THE SOMASCAN FATHERS

            The Somascan Fathers are a charitable religious congregation of priests and brothers, founded in Italy in the 16th century by Saint Jerome Emiliani and named after the mother-house at Somasca. They are often called Somascans for short. Their formal name is OrdoClericorumRegularium a Somascha, abbreviated as C.R.S. after members' names. There are currently about 500 Somascans serving around the world. They run many boys' homes, pastor parishes, and engage in other ministries.

               In 1532, the priests Alessandro Besuzio and AgostinoBariso joined the charitable labors of St. Jerome Emiliani, a converted former soldier from Venice. St. Jerome founded the religious order called the "Company of the Servants of the Poor" in 1534, calling together his collaborators and companions for a general assembly. This handful of laymen and priests adopted an organized structure for the movement of religious and social reform started by Jerome in 1529 in Venice. Their goal was to dedicate themselves to the care, assistance, promotion of poor, orphans, abandoned youth, sick, etc, to any kind of works of mercy, and to any pastoral ministry according to the instructions of the bishops. Placing the motherhouse at Somascha, a secluded hamlet between Milan and Bergamo. In the rule, Jerome puts down as the principal work of the community the care of orphans, poor, and sick, and demands that dwellings, food and clothing shall bear the mark of religious poverty.

               After the death of Jerome, his community was about to disband, but was kept together by Gambarana, who had been chosen superior and obtained the approval (1540) of Pope Paul III. In 1547 the members vainly sought affiliation with the Jesuits; then in 1547-1555 they were united with the Theatines. Pius IV (1563) approved the institution. St. Pius V raised it to the dignity of a religious order, according to the Rule of St. Augustine, with solemn vows, the privileges of the mendicants, and exemption. In 1569 the first six members made their profession, and Gambarana was made first superior general. Great favour was shown to the order by St. Charles Borromeo, and he gave it the church of St. Mayeul at Pavia, from which church the order takes its official name "Clericiregulares S. MajoliPapiaecongregationisSomaschae".

               Later the education of youth was put into the programme of the order, and the colleges at Rome and Pavia became renowned. It spread into Austria and Switzerland, and before the great Revolution it had 119 houses in its four provinces: Rome, Lombardy, Venice, and France.

                Following early 20th century statistics, obtained from F. Gius. Landini of the Somaschi at the Curia Generalitia at Rome, the order counted in three provinces (Rome, Lombardy, and Liguria) 16 houses, all in Italy except one (in Bellinzona, Switzerland), and about 180 members, of whom 100 are priests, 50 clerics, and 30 lay brothers. At Rome they had three houses: San Girolamodella Carità, residence of the general and one of the three novitiates (the other two being in Genoa and Somasca); Santa Maria in Aquiro with a parish and orphanage; Sant'Alessio on theAventine for blind boys. The congregation managed three colleges with classical and technical studies at Spello, Como, Nervi, and finally, including those already mentioned, three orphanages and five parishes.

               First the Company was recognized by the papal nuncio to the Republic of Venice in 1535 and then approved by Pope Paul III in 1540, and finally constituted as a religious order by Pius V in 1568 with the name of Somascan Regular Clerics. At this time the first Constitutions were issued to define a common lifestyle for all its members, both lay and clergy. In 1767, the Church canonized its founder, Jerome Emiliani. Moved by the zeal of its founder, the Order extended its charitable ministries beyond the care of orphans by supporting and staffing seminaries (just then mandated by the Council of Trent), by educating and forming youth, and by ministering to people in parishes. Its expansion, however, was abruptly stopped by laws obstructing religious life issued by Napoleon in 1810 and by the Italian government in 1861. It followed a painful dark period characterized by persecution, injustice, suffering, from which only at the beginning of the 20th century has the Order emerged with new vitality. It expansion resumed, reaching new continents and new countries. Nowadays, the Somascans number about 500 religious.

 

SAINT JEROME EMILIANI: THE FATHER OF NEEDY YOUTH

   
            Gerolamo Emiliani Italian Gerolamo Emiliani also Jerome Aemilian, Hieronymus Emiliani) (1481 – February 8, 1537), was an Italian humanitarian, founder of the Somas chi Father, and saint. He was canonized in 1767 and is the patron saint of orphans.

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF SAINT JEROME EMILIANI

               Jerome was born in Venice, the son of Angelo Emiliani (popularly called Miani) and EleonoreMauroceni. He joined the army and, in 1508, defended Castelnuovo against the League of Cambray. Taken prisoner and miraculously liberated, he made a pilgrimage to the shrine of Our Lady ofTreviso, in fulfillment of a vow. He was then appointed podestà (Venetian magistrate) of Castelnuovo, but after a short time returned to Venice to supervise the education of his nephews. All his spare time was devoted to the study of theology and to works of charity.

              The hospitals and the hovels of the poor were his favorite resorts. In the year of plague and famine (1528), he seemed to be everywhere and showed his zeal, especially for the orphans, whose number had so greatly increased. He rented a house for them near the church of St. Rose and, with the assistance of some pious laymen, ministered to their wants. To his charge was also committed the hospital for incurables, founded by St.Cajetan. In 1531 he went to Verona and induced the citizens to build a hospital; at Brescia and at Bergamo, he erectedorphanages, one for boys and another for girls. Here also he founded the first home for repentant prostitutes.

