LRMS IN CHINESE CATHOLIC SCHOOLS: INSTRUMENTS OF "BRIDGING DIALOGUE"

There are considerable reasons for the Lorenzo Ruiz Mission Society to pursue effective evangelization in Chinese Catholic Schools in the Philippines. The ministry among Chinese Catholic Schools began in 1992 after the first ordination to the priesthood was celebrated. Msgr. Esteban Lo, LRMS was the first LRMS priest who was assigned in St. John Institute or popularly known as "Hua Ming." This initial exposure and ministry reverberated and came to be a meaningful experience of being with the Filipino-Chinese communities today. There are considerable elements to be reflected on as the apostolate among Chinese Catholic Schools has been a very important part of the LRMS experience of the missions.

1) Love for the Person- All forms of Catholic education are directed towards the development of the human person. Thus, schools are the best venues for the advancement of the human person. When the Lorenzo Ruiz Mission Society began to be part of the education of the young, that was also the moment where the vocation to dialogue with the younger generation as well as the Chinese communities took place in a formative way. Since the Lorenzo Ruiz Mission Society was established initially for the Filipino-Chinese Apostolate and later to the wider missio ad gentes, ordained priests become agents of dialogue to foster the promotion and dignity of the human person through providing competent and quality education. The Second Vatican Council clarifies that: "All men of every race, condition and age, since they enjoy the dignity of a human being, have an inalienable right to an education that is in keeping with their ultimate goal, their ability, their sex, and the culture and tradition of their country, and also in harmony with their fraternal association with other peoples in the fostering of true unity and peace on earth. For a true education aims at the formation of the human person in the pursuit of his ultimate end and of the good of the societies of which, as man, he is a member, and in whose obligations, as an adult, he will share." (GE 1)

2) Love for Culture- The Lorenzo Ruiz Mission Society is intended for missionary work. It is inevitable to encounter cultures and subcultures as mission is experienced. One of the momentous hallmarks of missionary experiences is the challengeable work in Chinese Catholic Schools. Chinese language has to be part of the level of competency and the promotion of Chinese traditions and practices have to be promoted in such a way that they do not go against the Catholic doctrine and faith. The LRMS has already the sufficient experience of promoting and bridging dialogue through the promotion of culture. The priests have the competency of building new communities, promoting the youth, advancing the Chinese cultural traditions, and preserving the Catholic Chinese mentality. Vatican II further expects: "The influence of the Church in the field of education is shown in a special manner by the Catholic school. No less than other schools does the Catholic school pursue cultural goals and the human formation of youth. But its proper function is to create for the school community a special atmosphere animated by the Gospel spirit of freedom and charity, to help youth grow according to the new creatures they were made through baptism as they develop their own personalities, and finally to order the whole of human culture to the news of salvation so that the knowledge the students gradually acquire of the world, life and man is illumined by faith." (GE 8)

3) Love for Dialogue- Catholic Schools are never ends in themselves but they are means for the development of the human person through the proclamation of the Gospel. Schools are institutions that bridges cultures and ways of life. The LRMS priests strive their best to address the urgency of the schools in the mission of the Church. Vatican II continues to say that: "the Catholic school can be such an aid to the fulfillment of the mission of the People of God and to the fostering of the dialogue between the Church and mankind, to the benefit of both, it retains even in our present circumstances the utmost importance." (GE 8)

4) Love for mission- The dialogue of cultures and the mission of "bridging dialogue" can never happen if there is no love and heart for the mission. The love for mission leads one to the love of the Church because the Church and the Lorenzo Ruiz Mission Society are instruments of God's mission.  The mission and ministry for Catholic education in schools is a laudable because it is the mission of the Church to the young. Benedict XVI addressed the Catholic educators in the United States on April 17, 2008 saying that: "Education is integral to the mission of the Church to proclaim the Good News. First and foremost every Catholic educational institution is a place to encounter the living God who in Jesus Christ reveals his transforming love and truth." The Lorenzo Ruiz Mission Society has the sufficient experience of bridging the Church's ideals of fostering dialogue with the young through Catholic education. The LRMS has been an "bridging dialogue" in its mission among Catholic Schools.