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Let us start talking
about the remote origin. The Piarist Father, Fr. Basilio Sancho, Sch.P.; was serving the Court of the Kingdom of Spain in Madrid when he was designated
by the King Charles III as Archbishop of Manila, in 1765. He was nominated in 1766, arriving to Manila
in March 1767. Together with Fr. Sancho, came four Piarist Fathers. One of them, Fr. Martin Martinez, was nominated by the
Piarist General Congregation as a Commissioner to found a Piarist School in the Philippines. Nevertheless, the Indias Council
of Spain did not authorize such foundation. Therefore, the Fathers dedicated themselves to collaborate with the Archbishop,
especially in the celebration of the First Synod or Provincial Council of Manila, and also in the direction of the Diocesan Seminary created by him, where the native Filipino priests were formed, and in San Jose School that
the Jesuits had abandoned before. When Fr. Sancho died in 1787, the Piarist Fathers left Manila... If everything had been
well, Manila would have been first foundation of the Piarist Fathers and not in Europe, long time before the first house
in South America. The intention was there, and 200 years later, other Piarists were able to carry out what their predecessors
could not.
The Immediate
Origin
The immediate origin of the Philippines is in the mind of the Father General Fr. Joseph Maria Balcells, at the beginning
of the years 90, trying to intensify the Piarist presence in Asia. After his election in 1985, he pushed with decision of
new foundations in Africa. To his initiative is due the presence of Religious from the Spanish Province of Aragon and the
Polish Province, in Cameroon, Africa and also some Italian Fathers in Ivory Coast. The coordination of the Piarist development
in that zone was in the hands of the Missionary Delegate, Fr. Jesus Lecea, his successor as Superior General in 2003. After
this presence was rather consolidated, with a great hope for the future, his attention went to Asia. He was rather worried
about the problem of lack of vocations in Japan and he understood that it would be easier to support the Piarist Works in
Japan from other countries of Asia than from far away countries. And he also thought that in Asia live more than half of the world peoples, with a minimum percentage of Christians. The Pious Schools, as many other Ecclesiastical Institutions, cannot turn
a deaf ear to so many invitations of the Church to intensify their presence in Asia.
Having his foundation
plan in mind, in 1992 Fr. General send a letter to all the Piarists with the intention of exploring, among other things, their
readiness to go to Missions. Later on Fr. Lecea and Fr. German, Vicar of Japan, went for the first time to the Philippines
where the Piarist Sisters were for 12 years, with their presence already consolidated and with some native vocations. He encouraged, at the same time, the Argentine Province, through Fr. Alfaro who has
his eyes in India. Actually Fr. Alfaro arrived at the beginning of 1994 to Kerala, in the southern part of India, in order
to start a foundation in Aroor City.
In 1994, he has already
decided his first team: Fr. Rafael Buitrago, who goes to England to study English; Fr. Jesus Lacarra, who is in Yokkaichi,
Japan, and Fr. Imanol Lasquibar, who before had been in Japan for 17 years. He has also been in contact with other Religious.
But for the moment, the team is enough to open a road. He takes advantage of his visit in November to present his plan and
to talk with the persons. Later on it will be necessary the consent of the Vicariate Chapter, in January 1995 and the consent
of the Chapter of Vasconia Province, some months later, in order to complete the whole plan. Everything comes out as it was
planned. After the Vicariate Chapter, at the beginning of February 1995, Frs. Jesus Lecea and German Lumbreras visit again
to Cebu City, Philippines, as we have said before, and they see that everything is ready to send the first team. Our sisters
Escolapias are also ready to receive them and to accompany them during the first steps.
During the Holy Week
of that year, the three first missionaries meet in Rome with the General Congregation in order to reflect about the meaning
of the new foundation in the Philippines, the aims, orientation criteria, organization and steps to follow in it. After the
meetings, Fr. Imanol goes back to Spain, where he has to finish the school year, while Frs. Rafael and Lacarra leave for Japan
on April 20 ('94). There, they have to solve the steps for the visa to enter Philippines and to have some meetings with the
Piarist Sisters and with the members of the Vicariate, when Frs. German and Iraola come back from the Provincial Chapter.
Mother Teresa Fernandez, Provincial of the Piarist Sisters, gives them different counsels about their future stay in that
country. On May 14 ('94), at last, Frs. Rafael and Jesus go to Cebu City, Philippines.
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