Fr Enrico Eusebio Jr SJ has been officially installed as 10th president of the Loyola School of Theology (LST) in Manila, Philippines during an investiture ceremony on August 28 at the Oratory of St Ignatius, Loyola House of Studies, Ateneo de Manila University.
Fr Eusebio’s appointment was approved and confirmed by His Eminence Giuseppe Cardinal Versaldi, Prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education. He takes over from Fr Jose Quilongquilong SJ who served as LST president for six years.
Fr Eusebio has a Doctorate in Canon Law from the Pontifical Salesian University in Rome. He is a professor of Canon Law at LST, and is a judge of the marriage tribunal of the Diocese of Novaliches and a judge and defender of the bond of the marriage tribunal of the Diocese of Parañaque.
In his speech, Fr Eusebio highlighted the importance of lay people and women-religious in LST’s mission of formation.
“Pope Francis in fact tells us that theological centres should ‘encourage as much as possible in addition to seminarians and religious, the participation of lay people and women both lay and religious. In particular, the contribution that women are making and can make to theology is indispensable and their participation should therefore be supported’”, he said.
During the ceremony, Fr Eusebio launched the LST Scholarship Fund for the Laity and Religious Sisters “to help our prospective students in the masters and doctoral programmes to respond to the inspiration and challenge of Pope Francis”.
“As an ecclesiastical faculty of theology and ministry, LST was originally established primarily for the formation of future priests”, said Fr Eusebio. “Through these past 50 years, LST has intensely committed itself as well to the professional and ministerial formation of the laity and religious sisters, who are companions of the clergy in mission.”
Read the inaugural address of Fr Enrico Eusebio as 10th president of LST here.