The Orientation Year (OY) is a year of intensive missionary pastoral formation in the Lorenzo Mission Institute that prepares seminarians for their future ministry. It is a period to give future missionaries a greater understanding and commitment to their missionary vocation. This important year in the formation of seminarians is a complete break from the normal academic year among the seminarians in order to rediscover more and more the missionary seed that God has planted in their hearts for the glory of God and the service of God's people. It is a year that looks after the promptings of the Spirit working among the seminarians, in the formation institute, the Apostolate, and the charism of the Society. In many seminaries, the Orientation Year is similar to their Spiritual-Pastoral Formation Year (SPFY). For several years of its integration into the priestly formation of seminarians, they had found it a valuable help, "even considered by many seminarians who have undergone it as the highlight of their formation at the Configuration stage." (Ratio Formationis Sacerdotalis Nationalis, no. 474) 

The Lorenzo Mission Institute began to have the Orientation Year program in 1990 although it was not yet called "Orientation Year" that time because the fitting programs as well as the suitable name to call on this important integration period was not yet conceived. Temporarily it was called "novitiate" although it was not suitable for missionary Institute of Diocesan right. Besides, it was Fr. Paul Deslierres, SJ who became the first Director for such integral LMI formation and he was a Jesuit who just adapted the name "novitiate" temporarily while no name has been coined yet.  It was only in 2002 that the name "novitiate" was changed into "Orientation Year" because of its Religious implication. Today, the Orientation Year owes its concepts, direction, and its essence from the previous years of formation.

It is always imperative for every Diocese and specifically for the seminary to design its program that fit to the needs of the seminarians in view of their future ministry. The Ratio Formationis Sacerdotalis Nationalis (RFSN) says that seminaries with programs like the OY "should design programs suited to the needs of their seminarians and the dioceses being served." (RFSN 474) This one-year program, the RFSN reminds, that it "should not be considered as a substitute for any of the stages of initial priestly formation."

Today, as the Lorenzo Ruiz Mission Society moves into a new phase of its missionary existence, the direction of missionary formation will be under the inspirtation of the Ratio Formationis Sacerdotalis Nationalis, (RFSN) the Acts and Decrees of the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines (PCP II) and the Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Sacerdotalis (RFIS). Every priest of the Society is a missionary for God's mission because "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." (RFIS 3) However, the objectives of the Orientation Year Program retains its twofold purpose: first, the orientation to the life and charism of the Society, and second, the orientation towards missio ad gentes.

VISION: The Orientation Year envisions to provide a holistic program that will weave Spirituality, Pastoral, and Missionary approaches to make the future priestly ministry of seminarians more adaptable to present circumstances and effective in its dialogue with any situation. It is a period of rooting oneself in the rich patrimony of the Lorenzo Ruiz Mission Society, in the charism of the founder and the Society, and in the collective journey with the "signs of the times." "It contains the four characteristic elements of formation, understood as one, integral, grounded in community and missionary in spirit." (RFIS 3)

MISSION: To acquire a holistic program, the Orientation Year would desire to achieve the following missions:
1) to assign the seminarians in communities that will foster the ability to preach in recollections (mission of proclamation & missio ad gentes).
2) to be oriented with religions, with culture  (mission of dialogue).
3) to give moral formation to groups of people (mission on formation of conscience).
4) to study, live, and pass on LRMS tradition and culture, vocation campaigns, and catechesis, popular piety (mission of transmission of tradition).
5) to organize the BECs (mission on new evangelization).
6) to learn to accompany, listen, and dialogue with people (mission of accompaniment).
7) to value and promote integral ecology, and to care for the environment (mission on ecology).

Trajectory Goal- Missio ad Gentes and "Missionary Pastoral Ministry" (EG 15 & RM 75)

1. Seminars
   a. The seminarians have to attend seminars offered by any institution that has to do with mission and the 7 forms of mission stated above.
   b. The have to involve themselves in evaluating, analyzing and processing what they learn from the seminars.

2. Lectures
   a. The seminarians have to attend classroom lectures especially on the contemporary kinds of mission and the status of mission in the Church today.
   b. The seminarians have to learn journal writing as part of missionary life.

3. Exposure
   a. The seminarians will have rural and urban exposures in the parishes and BECs
   b. There will be overnight stay in the parishes to have the orientation of parish life with specific concerns like the poor, the handicapped, or the affluent.
   c. Corporal and Spiritual works of mercy which includes the visit and communion for the sick, and assistance to the homeless.

4. Spiritual Exercises
   a. The seminarians will have a 5-day retreat in the duration of their Orientation Year program
   b. The seminarians may have the 30-day retreat as a conclusion of the Orientation Year
   c. There will be an 8-day retreat in preparation for the 30-day retreat.

