology, Philosophy and Canon Law) and at least one other faculty. These academic institute ...

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

. It was formally established as an institution with pontifical rights by

Pope John XXIII Pope John XXIII ( la, Ioannes XXIII; it, Giovanni XXIII; born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, ; 25 November 18813 June 1963) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 28 October 1958 until his death in June 19 ...

on June 29, 1961, through the papal bull ''Sancta Mater Ecclesia''. The current

rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...

is the Rev. Fr. Gregory Ramon D. Gaston, S.Th.D.

History

Cardinal

Rufino Santos Rufino Jiao Santos (August 26, 1908 – September 3, 1973) was the 29th Archbishop of Manila from February 10, 1953, until his death on September 3, 1973, and was the first Filipino elevated to the rank of cardinal. Biography Born in Barangay S ...

proposed establishing the college during the meeting of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines on January 26–31, 1959. His plan was supported by the Philippine bishops and approved by the Vatican. On August 8, 1959, Pope John XXIII personally blessed the cornerstone for the building in the private study of his summer residence at Castel Gandolfo. Cardinal Santos and Philippine Ambassador to the Holy See, José María Delgado, witnessed the event. The following day, Cardinal

Giuseppe Pizzardo Giuseppe Pizzardo (13 July 1877 – 1 August 1970) was an Italian cardinal of the Catholic Church who served as prefect of the Congregation for Seminaries and Universities from 1939 to 1968, and secretary of the Holy Office from 1951 to 1959 ...

laid the cornerstone on the site of the edifice in the presence of 70 cardinals, diplomats, superiors general, seminary and university rectors and other distinguished personalities. Pope John XXIII blessed and inaugurated the modern edifice on October 7, 1961, the

Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary Our Lady of the Rosary, also known as Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, is a Marian title. The Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, formerly known as Feast of Our Lady of Victory and Feast of the Holy Rosary is celebrated on 7 October in the General Rom ...

.Pope John XXIII spoke of the mission of Pontificio Collegio Filippino during the inauguration saying: ''This Pontifical Seminary therefore is both a Roman and Philippine College; for here, that is, near the Chair of Peter and the summit of the Church, your young ones divinely called to take on sacred functions, will draw faith and science from the genuine and rich font. Fully imbued with this they shall return to their people as beloved heralds of truth. That is why these buildings destined for the formation of your students of sacred sciences will be like channels by which the catholic life will be promoted among you and the bond by which the Philippines, a Nation so very dear to us, will more intensely be linked with the supreme magisterium of the Church.'' Cf. Ibid.

Building

The Collegio is located at 490 Via Aurelia on a lot between the Collegio Pio-Brasiliano and the Villa Pacelli, in a suburb of

. The four-story building was designed by Edoardo Cherubini in a 1960s contemporary design.

Design of the crypt chapel altar

In celebration of the canonization of

Pedro Calungsod Pedro Calungsod ( es, Pedro Calúñgsod or archaically ; mid-1650s – April 2, 1672), also known as Peter Calungsod and Pedro Calonsor, was a Catholic Filipino-Visayan migrant, sacristan and missionary catechist who, along with the Spanish ...

, the second Filipino saint, on October 21, 2012, a commemorative

retablo A retablo is a devotional painting, especially a small popular or folk art one using iconography derived from traditional Catholic church art. More generally ''retablo'' is also the Spanish term for a retable or reredos above an altar, whether ...

was made by Filipino sculptor Wilfredo Layug from Betis,

Guagua, Pampanga Guagua, officially the Municipality of Guagua ( pam, Balen ning Guagua; tl, Bayan ng Guagua), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Pampanga, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 128,893 people. The town o ...

for the chapel at the crypt of the Collegio. It depicts both Calungsod and the first Filipino saint,

Lorenzo Ruiz Lorenzo Ruiz ( fil, Lorenzo Ruiz ng Maynila; zh, link=no, 李樂倫; es, link=no, Lorenzo Ruiz de Manila; November 28, 1594 – September 29, 1637), also called Saint Lorenzo of Manila, is a Filipino saint venerated in the Catholic Church. ...

. Ruiz was executed in

Nagasaki is the capital and the largest Cities of Japan, city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. It became the sole Nanban trade, port used for trade with the Portuguese and Dutch during the 16th through 19th centuries. The Hi ...

, Japan in 1637, while Calungsod was killed together with Blessed Diego Luis de San Vitores in 1672 in Tumhon,

Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...

. In the mural of Calungsod, Layug carved the image of the

Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage ( es, Nuestra Señora de la Paz y Buen Viaje; fil, Mahal na Birhen ng Kapayapaan at Mabuting Paglalakbay), also known as Our Lady of Antipolo and the Virgin of Antipolo ( fil, Birhen ng Antipolo), is a 17th-centur ...

, Patroness of the Pontificio Collegio Filippino. Both ''relleba'' (relief murals) of the retablo depict both saints being tortured by pagans to force them to renounce their faith. The angels are Filipina women garbed in ''baro'' and ''saya'' (native Filipino blouse and skirt), done in ''estofado'', a detailed carving style that gives the image the look of real clothes. Bamboo is a constant motif in the retablo.

References

External links

Official website
{{authority control Roman Colleges Catholic seminaries Educational institutions established in 1961 Catholic Church in the Philippines Seminaries and theological colleges in the Philippines 1961 establishments in Italy