The DIOCESE OF DUMAGUETE was canonically erected
on April 5, 1955 through a Papal Bull issued by His Holiness POPE PIUS XII. The
Bull defined its jurisdiction as consisting the entire Province
of Oriental Negros, the then sub-Province
of Siquijor, and four Parishes of Occidental Negros (San Carlos,
Calatrava, Toboso, and Escalante). On
June 23, 1955, the Papal Bull was officially read in the Cathedral Church of St. Sebastian, Bacolod City.
And, following this Canonical erection of the Diocese of Dumaguete, on October 25, 1955, a great crowd braved the heavy
downpour to warmly welcome the Most Rev. EPIFANIO B. SURBAN, D.D., who was installed as the first Bishop of the newly created
Diocese of Dumaguete.
Bishop Surban came to the Diocese with practically
empty coffers. There was no Seminary, no Parochial Schools, no Catholic Hospital among others. The new Bishop was presented with an unfinished Cathedral. And
at that time, there were only 36 Priests, some of whom were borrowed from nearby Dioceses, 20 Religious Sisters, and around
50 seminarians who, that time, were studying in Cebu and Manila. Among the many
prominent concerns of Bishop Surban was the building of a Seminary for Dumaguete where seminarians for the Diocese will be
locally trained. He then looked for friends and benefactors to help him make this dream come true.
On November
27, 1957, during an annual conference of the Dumaguete Clergy, Bishop Surban echoed the urgent need to build a SEMINARY
for the Diocese of Dumaguete. This noble desire eagerly collected great support
from the Clergy and an encouraging response from the lay faithful. Hence, the
Diocese, in an effort to establish the Seminary, bought a portion of land of about 2.3 hectares northeast of the Province of Oriental Negros in the town of Sibulan. The lot was practically a marshland
across the Dumaguete Domestic
Airport and just a few meters away from what is now the Carmelite Monastery. From out of this parcel of land, donors and benefactors came to give their share and
help Bishop Surban’s dream come true. As the construction of the Seminary
developed, Bishop Surban prepared the appointment of some Priests to form the first team of Seminary formators to what will
be the St. Joseph Minor Seminary.
On October
19, 1959, His Eminence JULIO CARDINAL ROSALES, D.D., then Archbishop of Cebu, officiated at the blessing and laying of
the cornerstone of what was later to be the ST. JOSEPH MINOR SEMINARY. It was
on July 1960 that the Seminary became operational with fifteen minor seminarians pioneering in the enrolment. The Diocese’s Vicar General that time, Msgr. Tomas Q. Avenido
was appointed as the first Seminary Rector.
Then on, St. Joseph Minor Seminary catered to
minor seminarians who wish to respond to the vocation to the Sacred Priesthood. The
Minor Seminary, which it was called, became a preparatory ground towards the College Seminary elsewhere until the team of
formators decided to accept High School graduates and College students from other schools for the opening of a College Formation. The first few batches of College seminarians took their basic courses at the then
Dumaguete Cathedral College (DCC) now Colegio de Santa Catalina de Alejandria (COSCA), and received their Philosophy courses
in the Seminary. This arrangement took place while the Rev. Fr. Roman Sagun, then Academic Dean, processed its application
for a government recognition for the Seminary to offer the degree: Bachelor of Arts major in Philosophy.
On March
19, 1988, the High School Seminary was phased out in favor of the College Seminary following the government recognition
on June 15, 1987 for the Seminary to offer a four-year course leading to the degree Bachelor
of Arts major in Philosophy. It was at the end of that School Year that the
last High School class was graduated. That time, the Pre-College Formation Program,
now Pre-Philosophy Formation Program, introduced to pave as formation year for
High School and College students who come or graduated from other schools and who desire to enroll in the Seminary, was already
in place. This was the brainchild of Rev. Fr. Jesus Jaictin the former Seminary
Spiritual Director. From that time on, the name ST. JOSEPH SEMINARY COLLEGE came to be used with recognition from the then
Ministry of Education Culture and Sports (MECS) now Commission on Higher Education (CHED).
Today, ST. JOSEPH SEMINARY COLLEGE humbly stands
as a fertile seedbed training future Pastors who will serve with dedication and love for and in the Diocese of Dumaguete. It houses seven Dormitories that can accommodate ten persons each, five classrooms,
a Library, a Laboratory, the Blessed Pedro Calungsod Computer Center, a Chapel that can accommodate more than a hundred persons,
a Faculty room with 24-hour internet service, the Bishop Epifanio Surban Auditorium, the St. Bonaventure Refectory, a Kiosk
for informal small-group gathering, a Canteen, a mini-Theater, a Basketball court, a Tennis court, a Volleyball court, a mini-Soccer
field, a Marian hall and garden, the Dumaguete Camp K9, and many others. It also regularly publishes the Kahayag, the official School Organ of St. Joseph Seminary
College and the Illuminatio, the Seminary Yearbook. The Seminary celebrates its Fiesta every March 19, Feast of St. Joseph,
Husband of Mary, during which the Annual Commencement Exercises is also held.
The ST. JOSEPH SEMINARY COLLEGE is also supported
by the Seminary Burse, founded by the then Rector Rev. Msgr. Julito B. Cortes, HP, VG, now Auxiliary Bishop of Cebu, with
other organizations like the Seminarians’ Parents-Teachers Association (SPTA), the St. Joseph Seminary College Alumni
Association (SJSCAA), the Marians of St. Joseph established by Rev. Fr. Ramon L. Duran, the Goretti Foundation established
by Msgr. Merlin Logronio, the Fr. James Jacques de Boccard Foundation, Incorporated, established by Fr. James de Boccard,
and other generous local and international individual benefactors.
St.
Joseph Seminary College is proud
to list the following as its Rectors:
Msgr. Tomas Avenido,
H.P.
School Year 1960-1961
Rev. Fr. Peter Van de Walle, CICM
School Year 1961-1966
Msgr. Onesimo Gordoncillo,
H.P.
School Year 1966-1969
Rev. Fr. Marino Montera School Year 1969-1971
Rev. Fr. Elmo Luis Vergara
School Year 1971-1973
Rev. Fr. Andres Aguilar
School Year 1973-1975
Msgr. Tomas Avenido,
H.P.
School Year 1975-1978
Rev. Fr. Nathaniel Gomez
School Year 1978-1979
Rev. Fr. Neciforo Domocol
School Year 1979-1982
Rev. Fr. Candelario Catubig
School Year 1982-1989
Msgr. Julito Cortes,
H.P., V.G.
School Year 1989-1996
Rev. Fr. Nathaniel Gomez
School Year 1996-1999
Rev. Fr. Gamaliel Tulabing
School Year 1999-2002
Most Rev. John F. Du, D.D.
School Year 2002 (1st Sem)
Rev. Fr. Glenn Corsiga
School Year 2002-