5. Dialogue
   a. Exposures to different religions like Buddhism, Orthodox Churches, and Jewish Religion
   b. Exposures to Popular Piety

1. MISSION CONCERNING INTEGRAL ECOLOGY

MISSION:

The Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Sacerdotalis nos. 171-172, the Church exhorted that the formation of seminarians for priestly ministry had to be contextual also in nature. It has to bridge Philosophy and Theology on one hand and its application on the other. Thus, the Ratio mentions the following points:
1) Missionary Pastoral Approach- The Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Sacerdotalis (RFIS) indicates that the pastoral program of the seminary has to be contextual in nature. It states that "Pastoral theology is not just an art. Nor is it a set of exhortations, experiences and methods." (RFIS 170) The RFIS directs formation to 3 important missionary dimensions.

First, it is ecclesial in nature. A missionary pastoral approach focuses on the constant relationship of the Church with context in a daily basis. It is "a scientific reflection on the Church as she is built up daily, by the power of the Spirit, in history..." (RFIS 170) The mission of the Church today is to develop among the people of God the right image of Him. Seminary formation through the mission on ecology provides the opportunity to develop and sustain the sense of God otherwise people will lose the sense of sin. It is important to develop the ecological awareness to intill among seminarians the image of God and to develop the love for God. There is a direct connection between creation and the image of God. Thus, our mission towards creation and the environment is important for each seminarian because the vocation he receives emanates from God. Benedict XVI commented that "in recent decades the doctrine of Creation had almost disappeared from theology, it was almost imperceptible. We are now aware of the damage that this has caused." (Address of Benedict XVI to the Clergy of the Diocese of Bolzano-Bressanone) 

Second, it is theological. Mission on Ecology is about faith in God. The pastoral activities of the Church flow from the faith of the Church. The RFIS mentions that the "principles and criteria" for pastoral actions are based in history and the faith of the Church. Faith is theological. Ecology has many things to contribute to the faith of seminarians and besides it has to be borne in mind that it is faith that built the Church. John Paul II was quoted by the RFIS saying that pastoral action "is theological in its own right, because it receives from the faith the principles and criteria for the pastoral action of the Church in history, a Church that each day "begets" the Church herself, to quote the felicitous expression of the Venerable Bede: "Nam et Ecclesia quotidie gignit Ecclesiam." (PDV 57 or RFIS 170)

Third, it is practical. The missionary thrust of ecological awareness can be carried out profoundly when there is a right understanding of context. The application of the Gospel values into the context like the ecological issue is clearly a practical and a missionary action. The Second Vatican Council exhorts that the "signs of the times" have to be "interpreted in the light of the Gospel" (GS4). The RFIS clarifies that "among these principles and criteria, one that is specially important is that of the evangelical discernment of the socio - cultural and ecclesial situation in which the particular pastoral action has to be carried out." (RFIS 170) The real context of ecological concerns is the society which thirsts for "a more lively sense that humanity must care for creation and respect nature." (PDV 6)

2) New Evangelization- The mission on ecology belongs to the area of the new evangelization. Pope John Paul II mentioned about the new evangelization as inclusive and universal. It includes "the witness of missionaries retains its appeal even for the non-practicing and non-believers, and it communicates Christian values." (RM 83) Ecology is one of the locus where the Christian values may be communicated. The care for the environment is a Christian value that might have been eradicated among the people of God. Benedict XVI said: "The Redeemer is the Creator and if we do not proclaim God in his full grandeur - as Creator and as Redeemer - we also diminish the value of the Redemption. Indeed, if God has no role in Creation, if he is relegated merely to a historical context, how can he truly understand the whole of our life? How will he be able to bring salvation to man in his entirety and to the world in its totality? This is why, for me, the renewal of the doctrine of Creation and a new understanding of the inseparability of Creation and Redemption are of supreme importance. We must recognize anew: he is the Creator Spiritus, the Reason that exists in the beginning, from which all things are born and of which our own reason is but a spark." (Address of Benedict XVI to the Clergy of the Diocese of Bolzano-Bressanone) The mission on ecology is link with the mission ad intra. It is developing a sense of care for the environment and the care for everybody. The universal dimension of this ecological mission is important to the seminarians in view of their future ministry because of its vertical and horizontal relationship. The RFIS asserted that "this must then be applied to their future priestly ministry, making them promoters of an appropriate care for everything connected to the protection of creation." (RFIS 172)

