The De La Salle Brothers - Philippine District is part of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools

Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools

The Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools is a Roman Catholic religious teaching congregation, founded in France by Saint Jean-Baptiste de la Salle and now based in Rome...

, the largest congregation of Roman Catholic religious Brothers who are exclusively dedicated to education. The Institute was founded in Reims

Reims

Reims , a city in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, lies east-northeast of Paris. Founded by the Gauls, it became a major city during the period of the Roman Empire....

, France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 in 1680, with over 75,000 Brothers and lay colleagues who conduct schools as well as educational works in about 80 countries worldwide.

Background

In the aftermath of the Philippine Revolution

Philippine Revolution

The Philippine Revolution , called the "Tagalog War" by the Spanish, was an armed military conflict between the people of the Philippines and the Spanish colonial authorities which resulted in the secession of the Philippine Islands from the Spanish Empire.The Philippine Revolution began in August...

 against Spain and the Philippine-American War which immediately followed, the Protestant denomination, first introduced by the new American colonial masters and aided by the newly arrived American Teachers, the Thomasites

Thomasites

The Thomasites is a group of about five hundred pioneer American teachers sent by the U.S. government to the Philippines in August 1901.-Foundation, purpose and etymology:...

, was gaining a foothold among Filipinos because of the then strong anti-Spanish Friar sentiment existing at that time. Due to the then very small number of Catholic

Roman Catholic Church

The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...

 educational institutions in the country, the then American Archbishop of Manila Jeremiah James Harty

Jeremiah James Harty

Jeremiah James Harty was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Manila in the Philippines before returning to the United States, where he served as Archbishop of Omaha .-Biography:Jeremiah Harty was born in St. Louis, Missouri, to Andrew and Julia Harty, who were...

, himself an alumnus of a De La Salle Christian Brothers school in St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...

, would appeal to the Superior-General of the Christian Brothers in 1905 for the establishment of a De La Salle school in the Philippines. While there was a growing pressure for a De La Salle school, Archbishop Harty's request was rejected, because of the Christian Brothers' lack of funds. Nonetheless, Harty continued to appeal to Pope

Pope

The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...

 Pius X for the establishment of additional Catholic schools in the country.

Arrival in the Philippines

On March 10, 1911, upon instructions from the Vatican

Holy See

The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...

 to the La Salle Generalate, Brothers Blimond Pierre (who would serve as the school's first director), Aloysius Gonzaga, and Augusto Correge, arrived in the Philippines

Philippines

The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

 from Europe. Six other De La Salle brothers arrived between March and June: Brothers Louis, Camillus, B. Joseph, Celba John, Imar William, and Martin. They came from the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

, Luxembourg

Luxembourg

Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...

, and France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

.

Together, on June 16, 1911, the Brothers opened the first La Salle school in the country. The location is at the former Perez-Samanillo Compound on 652 Calle Nozaleda in Paco

Paco, Manila

Paco, is a district of Manila, Philippines. It is located south of Pasig River, and San Miguel, west of Santa Ana, southwest of Pandacan, north of Malate, northwest of San Andres, and east of Ermita. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 64,184 people in 13,438 households...

, Manila

Manila

Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...

. The school was first attended by 100 students.

Reactions from the Locals

The initial perception of Filipinos about the then newly arrived De La Salle Christian Brothers were that they were no different from the Spanish

Spanish people

The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....

 Friars who were previously the sole handlers of Philippine education for almost three hundred years. Over time, the Brothers established their congregation as being a group of full-time religious educators who have consecrated their lives for the education of the youth.

In 1921, the Brothers transferred the school from its original site in Paco, Manila

Paco, Manila

Paco, is a district of Manila, Philippines. It is located south of Pasig River, and San Miguel, west of Santa Ana, southwest of Pandacan, north of Malate, northwest of San Andres, and east of Ermita. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 64,184 people in 13,438 households...

 to the then-wooded newly-constructed Taft Avenue in Malate, Manila

Malate, Manila

Malate is an old district of the city of Manila in Metro Manila, the Philippines. The district is located at the southern end of the city of Manila, bordered by Pasay City to the south, by Manila Bay to the west, by the district of Ermita to the north and by the districts of Paco and San Andres to...

 because of the increasing school population. During this time, the Brothers' devotion to education would be cemented by the numerous visits of head of state

Head of State

A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...

s to De La Salle

De La Salle University-Manila

De La Salle University is a private Lasallian university in Malate, Manila, Philippines. It was founded in 1911 by De La Salle Brothers as the De La Salle College in Paco, Manila with Blimond Pierre serving as its first director...

 and by the proclamation of De La Salle as the Philippine Islands' Premier School for Boys by Dr. Paul Monroe

Paul Monroe

-Biography:He was born at North Madison, Indiana. He graduated at Franklin College, Franklin, Indiana in 1890, studied at the University of Heidelberg and took his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in 1897. He became professor at Columbia in 1899, his research involving education in its...

 and a commission of American educators, after an eight-month cross-country inspection of existing Philippine schools in the 1930s.

The February 12, 1945 Massacre

On February 12, 1945, a Japanese Army

Imperial Japanese Army

-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...

 officer along with 20 soldiers forcibly made their way into the college, which was then a refuge for 70 people, including 30 women and young girls, 16 European De La Salle Christian Brothers (all the pre-war American De La Salle Christian Brothers had been interned in the Los Baños Concentration Camp) and the college's chaplain-Redemptorist Father Cosgrave CSSR (an Australian), and the adult men of two families. Two days earlier, De La Salle College Director-Brother Egbert Xavier FSC (an Irishman) were earlier abducted by another group of Japanese soldiers. Both were never seen again.

