UNIQUE PAST, VIBRANT PRESENT, & EXCITING FUTURE

By Jeff J. Jacinto, PhD, DHum

​A minor seminary is a secondary boarding school specifically established to admit teenage boys who have expressed an interest in pursuing the priesthood. The 1983 Code of Canon Law beautifully expresses the objectives of a minor seminary, stating that it is designed "to protect from the contagion of the world, to train in piety, to imbue with the rudiments of literary studies, and to foster in them the seed of a divine vocation" (Canon 794 §1). Moreover, the Code acknowledges the importance of the minor seminary in the preliminary stages of priestly formation, mandating its establishment and preservation, stipulating that it should offer a comprehensive program of both human and spiritual education (Canon 238 §1). Our Lady of Guadalupe Minor Seminary is the Manila Archdiocesan junior and senior high school seminary where the author finished his classical secondary education. The author has been tapped by the seminarians to retell the school's story more times than he can count. It finally dawned on him that this might be because the history of his alma mater is a bit fragmented, like a puzzle with some pieces missing and others that don't quite fit together. This write-up aims to sketch out the history of the minor seminary using published sources and reliable recollections from fellow grateful alumni. It's not a complete history, but it should provide a good starting point for anyone looking to dive deeper into the story of our beloved alma mater.

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