3) Pastoral Anthropology- The anthropological dimension of integral ecology is essential in pursuing the mission on ecology. There is a unviolable link between man and creation. It is always the aim of missionary formation to make every seminarian to be "fully alive." At the basis of all pastoral and missionary thrust of the Church is anthropology. Pope Francis clearly said that "There can be no ecology without an adequate anthropology." (Laudato Si 118).
a. Ecological Crisis- An ecological crisis is also a human crisis. This brings the intrinsic connection between man and the environment. The RFIS says: "Protecting the environment and caring for our common home – the Earth – belong fully to the Christian outlook on man and reality. They constitute in some way the basis for a sound ecology of human relations. " (RFIS 172). The encouragement of the RFIS for every seminarian to be mindful of ecological crisis is also to make them aware of the human crisis vis-a-vis the environment.
b. Ecological Conversion- the mission towards the environment begins from an interior conversion. There is will be no integral ecology without a change of perspective and a change of heart. The RFIS remarks: "It must be said that some committed and prayerful Christians, with the excuse of realism and pragmatism, tend to ridicule expressions of concern for the environment." (RFIS 172). It is also very important that every seminarian should be able to see the link between interior conversion and ecological care. A seminarian with a change of lifestyle will holistically affect his relationship with the environment. Ecological conversion also happens through an encounter with Christ. The RFIS continues to say that "So what they all need is an ‘ecological conversion’, whereby the effects of their encounter with Jesus Christ become evident in their relationship with the world around them. Living our vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork is essential to a life of virtue; it is not an optional or a secondary aspect of our Christian experience” (RFIS 172).
c. Ecological Formation- The study, understanding, and the motivation to search for the ways to reach integral ecology is important to the mission of the Church. The formation needed in order to pursue the mission on ecology should begin with the hierarchy and the seminary. The seminary should be the one of the first institutions to offer ecological formation. The RFIS says that "it will be necessary for future priests to be highly sensitive to this theme and, through the requisite Magisterial and theological guidance, helped to “acknowledge the appeal, immensity and urgency of the challenge we face” (RFIS 172). The care for the environment develops our image of God, pursue personal encounter with God through creation, foster interior conversion, and the capacity to help all people through collective promotion of human ecology.

OBJECTIVES: 1) To foster the care for the "common home" as a missionary action and thrust of the Church. It is a mission that is beyond dialogue. Mission on Ecology develops the commitment towards being mindful of caring for creation and the environment. The mission on ecology is not only about techniques nor just mere information about facts happening in the world but it is an antidote to secularism, individualism, and materialism. 
2) To develop the sense and right image of God. A right image of God is essential in the priestly ministry and the right image of God provides the way towards a right image of God. Man is always part of creation. Thus the care for creation is tantamount to caring for the human person. Pope Francis says: "Our insistence that each human being is an image of God should not make us overlook the fact that each creature has its own purpose. None is superfluous. The entire material universe speaks of God’s love, his boundless affection for us." (Laudato Si, 84).
3) To value interior conversion as a seminarian cares for the environment. The fruit of conversion is the care for the common home. Pope Francis said: "we come to realize that a healthy relationship with creation is one dimension of overall personal conversion, which entails the recognition of our errors, sins, faults and failures, and leads to heartfelt repentance and desire to change. The Australian bishops spoke of the importance of such conversion for achieving reconciliation with creation: “To achieve such reconciliation, we must examine our lives and acknowledge the ways in which we have harmed God’s creation through our actions and our failure to act. We need to experience a conversion, or change of heart” ( Laudato Si, 218).
4) To be one with the Mission Institutes and Societies of Apostolic Life (MISAL) which added to their mission statements the ecological question and ecological mission of each Society. In the global meeting of all Superior Generals of the MISAL in 2016 in Mexico, it was already discussed that all Societies have to include in their missions the care for the environment.

PROCESS: 1) Coordination with RCAM Ecology Ministry 2) Lecture on the Theology of Ecology 3) Hands-on and practical exposure on the Church's programs on ecology.

2. MISSION CONCERNING PASTORAL ACCOMPANIMENT

MISSION:
Accompaniment is one of the most important aspects of priestly formation. In the seminary, every seminarian has to be accompanied in a personal way in all the stages of formation that they may be formed as shepherds in their future ministry. If they are personally accompanied in their seminary formation, it is because of the pastoral accompaniment that they are expected to do in their apostolate. The Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Sacerdotalis underlines the purpose of accompaniment which is "to carry out vocational discernment and to form the missionary disciple." (RFIS 44) Their ability to be accompanied in formation will be a preparation for pastoral accompaniment in their apostolate. 