After the Japanese troops herded all the people into the school chapel, they were then subsequently shot, slashed or bayoneted. Those who did not die in the attack were left to bleed to death. The Japanese attempted to rape some of the dying women. The chapel was then set on fire but it was not destroyed because it was built of marble and concrete. Only 10 people survived including one De La Salle Brother.

The 1939-built De La Salle Main Chapel is one of the few structures to survive the destruction of Southern Manila during the Manila massacre

Manila massacre

The Manila massacre refers to the February 1945 atrocities conducted against Filipino civilians in Manila, Philippines by Japanese troops during World War II.-Description:...

s in February 1945.

The following are those who were massacred on February 1945 by the Japanese:

• De La Salle Christian Brothers

• Brother Egbert Xavier FSC - Director

• Brother Flavius Leo FSC

• Brother Alemond Lucian FSC

• Brother Baptist De La Salle Janos FSC

• Brother Adolf Gebhard FSC

• Brother Berthwin Philibert FSC

• Brother Arkadius Maria FSC

• Brother Friedbert Johannes FSC

• Brother Gerfried Joseph FSC

• Brother Lambert Romanus FSC

• Brother Mutwald William FSC

• Brother Paternus Paul FSC

• Brother Rornuald Sixtus FSC

• Brother Hartmann Hubert FSC

• Brother Maximin Maria FSC

• Brother Victorinus Heinrich FSC

• The Carlos Family
  • Jose
  • Juanita
  • Asela
  • Cecilia
  • Antonio
  • Mateo (surname unknown)

• The Cojuangco Family
  • Antonio, M.D.
    Doctor of Medicine
    Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
    
    
  • Victoria Uychuico
  • Natividad de las Alas
  • Antonio
  • Ricardo Bartolome
  • Carlos (surname unknown)
  • Apolinario (surname unknown)

• The Aquino Family
  • Trinidad Cojuangco

• The Uychuico Family
  • Clemente, M.D.
  • Ramon

• The Vasquez-Prada Family
  • Enrique Sr.
  • Helen Loewinsohn
  • Enrique Jr.
  • Herman
  • Alonso
  • Armenia (surname unknown)

• College employees
  • Anselmo Sudlan
  • Pamphilio Almodan
  • Ceferino Villamor

The Philippine District

Brother Visitors of the Philippine District

Br. Justin Lucian FSC, 1970

Br. Benildo Feliciano FSC, 1970-1976

Br. Rolando Dizon FSC Rolando Ramos Dizon Brother Rolando Ramos Dizon FSC PhD is a Filipino De La Salle Brother who was the President of De La Salle University-Manila and the De La Salle University System from 1998–2003, Chairman of the Commission on Higher Education from March 2003 to September 2004, Director-at-Large of the Catholic... , 1976-1977

Br. Victor Franco FSC, 1977-1983

Br. Rafael Donato FSC Rafael Donato Brother Rafael S. Donato FSC, Ed.D. was a Filipino De La Salle Brother and was the past President of De La Salle University Manila, University of St... , 1983-1990

Br. Raymundo Suplido FSC, 1990-1993

Br. Benildo Feliciano FSC, 1993-1997

Br. Armin Luistro FSC, 1997-2003

Br. Edmundo Fernandez FSC, 2003-incumbent

Up until the 1960s, the Brothers in the Philippines was a Sub-District (Province) of the De La Salle Institute District of San Francisco and thereafter, up to the establishment of the Philippine District in 1970. On February 2, 1970, the Philippine Province became an independent District of the Institute, to be known as the De La Salle Brothers in the Philippines. At present, the Sub-District of Myanmar

De La Salle Brothers in Myanmar

The De La Salle Brothers in Myanmar are part of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, the largest congregation of Roman Catholic religious Brothers who are exclusively dedicated to education. The Institute was founded in Reims, France in 1680, with over 75,000 Brothers and lay...

 is under the Philippine District.

The Brother Visitor

The Brother Visitor is the official title of the head of a particular District of the Christian Brothers although for purposes of communication with non-members of the La Sallian family, the title, Brother Provincial is used because of its commonality with the title used to describe the district heads of other religious congregations.

The Brother Visitor is the person responsible for assigning Brothers to their communities and providing for the different posts of responsibility as deemed necessary by the District Chapter. He is also responsible for admitting candidates to the Novitiate

Novitiate

Novitiate, alt. noviciate, is the period of training and preparation that a novice monastic or member of a religious order undergoes prior to taking vows in order to discern whether they are called to the religious life....

 as well as the making of vows. Also, as specified in canon law

Canon law

Canon law is the body of laws & regulations made or adopted by ecclesiastical authority, for the government of the Christian organization and its members. It is the internal ecclesiastical law governing the Catholic Church , the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches, and the Anglican Communion of...

, he is authorized to issue writings on matters of religion

Religion

Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...

 or morality

Morality

Morality is the differentiation among intentions, decisions, and actions between those that are good and bad . A moral code is a system of morality and a moral is any one practice or teaching within a moral code...

.

The Philippine District has had eight Brother Visitors, who are elected for three-year terms. The first was Brother Justin Lucian FSC, who was elected in 1970 and was also the last Auxiliary Visitor from the Baltimore

Baltimore

Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...

District. The incumbent is Brother Edmundo Fernandez FSC.

External links

• Philippine Lasallian Family Official Website