Friday, November 6, 2015
Ordination of Pedro Luis Durango Agudelo
On Saturday, November 7th, Pedro Luis Durango Agudelo will be ordained into the priesthood at 10:00 am in the Agana Cathedral. All brothers and sisters of the Catholic faithful as well as all clergy are invited to attend. Congratulations to Pedro....soon to be Father Pedro.
may the love of Jesus Christ sustain you Pedro; my family will be praying for you and I know you will be praying for us. Thank you
ReplyDeleteAn Archbishop who ordained nearly 20 priests in 20 years deserves all praise. Biba our Archbishop!
ReplyDeleteEasy to ordain presbyters from RMS Guam, a presbyter mill. RMS seminarians in the states get their academic and theological training at an established seminary. In the RMS they get the Neocatchumenal formation. Presbyters on Guam RMS are cheated out of a rigorous academic and theological program of formation. Stateside seminaries have a thorough application process which requires a psychological evaluation as we as the TOEFL, a test give to speakers of English as a second language, to ensure that they are competent in using the English language.
ReplyDeleteI feel bad for the Neo presbyters on Guam. They cannot compete or compare with Neod trained in stateside seminaries.
Annie Aguon, PhD
Dear Annie Aguon,
DeleteThe RMS seminarians in the states are also in the NCW. Some of the RMS priests even go on to the Lateran University in Rome to further their studies. See the weblink below. You would be surprised to find out that an RMS priest from Guam even has a book published and signed by Pope Francis:
http://pacificnewscenter.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=28654:archbishop-apuron-to-ordain-polish-deacon-to-priesthood&catid=45:guam-news&Itemid=156
The Blessed Diego Luis de San Vitores Catholic Theological Institute for Oceania on Guam is affiliated with the Pontifical Lateran university in Rome. The RMS seminaries in the States are NOT affiliated with the Pontifical Lateran university in Rome.
That may be so but I also know that some of the ordained from Guam RMS are not competent in the English language and as seminarians have taken English as a Second language classes at GCC. I have no doubt that some of them are competent in English before beginning their studies at Guam RMS but they should ALL be competent in English before entering Guam RMS. Stateside seminaries have experts in the fields in which they teach. Their websites post their courses and course descriptions as well as the bios and the qualifications of their faculty. RMS does not because they teach Neo formation which is not easily accessible via published trade books, textbooks, or general information booklets/pamphlets.
ReplyDeleteIt is commendable that an ordained presbyter from Guam RMS has published a book signed by the Pope. He is the exception and not the norm. What is the title of the book and the name of the presbyter?
RMS stateside do not teach academic or theology courses but concentrate on the Neo formation exclusively.
I still believe those ordained from Guam RMS are cheated of their academic and theological education as compared to those who attend RMS stateside.
I doubt if the majority of the presbyters ordained from Guam RMS would get a college level reading score on the inferential reading test I used to give high school students.
This is not to denigrate the presbyters but to suggest that the entrance requirements for Guam RMS should be as rigorous as those of stateside seminaries.
The Pacific News Center article states "two (2) are pursing further studies at the Lateran University in Rome."
Who are these presbyters and what degrees did they earn? Are they currently serving the archdiocese of Guam?
I look forward to your answering my questions.
As an academic I am concerned that when one earns a degree from an institution of higher learning, that they get the leaning the degree implies. Anything less is an injustice to the presbyter and the the people try are to serve.
My concern is with the Guam RMS. I have no problems with RMS in the U.S.
What does it matter if there's an affiliation with the Pontifical Lateran University? What's approved on paper is not carried out in reality. Where is the listing of courses and their descriptions? This should be available to anyone who asks. Who are on the permanent faculty. What are their qualifications to teach theology or the academic subjects that a seminarian must master? This information should slso be made easily available.
Annie Aguon, PhD
Dear Annie Aguon,
DeleteYou accused the RMS seminary of not teaching academic and theological courses; yet, you also claim that you do not even know what courses they teach due to the fact that they do not publish the courses in their website. You say that you are an educator. Well, do you not think that an educator should FIRST ASK the RMS seminary what courses it actually teaches rather than making an unfounded and biased accusation? Did you even bother to go to the seminary and make inquiries as to what courses are being taught?
You also said that your concern is the RMS seminary on Guam, and not the RMS seminary in the U.S. Why is that? The RMS seminarians in the U.S. also come from different countries and speak English as a second language.
Give us a break Annie Aguon! It is so sad that some of us still have the colonial mentality – what they do on the mainland is better than what we do here!
DeleteI visited the Institute located at the RM Seminary and was impressed at the professionalism of the professors there. And the library is a gem.