1) Experience of Accompaniment- It is of paramount importance for an Orientation Year seminarian to have a sufficient experience of accompaniment in the seminary before entering into an intensive missionary exposure. He could not give what he does not have (nemo dat quod non habet). The formation one receives through accompaniment is important in relation to his future ministry. Priestly ministry is indeed a mission of accompaniment. Thus, an Orientation Year seminarian may have already sufficient experience of accompaniment so that he may be able to give himself for the pastoral assignments.
a. Personal Accompaniment
i- An Orientation Year seminarian becomes fully at home with missionary formation and gives himself to accompany others because he experienced a personal accompaniment that is first experienced by him by "those entrusted with the work of formation, each according to his proper role and competence." (RFIS 44) Mission includes a conscious and free generosity of oneself for others because he values journeying together. It is called by the RFIS as "journey of discipleship." (RFIS  3)
ii- An Orientation Year seminarian listens to the Holy Spirit in a disposition called "docibilitas." To be docile to the Spirit means eliciting transparency and sincerity manifested through his relationship with the formators. (RFIS 45) There has to be a "frequent and regular conversation" (RFIS 46) with the formators RFIS in order for a seminarian to be a healthy accompanying brother in the apostolate.  This is to foster dialogue and the result of this is: a) the seminarian may be conformed to Christ; b) the seminarian will be docile to the Spirit; c) the may be aware of his condition and his talents through the frequent dialogue with formators. (RFIS 46)
iii- An Orientation Year seminarian should have developed mutual trust with formators. Trust is built when there is a climate that fosters it. The Orientation Year atmosphere should be conducive for confidence and trust where there is "fraternity, empathy, understanding, the ability to listen and to share, and especially a coherent witness of life." (RFIS 47) The mission of accompaniment in which the seminarian will be fostering in their mission assignments will demand trust and confidence and these values should have already been experienced in the seminary.
b. Community Accompaniment
i- An Orientation Year seminarian must have developed the sense of belonging and should have experienced a gradual transformation of self and his gradual configuration to Christ. To be aware, free, and able to give himself to the community is an anticipation of his self-giving to the people he will accompany in his pastoral exposure. The RFIS clearly states the importance of community accompaniment: "Formation comes about every day through interpersonal relationships, moments of exchange and discussion which result in the development of that ‘fertile soil’, in which a vocation matures concretely." (RFIS 50)
ii- An Orientation Year seminarian should have experienced an atmosphere of community life and accompaniment so that it will facilitate him to build relationships and rapport with his Bishop, with fellow priests, and with the lay faithful. (RFIS 51) The fatherhood experience is very crucial in formation. "The experience of community life is a valuable element that cannot be neglected in the formation of those who will be called, in the future, to exercise a true spiritual fatherhood, in the communities entrusted to them. Each candidate who prepares for ministry is bound to aspire ever more deeply to communion." (RFIS 50) An Orientation Year seminarian builds community not by structures but by mission of accompaniment. He has to belong to the community he is called to serve.
iii- An Orientation Year seminarian is a "man of communion." (RFIS 52) He has a sufficient amount of experience of fatherhood and fraternity in the years of his formation. "Consequently, the bonds that are created in the Seminary between formators and seminarians, and between the seminarians themselves, must be marked by a sense of fatherhood and fraternity." (RFIS 52)

2) Art of Accompaniment- the missionary experience of accompaniment is also the "art of accompaniment." The art of accompaniment is a vocation that priests, lay, and the religious should develop. Pope Francis underlines the importance of the gift of accompaniment in a culture that is "obsessed" with the details of other's lives and a culture that is paradoxically "suffering" from anonimity, "the Church must look more closely and sympathetically at others whenever necessary." (EG 169) Orientation Year seminarians should be able to evaluate, relate, scrutinize and interpret the movements of the world that they may effectively carry out the mission of accompaniment especially the people who are in need.  The seminarians should be acquainte with this “art of accompaniment” which teaches us to remove our sandals before the sacred ground of the other (cf. Ex 3:5).

OBJECTIVES: 1) To prepare the seminarian for a wider communion with the superiors like the bishop, fellow priests, and the lay. Accompaniment is part of the mission of communion and part of the mission of synodality.
2) To develop the "art of accompaniment" in order the seminarian's presence, work, and prayer life would be relevant to the "signs of the times."
3) To form seminarians to be missionary through building communities and relationships not based on structures but on both personal and community accompaniment. The missions of encounter and attraction are important for genuine accompaniment.

PROCESS: 1) Review and rereading of the Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Sacerdotalis, 2) Understanding the dynamics of BEC, 3) Preaching like recollection giving and catechism to members of charitable institutions, 4) One on one evangelization

3. MISSION CONCERNING TRANSMISSION OF TRADITION

MISSION

The transmission of tradition is a missionary act. Jesus commissioned His disciples "Go, therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Teaching them all that I have commanded you." (Mt. 28:19-20). To teach and to preach are clear commands of Jesus with regard to the transmission of tradition. The disciples were taught and witnessed what Jesus preached and did to pass on the content of the tradition to the succeeding generations. The Lorenzo Ruiz Mission Society existed in history and has witnessed the work of the Spirit through the years to form the content of the tradition to be handed on to generations to come. The forefathers planted the seeds of mission, watered and grown by the members of the Society, and to be reaped by the future generations. The value of history is an important element in missionary life both of the Church and in the Society. John Paul II said that "the priest is called to develop a special sensitivity, love and docility to the living tradition of the Church and to her magisterium." (PDV 26)

There are 4 elements that comprise the mission on the transmission of tradition namely: a) the content of tradition, b) the agents of tradition, c) the history of tradition, d) the goal of tradition.

