Dear friends of Cagayan de Oro Archdiocese,

Over the past month, we have been blessed with three ordinations to the diaconate for the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro. During this year 2010, we are also celebrating the 25th anniversary of St. John Vianney Theological Seminary. SJVTS is the major seminary set up by the bishops in the CABUSTAM sub-region (i.e., Cagayan de Oro – Butuan – Surigao – Tandag – Malaybalay).

One highlight of the seminary’s celebration was the episcopal ordination last April of one of its first graduates, Fr. Jose Cabantan, as the fourth bishop of Malaybalay. He succeeds Bishop Honesto Pacana, S.J., a former Rector of SJVTS. Over the years, the seminary has produced around 350 priests now serving in practically all the 21 arch/dioceses of Mindanao and parts of the Visayas. At present the seminary is undertaking a 25M – for 25 years endowment fund drive to provide scholarship support for our major seminarians.

On another front, in the light of the current issue on the Reproductive Health bills, the All – Natural Family Planning Program of the archdiocese has been receiving heightened interest. Last week our NFP team was invited by the Hapag Asa program of Assisi Foundation to give a trainors’ training seminar in Tagaytay to delegates from 16 dioceses in Luzon. Many of the participants enthusiastically pointed out how this NFP program addressed to parents complements the feeding program of Hapag Asa for undernourished children.

Indeed, in a recent Forum on the RH Bill co-sponsored by the archdiocese, we pointed out that the four pastoral guidelines for our All – NFP program also explicitate the local church’s core values vis-à-vis some legislators’ proposals on RH:

(1) We are Pro-LIfe, as our first principle;

(2) We are for Responsible Parenthood, as our goal;

(3) We are for Natural Family Planning, as our means; and

(4) We are for enabling couples to make an Informed and Responsible Choice, according to the Formation of a Right Conscience.

In many ways, these core values are exemplified in the Christmas story of the Holy Family. May their message of love and life be ours to share throughout the coming year (which also marks the 60th anniversary of Cagayan de Oro as an archdiocese).

With God’s blessings,

Archbishop Antonio J. Ledesma, S.J.