November 1, 1995 is a special day: Jose Novela starts living with Frs. Imanol and Jesus in the Molave house. He is the first postulant... The house a Formation house. Many other boys come to the house, some of them will remain.  

 

Cebu soon becomes small and Fr. Jesus goes to Davao City, while Fr. Rafael reaches Iloilo City. Trips, unknown places, difficulties in language nothing stops the missionaries that are ready to do everything in getting vocations. In Davao City they find the help of the Pinili couple, very much dedicated to the evangelization tasks. Later on will come the trips to Dumaguete, Tagbilaran, and Dipolog Cities. Fr. Jesus will continue going regularly to Davao and Tagbilaran Cities one Sunday every month, in order to meet a group of boys, more or less fixed, of vocational interest.

  

At the end of November appears the Calasanzian Family small book, with different contents presenting the life of Calasanz and the Piarist Charism. It will be use generously for vocational information.

 

On Sunday 16 of February 1997 is conducted the first search-in or vocational meeting in the house. Ten boys attend it. In March arrives Geronimo. Bryan comes at the middle of April. They join Cesario, Robert, Jessie and Dodong. There will be seven those who will live with us for the new school year in June.

 

Others will arrive during the 1998. In all, fifteen. Three novices and 12 pre-novices. Some others try, but they do not continue. It is the normal thing in the discernment process. Every two months is held at home a search-in, with the attendance around 10-15 boys. And some come by themselves to get information. It is a process of accompaniment, sometimes long, before the fruits can be seen. During the summer time (March-May) of 1999, around 20 boys from Davao, Bohol, Dipolog, and Cebu Cities come with the aim of staying with us. Another cycle of accompaniment and discernment starts. At the beginning of June 1999, 13 postulants are admitted in Cebu City, plus one in Manila. About half a dozen think of joining us in October, when they finish their studies. In Cebu our house is almost full.

 

In March 1998, the Community thinks about the possibility of starting already the Novitiate. Three candidates fulfill the requirements to start this stage of formation: Jose, Cesario and Dodong. They are 23, 24 and 24 years old. At the beginning of March, Fr. Lorenzo Errandonea, Sch. P., from Japan, gives them a retreat and on the 10^th is the initiation ceremony for the Novitiate. The Master of Novices is Fr. Jose. Their First Profession is held on March 14, 1999, two weeks after other 10 young men started their Novitiate. They are the first Philippine Piarists, the first ones that in the Japan-Philippines complete their Novitiate. And then, to start their Theology studies in Manila. With this new presence in the Northern part of the country, we hope to be able to start attracting vocations from Luzon and adjacent Islands.