1) Tradition of each Diocese- The RFIS also stipulates the importance of the Ratio Formationis Sacerdotalis Nationalis that respects the tradition of each diocese with regard to their way of forming seminarians to the priesthood. It also includes the unique and authentic apostolates that need special attention and formation fitted to pursue their goals. The RFIS acknowledges "this programme of formation aims to apply the norms of the Ratio Nationalis and the pedagogical vision that inspires it, according to the circumstances and needs of the particular Church, taking into account the cultural background of the seminarians, the pastoral reality of the Diocese and its ‘tradition of formation’." (RFIS 10).
2) Tradition of the Lorenzo Ruiz Mission Society- the formation materials as well as other methods needed may be expanded based on the specific needs of each formation tradition. The RFIS says: "They can be expanded or adapted by the Conferences of Bishops, taking into account their formation tradition and specific pastoral needs." (RFIS 154)
3) Tradition of Catechizing- It is to be remembered that teaching catechism has been an important aspect of mission. Pope Francis said: "The history of evangelization over the past two millennia clearly shows the effectiveness of the mission of catechists." (Antiquum Ministerium 3) The Church does not desire the mission of catechesis be thrown into oblivion but to intensify it. Thus, the mission of catechism is relevant to the pastoral formation of seminarians. The RFIS reminds seminaries that those who were installed acolytes and lectors should have a sufficient amount of exposure of teaching catechism. It adds: During this stage, therefore, it is fitting for lectors and acolytes to be offered concrete ways of exercising the ministries received, not only in the liturgical environment, but also in catechesis, evangelisation, and the service of their neighbour." (RFIS 72)

OBJECTIVES
1) An Orientation Year seminarian has to learn to appreciate the tradition and the history of the Lorenzo Ruiz Mission Society
2) To be able to teach catechism which is part of handing on of tradition.
3) To be able to know, express, and pass on the history of the parish or community to the faithful
4) To promote popular and religious piety to the people
5) To be able to promote missionary vocation
6) To appreciate the importance of the ministry of catechists as a missionary dimension of the Church

PROCESS
1) Journal Writing and the study of the timeline of the LRMS
2) Lectures on the History of the Society and its charism
3) Lectures on the Filipino-Chinese Apostolate
4) Review of Church's Documents such as Catechesi Tradendae,  and Antiquum Ministerium
5) Learning the history of the parish or diocese where the seminarian is assigned

APPRECIATING and SUPPORTING THE MISSION OF CATECHISTS IN AD GENTES 17

Catechism is considered as a missionary work in the Church and it is held in high esteem. It is not just an addendum to what the local church might have been doing. Today, its importance is felt just as it is in the past. The Second Vatican Council highlights these points regarding the relationship and relevance of catechism in the mission of the Church.

1. Catechists are "worthy of praise" in the Church. Catechism was done by men and women who were imbued with the apostolic spirit. They labored for the Church to make an outstanding contribution for the spread of the faith and the spread of the Church. Catechism was already part of the early church's mission even during the time of the evangelists and the apostles.
2. Ministry of Catechist is of greatest importance. The Second Vatican Council acknowledges the importance of a catechist today due to the exigency of priests to preach the Gospel and to exercise pastoral ministry.
3. Catechists are considered as reliable co-workers in the priestly ministry. They are capable of doing the mission well in spite of the challenges that confront this ministry.
4. Auxiliary catechists contribute importantly to the Church- The preside over prayers in the community, they teach sacred doctrine.

Ad Gentes Divinitus 17 also underlines the support to be given to those who are part of the mission of catechism.

1. Suitable Formation and Training- Ad Gentes mentions that there should be an increase of schools at the regional and diocesan levels for future catechists to study Catholic doctrine especially sacred scripture and liturgy. Schools to learn catechetical methods and pastoral practice. Schools that will develop Christian character; devote themselves tirelessly to cultivate piety and sanctity of life.
2. Suitable Courses and Conventions- catechists need renewal and updating. Courses should be offered to refresh their skills and nourish their spiritual life. For auxiliary catechists, suitable formation with regard to Catholic doctrine should be provided.
3. Suitable standard of living should be provided- there should be a just wage, and a social security that has to be provided.
4. Suitable mandate to teach be given- Ad Gentes 17 specifies the "missio canonica" that has to be given to the catechists in order for them to have the authority coming from the bishop to teach. The ceremony should be done publicly in a liturgical celebration in the Church for everyone to witness.

