A cradle for Scalabrinian Missionaries: The Scalabrini Theological House of Studies, New Manila, Philippines

Manila, January 10, 2025

The Scalabrini Theological House of Studies (STHS) in New Manila, Philippines, has long served as a cornerstone for religious formation and missionary preparation for Scalabrinian missionaries. The STHS community traces its roots to November 28, 1989, when H.E. Cardinal Jaime Sin blessed the original STHS, three refurbished residential houses largely made of wood and concrete. Recognizing the need to accommodate a growing community of seminarians, a new facility was constructed in 1992 within the same compound, offering expanded resources for theological studies and formation. The year 2015 marked another significant milestone with the completion of an extension building project to further expand the formation facilities in response to the increasing number of students.

Today, STHS is a diverse and vibrant community for Scalabrinian professed brothers from around the world who come together to continue their formation and theological studies. For the current school year 2024 - 2025, the community comprises 23 professed religious brothers representing several nations: 8 from Indonesia, 2 from Mexico, 8 from Vietnam (two currently in pastoral ministry in Indonesia and the Philippines), 1 from Paraguay, 1 from Guatemala, 2 from Haiti, and 1 from Venezuela. The formation team of this year is composed of Fr. Leo Bobila, CS as the rector, Fr. Nguyen Van Giang, CS as animator, and Fr. Tran Quoc Bao, CS as bursar and vocation promoter.

In alignment with the universal Church’s call to synodality, the STHS community has adopted a vision for three academic years (2022-2025): "A synodal community, led by the Holy Spirit in the footsteps of Saint Scalabrini, actively embracing and disseminating Gospel Values." This vision emphasizes a shared commitment to journey together as protagonists of the religious community life by embracing with enthusiasm studies, apostolate, and prayer.

With this vision and mission, STHS community continues its journey to make a good preparation for the future Scalabrinian missionaries to better serve the migrants, refugees, and seafarers around the world following the footsteps of St. Scalabrini.

STHS Community