Tertianship:
The School of the Heart
History of the Program
The years following the Communist takeover of the Chinese mainland saw a number of Jesuits from China settle in the Philippines. At first it was thought that one day there could be a return to the mainland, but gradually it became evident that no such return was to be soon. A 'delegation' of the Jesuits' China Province was then established in the Philippines. One of the works of this delegation, from 1967 to 1970, was a tertianship, based at Sacred Heart Novitiate in Novaliches, Quezon City. Although a responsibility of the China Province Delegation, this tertianship was open to men from other provinces, and from the lists of tertians it would seem to have been a joint China Province - Philippine Province venture.
But in 1975 the Philippine Province started its own tertianship, also based at Sacred Heart Novitiate. Like the earlier tertianship, the Philippine Province tertianship was open to men from other provinces, and as a matter of fact attracted many from other Asian countries. Gradually it became evident that a regional tertianship would make more sense than many provincial tertianships, and in 1979 the Major Superiors of the East Asian Assistancy moved to establish an Assistancy tertianship, to be based in the Philippines. The following year, 1980, saw the appointment of a Tertian Instructor for this Assistancy tertianship and in 1981 the first group of men began their tertianship, again at Sacred Heart Novitiate in Novaliches, Quezon City.
Although the program opened at Novaliches, the novitiate was not a permanent home for the tertianship; a novitiate was not considered the best location for a tertianship. After an initial period of two and a half months the tertianship moved to the campus of the Ateneo de Manila University, and subsequently on to the Jesuit Mirador Villa in Baguio City. This tri-location of the tertianship continued for a number of years (with various modifications), but finally, in 1990, when rooms were made available at Loyola House of Studies (the Philippine Province scholasticate on the Ateneo de Manila campus), the East Asian Assistancy Tertianship established a permanent base.
Since 1981 to the present, with the exception of three 'vacant' years when directors were unavailable, the program has been in operation, with tertian brothers and priests from all the units of the Assistancy of East Asia and Oceania and from all corners of the Jesuit world. Sacred Heart Novitiate continues to host the tertians for the month of the Spiritual Exercises, but 'home' is still at Loyola House of Studies. The facilities include not only a well kept library (the library of Loyola School of Theology) but also a community of young and elderly Filipino Jesuits with the resources of persons that such a community provides. The Ateneo campus with its sports facilities (swimming, tennis, football, basketball, jogging, and what-have-you) and with five other Jesuit communities on campus helps to color the atmosphere of the tertianship and add that variety which is the spice of life.
The tertianship program is a continuous six and a half months program, with periods spent away from the base for ministry and for other 'experimenta' as is usual in any Jesuit tertianship program. The language used for all common activities is English, with the distinctive accents and flavors of the many countries represented. While the campus of the university provides a rather peaceful and orderly atmosphere, the neighborhood outside the campus and areas within walking distance can help the tertians experience the realism of a poor country. Within the six and a half months, therefore, the tertians can experience a variety of persons, places, and things to help their own growth and appreciation of the vocation that unites so many different men in the service of the Lord in the world today.
| Home Page | Schedule | Meet The Tertians |
|Filipino Life Experience | Long Retreat | Prayer | The Institute |
| Christmas Ministries | Elective Activities | History of the Manila Tertianship |
| Villa | Loyola House of Studies |
| Tertian Director | Assistant Director |
This page is a cooperative effort
of the Tertian Community
of the Assistancy of East Asia and Oceania
and is hosted by Le Moyne College,
the Jesuit College of Central New York.E-Mail: bucko@maple.lemoyne.edu
Page Last Updated: November 15,1998