               Two priests, Alessandro Besuzio and AgostinoBariso, then joined him in his labors of charity, and in 1532 Gerolamo founded a religious society, placing the motherhouse at Somasca, a secluded North Italian hamlet in the Comune of Vercurago between Milan and Bergamo, after which the members became known as Somaschi. In the Rule of this Society, Gerolamo stated the principal work of the community was the care of orphans, poor and sick, and demanded that dwellings, food and clothing would bear the mark of religious poverty.

St Jerome fell a martyr to his zeal; contracting a disease at Bergamo, he died at Somasca in 1537.

VENERATION

              He was beatified by Pope Benedict XIV in 1747, and canonized by Pope Clement XIII in 1767. The Office and Mass in his honor were approved eight years later. He was thus not included in the 1570 Tridentine Calendar. When inserted in the Roman Calendar in 1769, he was assigned the date of 20 July. In 1969, Pope Paul VI moved his feast to the day of his death, 8 February.

THE AEMILIANUM COLLEGE INC. PHILOSOPHY

                        The Aemilianum College, a Roman Catholic school runs by the Somascan Fathers, takes it reason of existence from a man. St Jerome Emiliani, who greatly contributed to the improvement of humanity. In a society marked by social classes, he, a noble and rich man, devoted himself to the poor, thus proclaiming the dignity and value of every human being.

                  The A.C.I. is a cradle where the students can achieve a broad, general and liberal quality education, aimed at developing their character, personal discipline, civic conscience and vocational efficiency

THE AEMILIANUM COLLEGE INCORPORATED: History

The birth of the school can be traced back to the time when the Diocesan Chancellor, Secretary of Caceres, Msgr. Florencio Yllana was appointed as new Parish Priest of Sorsogon. Deeply inspired by Msgr. Pedro Santos, Msgr. Yllana decided to found a Catholic School for boys as counterpart of the Colegio de la Milagrosa, which exclusively for High School Girls.

That was in 1944, right after the liberation. In 1947 a young Priest from Tiwi, Albay, and Rev. Father Eladio T. Palces was assigned as assistant priest of Sorsogon. It was then that Msgr. Yllana turned over to his new Assistant the directorship of the School. The boys were then housed at the residence of Msgr. Manuel Salvador

In 1951, the Colegio de la Milagrosa High School for boys transferred to the Parish Rectory. The new Director then changed the name of the school from Colegio de la Milagrosa (for boys) to Lyceum of Sorsogon.

When Msgr. Palces was assigned in Irosin, Sorsogon, he turned over the Administration to the Divine Word Fathers who came at the invitation of Bishop Arnulfo Arcilla in 1959. It was the SVD Fathers who changed the name of Lyceum of Sorsogon to Divine Word High School of Sorsogon in 1963.

In the 1976, under the suggestion of Msgr. Arcilla, the Divine Word High School returned to the Diocese and took the name of Sts. Peter & Paul Technical Institute.

In 1985, the School was handed down to the Somascan Fathers by Bishop Jesus Y. Varela. The Somascan Fathers changed its name once more and called it AEMILIANUM INSTITUTE and now AEMILIANUM COLLEGE, INC. This name is taken from the Family name of their founder St. Jerome Emiliani.

THE ORIGIN OF BARCELONA

Barcelona has its origin from a small tribal settlement at the delta of Danlog river which gushed out directly to the Pacific ocean. The settlers were mostly hunters and fishermen. A native could either be a hunter by day and fisher by night.

The place of habitation was originally known as Danlog.

Nestled in the east facing the Pacific coastline, and in the west hugging the forest expanse, Danlog (now Barcelona) had an ample source of food for the earlier inhabitants. Further to the interior area, abundant flora and fauna thrived. Endemic fauna had the forest as their natural habitat such as: usa (wild native deer), ting-garong (civet cats), baboy-damo (wild pigs), halo (edible monitor lizards) naga (wild ducks), and other species of birds. Fishes were plentiful in both freshwater and seawater. Even at present, straying wild deer and civet cats are still caught within the slopes of the neighboring town of Bulusan.

Trade, as a consequence of flora and fauna abundance, flourished among the neighboring settlements (even as far as Albay) while making use of the Danlog tributary and the coastal waters as a means of transport.

In early part of 1800s the Spaniards came and laid claim on Danlog. Scant records exist on the resistance of the natives against the foreign encroachment on their land. The Spaniards eventually christened the settlement as “Barcelona” reputedly in honor of the capital town of Cataluna, Spain.

By virtue of a Spanish Royal Decree dated April 16, 1866, Barcelona was legally declared and recognized as a “pueblo civil” which literally means a “civilized town”2. The conquest of Barcelona came at a much later date since the Spaniards were recorded to have discovered the Philippines in 1521. Almost 300 years of setting foot in numerous places in the Philippine archipelago had passed when the Spaniards took authority and hold on Barcelona.

