SAN CARLOS PASTORAL FORMATION COMPLEX MASS

On July 2, 2026 the San Carlos Pastoral Formation Complex held its first following the opening Mass in praise and honor of the Holy Spirit presided by His Eminence Jose Cardinal Advincula, D.D., Archbishop of Manila, to serve as the kick off mass for the Academic Year 2026-2027. It is a usual schedule that every first Thursday of the month, all seminarians and formators gather in the mass to show cohesiveness and communion of the three seminaries in the complex namely: San Carlos Seminary, Holy Apostles Senior Seminary, and the Lorenzo Mission Institute. Each first Thursday Eucharistic celebration is sponsored by a seminary in a round-robin basis. On this occasion, it was the San Carlos Seminary who sponsored the Eucharistic Celebration.

EVENTS

THE VALUE OF THE SAN CARLOS PASTORAL FORMATION COMPLEX MASS IN PRIESTLY JOURNEY IN LMI

The wisdom behind the celebration of the San Carlos Pastoral Formation Complex mass contributes to the missionary formation of seminarians in the Lorenzo Mission Institute. This mass which is celebrated every first Thursday of the month among the three seminaries of the Archdiocese of Manila namely: San Carlos Seminary, Holy Apostles Senior Seminary and the Lorenzo Mission Institute in a round-robin sponsor basis provides room for missionary reflection and formation. The spirituality of the mass of the San Carlos Pastoral Formation Complex reinforces missionary spirituality. Missio ad Intra is essential to the growth of every seminarian in the Lorenzo Mission Institute.

1) Gift of Communion- It has to be noted by every seminarian of the Lorenzo Mission Institute that "communion precedes mission." Missionary work is rooted in an indispensable gift of communion because mission is dependent on one of the basic affirmations of the Christian faith which is the Trinity. The Trinity which is communion itself is the foundation of mission and missionary spirituality. Thus, the highest and core of our earthly communion is the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. The missionary has to be formed according to the mind of Christ which is most revealed in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. "Participation in the daily celebration of the Eucharist, which naturally flows into Eucharistic adoration, should permeate the life of the seminarian in such a way that a constant union with the Lord may mature." (RFIS 104)

2) Gift of the Christian Community- The Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Sacerdotalis speaks of the value of the Christian community in the life of the priest. Thus, the Holy Eucharist that is celebrated as the "Mass" of the entire San Carlos Pastoral Formation Complex illustrates a Christian community gathered in the Eucharist and it reminds the seminarians and priests that the Christian community is essential in the journey of priestly formation. The mass of the first Thursday of the month shapes the minds of everyone that mission is directly linked to the Christian community. The Ratio says: "Since the priest-disciple comes from the Christian community, and will be sent back to it, to serve it and to guide it as a pastor, formation is clearly missionary in character. Its goal is participation in the one mission entrusted by Christ to His Church, that is evangelisation, in all its forms."

3) Gift of Mission- The ultimate purpose of seminary formation is to form seminarians as missionary disciples, shepherds of God's people, and missionaries of the Church. The Holy Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life (LG 11) and it is also the source of mission in the Church. The Second Vatican Council says that the Christian community is nourished by the Holy Eucharist and it shapes the community into Christ's witnesses. It further says: "for by reason of the Eucharistic sacrifice, this community ceaselessly on the way with Chirs to the Father; carefully nourished on the Word of God, it bears witness to Christ, and finally, it walks in charity and is ferevent with the Apostolic Spirit." (AG 15)

4) Gift of Dialogue- The San Carlos Pastoral Formation Complex comprises three seminaries namely: San Carlos Seminary, Holy Apostles Seminary, and the Lorenzo Mission Institute with the Lay Formation Center and the Institute of Catechetics also within it. It is a place of diversity of charisms endowed with one mission. It is a community with pluralistic work and function but with one vision of the Church. Amidst the pluralism of works, functions, activities, and ministries the Holy Eucharist becomes the source of dialogue and co-responsibility. The Ratio likewise says that "The fundamental idea is that Seminaries should form missionary disciples who are ‘in love’ with the Master, shepherds ‘with the smell of the sheep’, who live in their midst to bring the mercy of God to them. Hence every priest should always feel that he is a disciple on a journey, constantly needing an integrated formation, understood as a continuous configuration to Christ."