BALANGA CITY – The Diocese of Balanga will finally have its first seminary after its ground-breaking and blessing held during the feast of the Virgin of Guadalupe Thursday in an upland village in Balanga City.
It will be known as the Virgen Milagrosa del Rosario College Seminary. A representative of David M. Consunji, Inc (DMCI) said construction starts on Monday next week and to be finished on March, 2015.
Suhay, a foundation of DMCI, shares 40 percent of the P60-million project with 60 percent to be shouldered by
the Diocese of Balanga. The seminary is situated adjacent to Bahay Puso, Catholic-run home for the aged and abandoned children in Upper Tuyo.
Bishop Ruperto C. Santos said that the Diocese of Balanga will be 40 years on March 19, 2015, having been established in 1975. “This is a gift to the diocese and to God. It will be the fi rst time that we will have a college seminary of our own,” he said.
The bishop said the seminary with 50-room residential dormitory-style and administration building will be built in addition to the Virgen Milagrosa del Rosario Chapel already in existence. “The three buildings will be
shaped like a mother with extended hands welcoming and ready to embrace her children.
Ito’y maipagmamalaking tahanan ng mga seminarista,” Santos said. Of the dioceses in Central Luzon, only the Bataan diocese has no seminary. Some 32 seminarians from Bataan are scattered in seminaries in Pampanga, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija and Metro Manila.
“May quota kasi sa mga seminary pero kapag tapos na ang sa atin, we will take them back home and accept as
many as interested,” he said. Former Public Works and Telecommunications Sec. David M. Consunji and many religious, business and civic leaders attended the Holy Mass and ground-breaking.
Also present were Rep. Enrique Garcia and Mayors Jose Enrique Garcia III of Balanga City, Antonio Raymundo
of Orion and Ana Santiago of Abucay and Vice-Mayors Godfredo Galicia, Jr. of Orani and Aida Macalinao of Samal.