Pay attention, Diana. Those applying for admission in a U.S. seminary must take the TOEFL(Test of English as a Foreign Language) if English is not their native language. This includes those with RMS in the states. They must show English competency before admission to the seminary. If they don't get a passing score, they are not admitted. A passing score on the TOEFL is required for those whose native language is not English. If they haven't a good command of English, they can't understand the course lectures or comprehend the required textbooks.This is not true at RMS Guam because seminarians are admitted without a competency in English. That's why some of them take ESL classes at GCC. They would not be admitted in a U.S. seminary. Seminaries in the U.S. publish their course offerings on their website. Guam does not? Why not? In this day of advanced technology, a website is de reguer for any organization complete with all pertinent information. They won't publish it because the courses taught most likely are not in line with what the Lateran University approved.
ReplyDeletePlease answer the questions in my earlier post.
Please note: RMS seminarians in the U.S. take the TOEFL that's why I'm not concerned about them. If they're in the seminary, they've demonstrated competency in English and can succeed in their academic and theological studies.
I did not say RMS Guam does not teach academic and theological courses. It does but the caliber of the courses is dumbed down because of the lack of English proficiency. My claim is that the courses are not as rigorous as compared to the seminaries in the U.S. where all seminarians are English proficient.
Annie Aguon, PhD
Dear Annie Aguon,
DeleteSee my response on the following weblink:
http://neocatechemunal.blogspot.com/2015/11/comparing-rms-in-us-and-guam.html
St. Mary's Seminary is the oldest seminary in the U.S. Admissions requirements are on their website. RMS Guam should provide similar info on their website:
ReplyDeleteAdmission of Resident Seminarians Prerequisites
The applicant must have a formal letter of recommendation and commitment from the sponsoring diocese prior to scheduling an admissions interview. In addition, the following materials should be sent to the Vice Rector’s Office at the address below as soon as possible:
1. Official transcripts from all colleges, universities, and theologates attended;
2. Application form and fee;
3. Baptism and confirmation certificates;
4. Statement on the priesthood;
5. Evaluations and/or recommendations from previous seminaries or houses of formation;
6. Autobiography;
7. Job performance review from current or most recent employer;
8. Physical exam report, including tuberculosis and HIV test results;
9. Copy of current visa and passport if non-US citizen and address in country of citizenship;
10. Copy of latest TOEFL scores and reports if non-native speaker of English;
11. Federal and state criminal background checks;
12. Psychological report;
13. Two recent photos.
An Admissions Committee reviews applications of prospective resident seminarians and makes its recommendations to the President Rector who sends notice regarding acceptance both to the applicant and to his sponsoring diocese. In order to schedule a visit to St. Mary’s, request an application packet, or request information about tuition and fees, please contact:
Assistant to the Vice Rector
Coordinator of Pastoral Formation
St. Mary’s Seminary and University
5400 Roland Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21212
410-864-3602
LDavis@stmarys.edu
Ai adai Annie, take away the Phd at the end of your name, if not, at the least proof your comments before criticizing the non-english speaking seminarians and priests. What off-island college did you receive your grammar instructions? I want to go there to have a word with them.
ReplyDelete-Jokers Wild
Jokers Wild @ 4:57 AM--
DeleteAn attempt at what is referred as "deflection", perhaps?
In any case...I'll address it:
There's a difference between speaking and writing--the grammar errors in her posts (written) are minor and don't really obstruct communication. I believe Ms. Aguon refers to spoken language where communication is hampered. (Come to think of it, Diana had a couple other posts earlier in the year regarding the language problem. Ms Aguon's points actually get to the heart of the issue, in my opinion.)
It doesnt matter if it is written or spoken, both are taught and can be learned. I chose to point out her deficiency because it is a result of where she was taught. She has repeatedly raised the importance of OFF ISLAND EDUCATION. I wanted to find out where did she receive her education.
DeleteFor many of the foreign seminarians, english is a second language. They may take course after course but it is in application where they will receive the most benefit. Maybe this is why the seminarians are allowed to be hosted by families during their breaks.
Stop being so anal.
-Jokers Wild
Jokers Wild, do point out Diana's mistakes in grammar as well. Say she is deficient too. She makes mistakes but since she hasn't any college education she can be forgiven, correct?
DeleteGee, I thought Neos were all about sinning and forgiveness. No forgiveness for simple grammar mistakes, correct? These must be condemned and the person's alma mater chastised. My alma mater is the Catholic University of America in Wash., D.C.
David Atienza, PhD, published false statements about Chamorro death practices. Does he get chastised for wrongly stating in his published article that in a Chamorro funeral the casket is closed after the funeral Mass? Is he being anal for publishing lies? He mentioned this LIE two separate times in his article.
Are you familiar with being anal due to your own anal tendencies? Yes, that explains what you're all about. If there are any grammatical mistakes in this post, I dedicate them to your anal character.
Annie Aguon, PhD
Dear Annie Aguon,
DeleteI have a Masters degree, but you do not see me flaunting it the way you type "PhD" beside your name. I went to college. English speaking people can make grammatical errors in writing. That is normal. However, our written grammatical errors are much less than those of ESL people.
