Happy 100th Birthday SLU

Let me give you a brief history of CICM’s Institution. In 1907, the CICM Missionaries arrived in the Philippines, mandated by the Vatican to Christianize the northern part of the country. The missionaries settled in Baguio because of its proximity to both Manila and the mountain province of Benguet beyond the Cordillera mountain range, that was home to numerous indigenous tribes. In 1911, Rev. Fr. Séraphin Devesse, CICM, founded a one-room elementary school in Baguio for ten local boys, naming the school the Saint Louis School . In 1915, the St. Louis School expanded becoming a vocational and trade school. In 1915 the school opened a secondary branch. In 1952, the combined efforts of Msgr. William Brasseur and Rev. Fr. Rafael Desmedt founded Saint Louis College, then consisting of three departments: Education, Liberal Arts, Commerce and Secretarial. In 1955, the graduate-level programs of Saint Louis College were granted recognition, but the real turning point came on 13 May 1963, when Saint Louis College was conferred University status by the Philippine Government. The school started with only 75 students with Gerard Decaestecker, CICM, as the first rector.

It’s been 100 years since the 10-student school was established and now it is a home to more than 25,000 students not only from Baguio City but from multiple towns and cities from the Philippines and even for other countries. It justly proves that the institution has evolved so much since 1911. Now that SLU is celebrating its 100 years of educational and non-educational excellence, I would like to congratulate its continuous growth and I wish that the Institution will become better every passing year.

The school has created its name all over the Philippines and it is now one of the leading schools mainly in the regions of CAR. The Centennial Celebration will be held starting December 2010 until December 2011. If you are to look at SLU’s website, you would be able to see the events that are to be done for the 1 year celebration. It will really be a very memorable event for the CICM and for us.

The things that I would want to wish SLU are these:

1. I wish that SLU would continue to be the Light of the North, to give the proper guidance and education for students who would really want to attain heights that they would never possibly attain if they didn’t have the proper help and education.

2. I wish that SLU, being a Christian Institution, would shower their vision to the people in becoming a better Christian. I would want SLU to craft their students, to always put their hopes towards God. To always believe in Him when everything seems perfect and when everything seems to be just complicated and wrong.

3. I wish that SLU would teach their students the proper moral value in becoming truly Human because our world is not the world before, it is more, let’s say “dangerous and aggressive.” I hope that the students would not be like these and would be a person for God and for everyone.

SLU, I am so grateful for everything you have done. I hope that you continue to guide us and help us in everything we do. I would also want to congratulate you again for a job well-done for the past 100 years. Thank you, Happy 100th Birthday and May God bless us all.

http://www.slu.edu.ph/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Louis_University,_Baguio_City