4. MISSION CONCERNING FORMATION OF CONSCIENCE

MISSION

The formation of conscience is essential in the human formation of seminarians who will later be formators of consciences in their ministry. The RFIS says that "in the moral sphere, it is connected to the requirement that the individual arrive gradually at a well formed conscience." (RFIS 94). The formation of conscience is important not only for a seminarian to develop in himself but it is also equally important to him what he gives to the people. A seminarian teaches the people that "a vocation is a fathomless mystery involving the relationship established by God with human beings in their absolute uniqueness, a mystery perceived and heard as a call which awaits a response in the depths of one's conscience, which is "a person's most secret core and sanctuary. There one is alone with God whose voice echoes in his depths."(106) But this does not eliminate the communitarian and in particular the ecclesial dimension of vocation. The Church is also truly present and at work in the vocation of every priest." (PDV 38)
The deformation of conscience is a major concern of the Church today. Jesus warned His disciples about the deformation of conscience which will be a sign of a moral crisis. He said: "The eye is the lamp of the body. So if your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light; but if your eye is not sound, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!" (Mt 6:22-23). 

1) The sense of sin- the sense of sin is linked with the erosion of the sense of God. To identify the loss of the sense of sin has to be linked with the lack of biblical knowledge and ecclesial discipline. The RFIS underlines the value of biblical knowledge in moral theology and its importance to the pastoral ministry of the priest. "Christian ethics is called to form disciples, each according to the characteristics of his own vocation, towards the path of sanctity." (RFIS 169)
2) Discipline- The mastery of the self through self-discipline and discipline in the community is important in the formation of conscience. Obedience to superiors, formators, and to the bishop when a seminarian becomes a priest is linked with conscience. Optatam Totius says: "Seminary discipline should be so maintained, however, that the students acquire an internal attitude whereby they accept the authority of superiors from personal conviction, that is to say, from a motive of conscience (cf. Rom. 13:5), and for supernatural reasons." (OT 11) A seminarian would not be able to form the consciences of the people if he has not experienced the value of discipline in formation.
3) Examination of Conscience- John Paul II said "In order that the candidate may faithfully meet his obligations with regard to God and the Church and wisely guide the consciences of the faithful he should become accustomed to listening to the voice of God, who speaks to him in his heart, and to adhere with love and constancy to his will."  (PDV 44)
4) The Sacrament of Reconciliation- The sacrament of reconciliation is the goal and measuring rod for one's formation of moral conscience. The longing for reconciliation with God and with one another should be the grace that the heart receives after the call of one's conscience for forgiveness.
5) Human maturity- the maturity of the seminarian includes the formation of his conscience. John Paul II asserts that "intimately connected with formation to responsible freedom is education of the moral conscience." (PDV 44). The maturity of judgment that is expected from a seminarian is acquired through the formation of his moral conscience.
6) Truth- The formation of conscience is response to the moral crisis in the world today like selfish subjectivism and individualism. A well informed conscience leads towards objective truth and right conscience. John Paul II says that: "In the case of the correct conscience, it is a question of the objective truth received by man; in the case of the erroneous conscience, it is a question of what man, mistakenly, subjectively considers to be true." (VS 63)

OBJECTIVES
1) To be able to teach people regarding the loss of the sense of sin which is prevalent in the world today. The loss of the sense of sin is always linked with the loss of the sense of God.
2) To be able to learn the value of prayer and the Sacred Scriptures as the foundation of regaining the sense of God and the sense of sin.
3) To be able to form consciences that would lead towards the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
4) To be able to preach or teach a clear image of God which will lead to obedience of the 5 precepts of the Church.

PROCESS
1) Seminars on basic moral theology that would include the value of conscience
2) Provide the opportunity of giving recollections
3) Give the theology of the Sacraments and the Liturgy
4) Teaching on prayer and hierarchy

