In the middle of the 19th century, a hostile and anticlerical government in Spain closed the novitiates. Years later, concessions were granted allowing novitiates which operated missions in foreign countries to open. Hence, the Benedictine Abbey of Montserrat in Cataluña, Spain started to establish missions in the Philippines and in Australia.
The first group of Benedictine fathers and brothers came to the Philippines in September 12, 1895 from the Benedictine Abbey of Our Lady of Montserrat in the Cataluña region of Spain primarily to undertake agricultural and missionary work in Surigao in Mindanao.
They were the latest of the European Catholic orders to come to the Philippines and the first Benedictines to do their mission work more than halfway around the world. Undaunted by the brewing Philippine revolt, the Abbot of Montserrat, Rev. Fr. Jose Deas y Villar, OSB sailed to Manila with 13 young Benedictine monks from the Colegio de Misioneros de Ultramar and founded the Benedictine community in Mindanao from which grew the roots of Benedictine tradition and influence in the Philippines. They did their work quietly but meaningfully in the Mindanao hinterlands where aside from their pastoral work, they ran schools given to them by the Jesuits and taught the natives the mysteries of the Faith as well as music, arithmetic, Spanish grammar, ethics, geography, history and elementary science.
Fr. Juan Sabater, notwithstanding the crumbling Spanish political order and the growing hatred for the Spanish friars in the islands, the Benedictines kept to their vows. Paradoxically, they considered this critical period as a propitious time to be in the Philippines where they were winning adherents and their work was warmly appreciated. Hence, in the middle of the Katipunan revolution, on the 14th of August 1897, Rev. Fr. Juan Sabater, who was appointed superior of the Philippine Benedictine community, opened the Chapel of Our Lady of Montserrat in Manila.
Anticipating the potential influence of public schools established by the American government and the American Protestant missionaries, then Superior Fr. Juan Sabater, OSB, with the support of the Benedictine community decided to open up a school and appropriately named it after the great English Benedictine scholar and saint, the Venerable Bede.
The first group of Benedictine fathers and brothers came to the Philippines in September 12, 1895 from the Benedictine Abbey of Our Lady of Montserrat in the Cataluña region of Spain primarily to undertake agricultural and missionary work in Surigao in Mindanao.
They were the latest of the European Catholic orders to come to the Philippines and the first Benedictines to do their mission work more than halfway around the world. Undaunted by the brewing Philippine revolt, the Abbot of Montserrat, Rev. Fr. Jose Deas y Villar, OSB sailed to Manila with 13 young Benedictine monks from the Colegio de Misioneros de Ultramar and founded the Benedictine community in Mindanao from which grew the roots of Benedictine tradition and influence in the Philippines. They did their work quietly but meaningfully in the Mindanao hinterlands where aside from their pastoral work, they ran schools given to them by the Jesuits and taught the natives the mysteries of the Faith as well as music, arithmetic, Spanish grammar, ethics, geography, history and elementary science.
Fr. Juan Sabater, notwithstanding the crumbling Spanish political order and the growing hatred for the Spanish friars in the islands, the Benedictines kept to their vows. Paradoxically, they considered this critical period as a propitious time to be in the Philippines where they were winning adherents and their work was warmly appreciated. Hence, in the middle of the Katipunan revolution, on the 14th of August 1897, Rev. Fr. Juan Sabater, who was appointed superior of the Philippine Benedictine community, opened the Chapel of Our Lady of Montserrat in Manila.
Anticipating the potential influence of public schools established by the American government and the American Protestant missionaries, then Superior Fr. Juan Sabater, OSB, with the support of the Benedictine community decided to open up a school and appropriately named it after the great English Benedictine scholar and saint, the Venerable Bede.
On June 17, 1901, at six o'clock in the morning, the school’s first Rector, Fr. Silvestre Jofre, celebrated the Mass for the opening of El Colegio de San Beda in Arlegui St, Manila and dedicated the school to the cause of Catholic education and the formation of Christian gentlemen committed to excellence and service of God and country.
San Beda College commemorates the feast of St. Bede, its patron saint, on the first week of the school year. The school is attached to the Abbey of Our Lady of Montserrat, founded from the Abbey of Montserrat in Cataluña, Spain. The school’s original curricula were composed of Primaria Enseñanza and Secundaria Enseñanza y Comercio. The Primaria Enseñanza consisted of Class Infirma, Media and Superior, the equivalent of the first grades of the present elementary system. The Secundaria Enseñanza was made up of the four years of high school and the first two years of college leading to a Bachelor of Arts degree and a course leading to a Diploma in commerce
On January 24, 1906, the Pontifical University of Sto. Tomas agreed to recognize all courses offered by San Beda College. In 1910, San Beda was granted government recognition and the authority by the American colonial government to confer the degree of Bachelor of Arts and diplomas for the Elementary and High School. These were San Beda College’s starting years—marked by vision and aspiration, challenge and response. The spirit of Saint Benedict enflamed the missionaries of Montserrat to do the unorthodox, moving ahead swiftly with their cause for education in a period characterized by the chaos and confusion of an anti-clerical and nationalist revolution, war between an old world empire and an emerging new world power, and the challenge of Protestantism brought about by the American occupation.
San Beda College commemorates the feast of St. Bede, its patron saint, on the first week of the school year. The school is attached to the Abbey of Our Lady of Montserrat, founded from the Abbey of Montserrat in Cataluña, Spain. The school’s original curricula were composed of Primaria Enseñanza and Secundaria Enseñanza y Comercio. The Primaria Enseñanza consisted of Class Infirma, Media and Superior, the equivalent of the first grades of the present elementary system. The Secundaria Enseñanza was made up of the four years of high school and the first two years of college leading to a Bachelor of Arts degree and a course leading to a Diploma in commerce
On January 24, 1906, the Pontifical University of Sto. Tomas agreed to recognize all courses offered by San Beda College. In 1910, San Beda was granted government recognition and the authority by the American colonial government to confer the degree of Bachelor of Arts and diplomas for the Elementary and High School. These were San Beda College’s starting years—marked by vision and aspiration, challenge and response. The spirit of Saint Benedict enflamed the missionaries of Montserrat to do the unorthodox, moving ahead swiftly with their cause for education in a period characterized by the chaos and confusion of an anti-clerical and nationalist revolution, war between an old world empire and an emerging new world power, and the challenge of Protestantism brought about by the American occupation.
Decade after decade, through times of war, heroic struggles for independence, economic crises, political turmoil and social changes in the Philippines as well as internal campus strife, San Beda College has quietly pressed for creation, re-creation, adjustments, re-adjustments and expansion. San Beda College and the Benedictine community have remained steadfast in nurturing and strengthening the Catholic faith, pushing boundaries of excellence and possibilities in Philippine education, and building the Philippine nation.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Beda_College_Alabang#St_Benedict_and_the_Benedictines
http://www.sanbeda.edu.ph/est1901/about_SBC-page03.html
http://www.sanbeda.edu.ph/est1901/about_SBC-page03.html
