Saint Jude Catholic School

The Society of the Divine Word and Saint Jude Catholic School. What was an insignificant mission founded at the turn of the 20th century in a small village on the mountains of Abra by a couple of Divine Word Missionaries is today a complex organization whose presence is felt in many parts of the Philippines, and is expressed in a rich variety of apostolates. Truly, the Lord has looked kindly at the SVD Mission in the Philippines.

The Chinese presence in the Philippines dates back even before the arrival of the Spanish missionaries in the country. When Spain formally took possession of the Philippines in 1565, the evangelization and pastoral care of the Chinese in Manila was primarily under the Dominicans with some under the Jesuits. Eventually, the Chinese parish was attached to the Binondo Parish. This arrangement lasted until 1954 when Manila Archbishop Rufino J. Cardinal Santos obtained from the Roman Consistorial Congregation the faculty to erect three more parishes for the Chinese–one of these was St. Jude Parish.

One of the objectives of the school is to nurture and promote the students’ unique Chinese–Filipino heritage as embodied in the two–pronged curricula and programs which develop their understanding, competencies and pride on their rich cultural identity toward greater respect of multicultural diversity, universal solidarity and sharing in the transformation of the world.

Saint Jude Catholic School sees education as a holistic undertaking that strives for the complete formation of the human person for the common good of society. Children and youth are to be nurtured so that their physique, emotional maturity, social awareness and skills, cultural awareness and sensitivities, morality and intelligence are developed simultaneously and in harmony. The school understands that parents and those who take their place have the fundamental and inalienable right to the education of their children.

Nonetheless, it likewise believes that the Church also has a role in education, this role being founded on its divine mission to assist all men and women in their efforts to achieve the fullness of Christian life. By educating the youth, Saint Jude Catholic School carries out the missionary task of the Church and the specific charisma of the Society of the Divine Word to proclaim the mystery of salvation to all peoples and renew all things in Christ. From the founding generations of the school, the two-pronged curricular programs in English Basic Education and Chinese have been distinctly developed.

These programs mold youth through a formative process that interweaves and the appreciation of cultural heritage. Out of this process, socially responsible leaders and active agents of change, especially from the Chinese-Filipino Community, will emerge ready to contribute meaningfully to the transformation of society.