5. MISSION CONCERNING PROCLAMATION

MISSION

The priest shares in the prophetic ministry of Christ. Thus, the seminarian prepares himself to be a herald of Christ's word to the world. John Paul II underlines the role of the priest saying: "The priest is first of all a minister of the word of God. He is consecrated and sent forth to proclaim the good news of the kingdom to all, calling every person to the obedience of faith and leading believers to an ever increasing knowledge of and communion in the mystery of God, as revealed and communicated to us in Christ." (PDV 26)
1) Proclamation of the Message to People of Other Faith- It has to be part of the pastoral exposure among seminarians to meet and encounter people belonging to other faiths. Seminarians have to engage in dialogue as well as to proclaim Christ to people who do not share the faith with the Church. The RFIS says: "Formators, therefore, should teach future priests to create new ‘spaces’ and new pastoral opportunities, to go out to meet those who do not fully share the Catholic faith, but who are nonetheless searching, with good will, for a comprehensive and authentic response to their deepest questions." (RFIS 121)
2) Proclamation that presupposes Intellectual formation- The preparedness of a seminarian to dialogue with the current affairs of the world demands an integral intellectual formation. The RFIS quotes John Paul II in Pastores Dabo Vobis 51 saying that “the present situation is heavily marked by religious indifference, by a widespread mistrust regarding the real capacity of reason to reach objective and universal truth, and by fresh problems and questions brought up by scientific and technological discoveries. It strongly demands a high level of intellectual formation, such as will enable priests to proclaim, in a context like this, the changeless Gospel of Christ and to make it credible to the legitimate demands of human reason." (RFIS 153)
3) Proclamation and dialogue with the world- the mission of proclamation of the Word presupposes an awareness of the challenges the world poses to the Church. The RFIS states that "it is necessary to pay great attention to those to whom the faith is proclaimed and, thus, to the questions and challenges which emerge from the secular culture: the economy of exclusion, the idolatry of money, the iniquity that generates violence, the primacy of appearance over being, postmodern individualism and globalisation, as well as the reality of ethical relativism and religious indifference." (RFIS 175).
4) Proclamation is contextual- the proclamation of the Gospel is a missionary priority in the Church. The priest proclaims the Gospel most especially in the homily in the masses he celebrates.Yet, "Preparation for proclaiming the Christian message is not only ‘technical’, since, “a preacher has to contemplate the word, but he also has to contemplate his people […] He needs to be able to link the message of a biblical text to a human situation, to an experience which cries out for the light of God’s word”(RFIS 177)

OBJECTIVES
1) To be able to give recollection and to be able to articulate the mind of the Church to the people (sentire cum ecclesia)
2) To learn to approach and learn from the followers of other religions. To be acquainted with the different forms of dialouge namely: dialogue of action, dialogue of life, dialogue of theological exchange, and dialogue of religious experience.
3) To learn and to be acquainted with the challenge of religious pluralism
4) To be able to dialogue with the world. "In general, those capabilities are to be developed in the students which especially contribute to dialogue with men, such as the ability to listen to others and to open their hearts and minds in the spirit of charity to the various circumstances and needs of men." (OT 19)
5) To be able to use the web as an important locus for evangelization. It is the "new agora" for mission and the "new aeropagus" of people's ideas and opinions. (RFIS 97)

PROCESS
1) Recollection giving
2) Dialogue with the world and awareness of the secularist principles
3) Promoting Popular Piety and Devotions
4) Web, Social Media and Virtual Networking

6. MISSION CONCERNING MISSIO AD GENTES AND DIALOGUE

MISSION

The mission of dialogue is one of the most important forms of mission in the world today. The Church desires to build fraternal relationship with the followers of other religions. The sense of dialogue and the pursuit of building relationships with religions in the world begins from seminary formation. As early as the Second Vatican Council, the mission of dialogue has been foreshadowed from the study of religions. Dialogue flows from the sufficient knowledge of other religions. Optatam Totius mentioned: "Let them also be introduced to a knowledge of other religions which are more widespread in individual regions, so that they may acknowledge more correctly what truth and goodness these religions, in God's providence, possess, and so that they may learn to refute their errors and be able to communicate the full light of truth to those who do not have it." (OT 16) Likewise, John Paul II highly recommended that missionary institutes should take missiology as an important task as they prepare for wider missions. He said that "theological training cannot and should not ignore the Church's universal mission, ecumenism, the study of the great religions and missiology. I recommend that such studies be undertaken especially in seminaries and in houses of formation for men and women religious, ensuring that some priests or other students specialize in the different fields of missiology." (RM 83)

OBJECTIVES
1) To be able to study and learn from other religions.
2) To foster understanding and dialogue with the followers of other religions.
3) To be able to grasp the Church as an instrument of the Kingdom of God in the world.
4) To understand more the ecclesiology that is expected from the Church in the presence of other religions

PROCESS
1) Dialogue with other religions. Visit to communities and houses of prayer like Buddhist Temples, Confucian and Taoist Temples, and other temples.
2) Study of Islam as required of Catholic Institutions based on PCP II no. 115
3) Collaboration with the RCAM office of Interreligious Dialogue.

