The transformed Paulinian: Living the SPC spirituality in education

• Main Author: Masirag, Ma. Nilda C., SPC
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2009
• Subjects: Spirituality > Education; St. Paul University System (Philippines); Religious education—Study and teaching; Religious education > Teaching methods; Education; Educational Leadership
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_doctoral/268; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/context/etd_doctoral/article/1267/viewcontent/CDTG004616_P.pdf
• Institution: De La Salle University

Education is a language of development and an expression of a creative formation of the person. Education cannot take place when the whole environ does not cultivate an educative culture where learning is conducive. The challenge in the St. Paul University System is demanding especially at this time when the competition is high and stiff. Consumerism and materialism attract the young today and if the education ministry is not reframed according to the global demands, the education provided will not meet the needs of the young. At the same time, a very important program that should be strengthened in a Catholic school is a program on spirituality for this creates a balance in the development of the personality of the students. The students are open to total human development as well as spiritual development when they are properly oriented and motivated. When they see the sincerity and zeal of the educators, the formators in helping and teaching them, they will surely be responsive and responsible to whatever is given to them. In this way, the institution will be able to provide a wholistic formation that will not just be an exercise or an intellectual formation and education but an intensive preparation of the young for life. The study discovered and recognized how SPC spirituality is understood, accepted and lived by the students, celebrating its impact in their lives distinct as Paulinians of Dumaguete. It pursued asking the question, What is SPC spirituality as a lived experience in the context of the education ministry of St. Paul University Dumaguete? To explore this question, there were other research questions asked like: How is SPC spirituality understood by SPUD?, How will the SPC spirituality be woven in the education ministry?, What are the significant values of the education ministry of the SPUD?, What indicators show the integration of SPC iii spirituality in the education ministry and how is this captured by SPUD?, and What model can be crafted to provide a framework in living the discovered Spirituality? The researcher used Yins Case Study Method. The instruments employed were Focus Group Discussion (FGD), Questionnaire and Interview with 162 respondents. After all the instruments were employed to the different groups, the responses were collated, tabulated, analyzed and interpreted. Several presentations had described what it is to live the SPC spirituality as expressed through the relationships which the Sisters had established with God, others and their apostolate. On the other hand, living the SPC spirituality is the actual way of life that the Sisters lived out in their life as religious with the resonating and blending of prayer and mission actualized as religious. The study revealed that SPUD is first and foremost a seedbed of Christian Formation as experienced by the respondents identifying spiritual formation, values formation and integral formation as their priorities. At the same time, academic excellence has always been a component in the integral formation of Paulinian. The Education Ministry of SPUD is strengthened and sustained by the core values seen in the summative/peak findings as triangulated from the FGD, Interviews and Questionnaire identifying Prayer, Eucharist, Christ-centeredness and Faith Formation as the core. The SPC Christo-Centric Paschal spirituality had been captured by SPUD in the past 100 years through the Sisters way of life, most especially in their relationship with God and others, their witnessing and their values expressed in their own uniqueness as vowed religious. This SPC Christo-Centric Paschal spirituality is integrated and lived by the Paulinians in Dumaguete as a Christ-centered spirituality. SPUDs formative and excellent educative process is relational, integrated, and transformative in a family, communitarian and missionary spirit in service that is All to All. Indeed, formation of stake holders especially the formators/leaders is crucial for the authentic practicing and nurturing of Christ-centered spirituality in SPUD education ministry. Provision of a wholesome environment and infrastructure is significant to integral spiritual upliftment, quality academic pursuit and cultural performance in concretizing the Christ-centered spirituality. Actualizing SPC spirituality in education of SPUD is challenged by the integration of the quest for perfection, holiness and the drive for excellence. The study can be replicated by other Paulinian institutions: education, health care, pastoral ministry. Spirituality in education can be further explored, discovered, studied and defined by other educational institutions. The paschal spirituality that is an integrative part of the SPC spirituality needs to be explored to find out how this is understood by the Paulinians. SPUD leadership continuously commit herself to live the Christ-centered Spirituality through formation and education for the Paulinians to emulate, own and celebrate in their lives. A workshop will be conducted to create SPUD Christ-centered Spirituality Program based upon the Christ-centered Spirituality model/framework.