St. Vincent School of Theology is an institution for the theological, pastoral, and missiological formation of individuals for effective service to the Church and society. It fosters a way of doing theology that builds on the religious experience and praxis of the socially excluded, and gears towards the evangelization of the poor.
Vision
To achieve this vision, it offers a program of theological studies:
inculturated and contextualized in Asia-Pacific/Philippine realities that seeks to be responsive to the vision and program of the local churches;
marked by an inter-disciplinary character;
that fosters critical-collaborative approach to theology, pastoral practice and mission;
grounded classical sources and contemporary global developments
Mission
It endeavors to form a community of disciples whose theological knowledge, pastoral competence, and missionary consciousness serve as catalysts towards ecclesial and social transformation.
Since their arrival in the Philippines in July 1862, the Vincentians totally dedicated themselves to the formation of the local diocesan clergy. On August 2, 1862—a mere eleven days after they set foot on the Islands—the Vincentians started to work in the new vineyard to which they were sent. Four Vincentian priests and brothers zealously set themselves to the task at hand by taking over the administration of Seminario Conciliar de San Carlos in Manila.
“Go to the peripheries!” Before he was elected Pope Francis, Jorge Cardinal Bergoglio gave this talk to the Cardinals gathered in conclave in March 2013: “There is a tension between the center and the periphery…. We must get out of ourselves and go toward the periphery. We must avoid the spiritual disease of the Church that can become self-absorbed. When this happens, the Church itself becomes sick…
EXPANDING THE SVST VISION: GRADUATE THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION FROM THE MARGINS OF ASIA
In our effort to capture the spirit of the vision-mission, we formulated the motto: “doing theology from the margins”. This direction is not far from the vision of Vincent de Paul, SVST’s patron saint. We uphold the belief that theology does not come from the centers of power but from the experiences in the margins. And as theologians-in-process, students are trained to be sensitive to these voices from the rough grounds – voices most often excluded, muffled, or suppressed.
Pope Francis writes: “I want a Church which is poor and for the poor. They have much to teach us. Not only do they share in the sensus fidei, but in their difficulties they know the suffering Christ. We need to let ourselves be evangelized by them (Evangelii Gaudium, 198)”. As we are taught by the poor, we also need to fight against the structures which marginalize them from society. Poverty is a scandal. It excludes people; it kills them and offers them in the altar of profit. In this context we can understand Jesus’ command to his disciples: “You yourselves give them something to eat!” (Mk 6:37): it means working to eliminate the structural causes of poverty and to promote the integral development of the poor, as well as small daily acts of solidarity in meeting the real needs which we encounter” (EG, 187). In order to give concrete direction to the motto “Doing Theology from the Margins”, SVST institutes its annual themes to guide our activities and pursue concrete directions toward the achievement of our thrust. It is formulated with a specific sensitivity to the movement of the Spirit in the Philippine and Asian churches and the lives of the grassroots communities.