7. MISSION CONCERNING THE NEW EVANGELIZATION

MISSION

The New Evangelization became a new way of doing mission at the threshold of the new millennium. John Paul II made it a point that the mission of the Church should focus on the revival of the Christian faith in those communities where the sacraments, the teachings, and the communities no longer are vibrant due to the influences of the world that pose new challenges to the Church. As the third millennium set in, the Church has to spend its energies to the new evangelization. John Paul II said: "Christian hope sustains us in committing ourselves fully to the new evangelization and to the worldwide mission." (RM 86) Today, there are countries, dioceses, parishes and communities that are no longer eliciting the Christian faith. The mission of the Church with regard to the new evangelization has also to start from seminary formation in order that future priests will not only be aware of current situations but they may be agents of the new evangelization. "The new evangelisation is the continuous point of reference for the life of discipleship and spiritual configuration to Christ the Good Shepherd. Seminarians need to be introduced gradually to the knowledge of the Word of God, through the method known as Lectio Divina." (RFIS 103) The seminary is the locus for future priests to be acquainted and pursuant of the new evangelization through offering missiology courses. "In a context of increasing human mobility, in which the entire world has become a ‘global village’, a course in the study of missiology cannot be omitted, as a genuine formation in the universality of the Church and the promotion of its evangelising impulse, not just as missio ad gentes, but also as new evangelisation." (RFIS 171)

In his Encyclical Letter, Redemptoris Missio, John Paul II made the inseparability between missio ad gentes and the new evangelization in the missionary life of the Church today. The first reason he made was the new frontiers of mission today. Both missio ad gentes and new evangelization faces new challenges as the Church experiences rapid changes in the world. He said: "Today the Church must face other challenges and push forward to new frontiers, both in the initial mission ad gentes and in the new evangelization of those peoples who have already heard Christ proclaimed." (RM 30). Second, the new evangelization and missio ad gentes both address the decline of interest in the mission and in the Christian faith. The new evangelization seeks to revive faith among communities that had lost its fervor and dynamism. John Paul II clarifies: "there is an intermediate situation, particularly in countries with ancient Christian roots, and occasionally in the younger Churches as well, where entire groups of the baptized have lost a living sense of the faith, or even no longer consider themselves members of the Church, and live a life far removed from Christ and his Gospel. In this case what is needed is a "new evangelization" or a "re-evangelization." (RM 34) 

OBJECTIVES
1) To be able to design a way to "re-evangelize" communities that had a decline of Church's interest.
2) To be able to work for the evangelize anew the BECs through organizing people on a personal basis.
3) To secure new ways of bringing people to the Church through lay empowerment

PROCESS
1) One-on-one evangelization. Visiting BECs
2) Popular Piety Catechesis
3) Movement from the parish to the periphery. (centrifugal direction of mission)
4) Rural and Urban BECs missions

February 18, 1981- Beatification of Lorenzo Ruiz in Luneta Park, Manila. First Beatification done outside Rome.
June 15, 1987- Start of the seminary. 5 Seminarians to start the Academic Year. There was no name given yet. The proposed ones were: 1) St. Joseph Seminary, 2) Corpus Christi Seminary
October 18, 1987- Canonization of San Lorenzo Ruiz. First Batch of LMI Seminarians gather at Rizal Football Stadium for vigil.
May 31, 1989- Laying of the cornerstone and blessing of the building. The name of the seminary is now given. Lorenzo Mission Institute.
May 1990- Start of the first batch of "Novitiate." There was no name for the Spirituality and Pastoral Year that time.
January 20-February 17, 1991- Second Plenary Council was held in San Carlos Seminary Pastoral Formation Complex
January 15, 1995- Visit of Pope John Paul II to LMI on the occasion of the 10th World Youth Day.
September 28, 1997- The Lorenzo Ruiz Mission Society was born with 7 initial members.

March 25, 2025- Presentation of the seminarians to the LMI Community those who will undergo the Orientation Year 2025-2026
March 27, 2025- Meeting and orientation for possible mission partnership with Couples for Christ.
April 24, 2025- Hacel Taroma and Jhon Clifford Oniong leave for General Santos City to attend CFC "ICON" YFC International Convention.
May 1, 2025- Official start of the Pastoral Orientation Year. Opening Mass and 1st Conference on Ecclesiastical Letter Writing.
May 3, 2025- Msgr. Noly A. Que, LRMS, Rector of the Lorenzo Mission Institute sends off the 6 OY seminarians namely: Charles Steven Josue, George Kevin Ison, John Paul Tacorda, Jhon Clifford Oniong, Hacel Taroma, and Eric Anthony Mate. Done at the OY Oratory.
May 5, 2025- OY seminarians visited the Seng Guan Buddhist Temple in Narra St. Binondo.
May 19-20- OY seminarians had an overnight break at Balai Agoncillo in Talisay, Batangas.
May 20, 2025- OY seminarians attended the CFC conference on missio ad gentes at the Christ the King Parish, Green Meadows.
May 22, 2025- OY seminarians commence in giving Holy Communion to the Sick in Diocesan Shrine of Sta. Martha San Roque Parish
June 4, 2025- OY Monthly Recollection given by Fr. Albert Absalon of San Antonio Abad Parish, Maybunga Pasig City