THE FORMER head of the Dominican Province of the Philippines was installed as the 12th Rector of the UST Central Seminary last Nov. 7, the feast of all Dominican saints.
Fr. Quirico Pedregosa, O.P., who headed the Filipino Dominicans for 12 years, said he did not expect any major responsibilities after his term as Dominican provincial, but added that his instincts told him to accept the new designation.
"The presence of the whole University is an indication of how important the Seminary is in the life of the University. The [Central] Seminary actually is one of the most important services of the University offers,” Pedregosa said in his address. “Formation is a demand of discipleship.”
The letter of appointment in Latin was read by Secretary General Fr. Winston Cabading, O.P. Pedregosa took his oath of office and profession of faith afterwards.
Fr. Gerard Francisco Timoner III, O.P., UST vice chancellor and the new prior provincial of the Dominican Province of the Philippines, said the new seminary rector is familiar to formation ministry.
“Seminary formation is an intense period in discipleship,” said Timoner, the former rector of the Central Seminary. “Formation in the ministerial priesthood is about the renowned intention in Christ’s invitation ‘Come and follow me’ and the mandate ‘Go and preach Gospel to all.’”
Timoner told Thomasian seminarians, whom he were referred to as future parish priests and bishops of the Philippine Church, that “their formation experience in the seminary and the ecclesiastical studies will determine what kind of ministry and Church we will see in the future.”
The seminary is dubbed as “central” because its seminarians come from different provinces in the country and some Asian countries.
Timoner said there are 782 living diocesan priests who consider the Central Seminary their “home.” From June 2006 to May 2012, 86 priests graduated from the UST Central Seminary.
Furthermore, majority of those who applied for the Central Seminary said they were inspired by their parish priests who were also alumni.
“The seminarians must be formed within this community of disciples before he becomes ready to assume the apostolic mandate,” Timoner said. “We pray especially for [Fr. Pedregosa] as he accompanies these young men to make the greater commitment to Jesus.”
Fr. Rodel Aligan, O.P., dean of the Faculty of Theology, expressed confidence in Pedregosa as a formator.
“[Pedregosa] has a lot of experience in formation and so he will bring that experience in the Central Seminary,” Aligan said.
The Vatican's Congregation for Catholic Education named Pedregosa the new rector of the UST Central Seminary last Sept. 7.
Pedregosa had been chairman of the board of trustees of Colegio de San Juan de Letran in Manila and Calamba, Laguna; Aquinas University in Albay; Angelicum College in Quezon City and Iloilo; and Our Lady of Manaoag College in Pangasinan.
He finished his bachelor’s degree in Philosophy at the Philippine Dominican Center of Institutional Studies in 1978. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in Sacred Theology and masteral in Theology in 1979 and 2003, respectively.
Pedregosa joined the Order of Preachers in 1971 when the Dominican Province was founded. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1981.