In the point of view of the Spaniards, “pueblo civil” meant the natives were Christianized and civilized to their way of Catholic belief. But in the point of view of most historians, the people of Danlog were much advanced in terms of urbanization since they knew how to hunt and fish, cook and sun-dry the excess of their catch. On top of this, the natives knew how to trade and barter their goods.

Although already officially declared as an independent “pueblo civil”, Barcelona still remained as a barrio of the adjacent town of Bulusan. Even the Parish of Barcelona was still subjugated as part of the Parish of Bulusan. Saint Joseph, the worker, was the patron saint.

In 1868, two years after the issuance of the royal decree, Barcelona was finally separated from Bulusan. The people celebrated their town fiesta in honor of Saint Joseph every May 19, such festivity has not changed until now. The first priest of Barcelona was recorded to be Reverend Father Mariano F. Garcia.

1 Verifiable account of Augustine de la Cavada, ex-treasurer of Hacienda Danlog. Actually, the name Danlog (and the folklore Danlog and Uribay) came from much earlier generation through word of mouth.

2 Philippines: A History of the Bicol Region, Jaime T. Maloyaon

The nearby town of Bulusan at that time was part of Albay, one of the two original provinces of the Bicol peninsula. On October 1874, Sorsogon which was a barrio of Bulusan became a separate province. When the division was finally effected in 1901, Barcelona became a municipality of Sorsogon.

While still a part of Bulusan, Barcelona was constantly raided by marauding Moro pirates. In 1792, as Luis Nee and his fellow scientist set foot in Sorsogon, they saw the ruins inflicted by repeated Moro raids in the following years: 1737, 1781, and 1792. A remnant of a watchtower serving as a lookout for these Moro raids can still be seen at barangay Macabari.

Barcelona, as a political unit, absorbed the colonial method of government administration. “Governadorcillos” and “capitanes” were appointed in recognition of their administrative talents and leadership.

The administration of the municipal government emanated from the Church. Many talented leaders can still be recalled and their achievement recollected, such as: Capitan Hugo Gayta, Capitan Leoncio Freolo, Capitan Pedro Ernano, Capitan Hipolito Espena (the community organizer) and Capitan Esteban Fulay who turned into a revolutionary leader and collaborated with Nicolas Colatche, the widely-known rebel against the Spanish oppressors.

The luster of the Spanish conquest (1521-1900) left an indelible imprint on the social fabric of the Filipino people--- their belief, culture, and traditions. The Church was always considered as the heart and center of community development. In fact, the land use plan which was then so dominant in the whole Philippine landscape is still the prevailing pattern. Within the periphery of the Church is the Presidencia, the plaza, and the residence of well-to-and mid-income families. All areas and communities reached by the ringing of the church bells were considered within the “pueblo” proper.

These hallmarks were so evident in the community development of Barcelona. The use of rivers and coastal waters as means of transportation in some concentrated places of population are living marks of development. The land use pattern had been arranged so that the agricultural farms would serve the greatest number of inhabitants. The Municipal Land Use Plan will still incorporate some of the most viable post-Spanish pattern, while taking into consideration the population growth and identifiable trends for programming and development.

The Barcelona Parish Church which was constructed in 1874 during the term of Governadorcillo Juan Evasco remains unaltered (the façade and surrounding walls in their original form) to this date as a place of worship. It is made of antique coral rocks—without the use of cement and steel bars; yet it still stands today as a proof of the “living past”.

Moreover, the Presidencia Building with a two-story structure was the seat of Barcelona local government headed by the Governadorcillo. Being a few meters away from the shoreline of the Pacific, it served as a fortress from pirate attacks with an underground tunnel leading to the parish church across the street. During the Japanese occupation, the Presidencia was used as a garrison. After the war, it was used again as the seat of the municipal government. A series of typhoons destroyed the upper part and surrounding walls. Its remains served as a historical landmark and an awesome sight to savor the past. The remnants of the adjacent Stone Building which was also built in 1874 as a school building for the children of the “Illustrados” can still be seen. During the American rule, it was still utilized as an elementary school building until a typhoon destroyed its roof.

The 25 baranggays of BARCELONA

     Alegria

   Bagacay

   Bangate

  Bugtong

    Cagang

   Fabrica

   Jibong

   Lago

     Layog

   Luneta

    Macabari

    Mapapac

      Olandia

    Paghaluban

   Poblacion Central

     Poblacion Norte

   Poblacion Sur

    Putiao

 San Antonio

     San Isidro

     San Ramon

     San Vicente

     Santa Cruz

    Santa Lourdes

   Tagdon

TOURIST SPOT IN BARCELONA

The Old Stone Building were the Illustrados are being sent to school...

 The surface of the underground tunnel

The parola

The Presidencia house of the Spaniards

The baywalk

The oldest Spanish church in Sorsogon

The year when the church is being made by the Spaniards

The tourist spots that being publish was made by the Spaniards  in the late 1800 due to thier loneliness.... The Municipality was named by Spaniards, owing to the panoramic view of the coastal capital city of Barcelona in Cataluña, Spain.