Jokers Wild emphasized your grammatical errors because YOU demean ESL people, thinking that you are better than them with your fluent English. You also think that America is better than Guam. This is the same kind of mentality that the American leaders had when they placed Guam under naval rule. They think that we Chamorros were so dumb and incompetent of governing ourselves. They imposed their language and lifestyle upon Chamorros. At that time, we were the ESL people, which is something you have forgotten. As a result of America's rule over us, our Chamorro language is dying and our kids know more about American history than Guam history! It is so sad to see that some Chamorros like you find the American culture and every American superior than Guahan and our Chamorro heritage.
Your mentality is the same as the American colonizers who also occupied the Philippines and end up killing thousands of Filipinos led by Emilio Aguinaldo. The American colonizers felt that the Filipinos were unfit to govern themselves and American rule was the best.
dearest Annie,
DeleteThere you go again about the NCW being all about sinning and forgiving. A standard I guess that only applies to the NCW? Isnt this the approach you should have taken before criticizing the ESL seminarians and priests? Are they the only ones you have a problem with or did you forget that before we had the RMS, we had already been borrowing ESL priests from the philipines. Do you criticize Fr. Joel too about his use of the english language and his strong accent that should have softened long time ago, hes been here just as long as the archbishop has been in office. Then again you wont have a problem because hes not NCW. I wont only point out Fr. Joel, there are many others, right? There are also locals and caucasian priests who may need some help too, but you dont want to/need to go there because theyre not NCW?
You keep rattling off about education here education there and you fail to see the big picture, the PRIESTHOOD is way beyond education. The ministry of the priest is the ministry of Jesus. Did God send Jesus to see a psychiatrist before he willed him to die for us? Was Jesus sitting and listening to professors or was he the one teaching the scribes and the pharisees? Didnt Jesus also teach many lessons in another spoken language form, such as parables? Will a U.S. seminary teach a priest how to help a family in the middle of a divorce? Will a U.S. seminary teach the priest how to promote the openness to life? Will a U.S. seminary teach a priest how to guide a teen away from sex, drugs and alcohol?
The biggest problem we are having on Guam is that opponents/protesters of the Archbishop and the NCW have taken upon themselves to become police officers, lawyers and other positions of law and order and have forgotten that God wanted was ambassadors, soldiers, evangelizers, PRIESTs, PROPHETs and KINGs. This is ultimately the problem. You all have fallen victim to radical traditionalism of the church, when given the missal you are a people that pay more attention to the red than what is in black.
I also could use help with my grammar and my public speaking and I know I am not perfect but I had to remind you and in a sense give you a taste of your own medicine because you took it upon yourself to aim your criticism towards a select group of holy men and failed to see the splinter in your own eye. Diana has many grammatical errors too but she has never pointed the finger at anyone for their less then average use of the english language.
-Jokers Wild, PPK (you figure it out)
"Master's degree"
ReplyDeleteDear Anonymous at 4:09 pm,
DeleteThank you for the correction in my typo.
Corrections on Diana's post at 8:53 AM
ReplyDelete"Master's degree"
Last paragraph: "...who also occupied the Philippines and endED up killing..."
Please quote my post where you claim I "demean ESL people."
You seem to know what's on my mind. What do I really think about you? Do share your clairvoyance. I had an aunt who was clairvoyant and could always tell who was approaching their house although she spent most of her time in bed due to an illness. She died at age 14 in the early 1930's on Guam. My parents encouraged fluency in both Chamorro and English.
AA, PhD
Dear Annie,
DeleteYou demean the ordained priests and seminarians from the RMS on GUAM. These were your words under this thread and under the OP with your comment on it:
1. That may be so but I also know that some of the ordained from Guam RMS are not competent in the English language and as seminarians have taken English as a Second language classes at GCC.
2. It is commendable that an ordained presbyter from Guam RMS has published a book signed by the Pope. He is the exception and not the norm.
3. I doubt if the majority of the presbyters ordained from Guam RMS would get a college level reading score on the inferential reading test I used to give high school students.
4. My concern is with the Guam RMS. I have no problems with RMS in the U.S.
5. I did not say RMS Guam does not teach academic and theological courses. It does but the caliber of the courses is dumbed down because of the lack of English proficiency.
6. Commendable that RMS stateside offers ESL classes on-site for those whose English needs improvement. Guam RMS should follow their example.
Please stop posting comments from Annie Aguon whose so proud of her PhD. She thinks she's so smart but no one can beat you Diana in the smarts department. You put her in her place each and every time. Keep it up.
ReplyDeleteDear anon, I am against you suggestion. If Annie's desire is to post here, she should be free to do it. She tried hard to get something to attack the RMS with, but she was not able to show up anything. It is encouraging to see that even her PhD is insufficient to come up with valid criticism against the education of priests.
Delete