Our Story
HISTORY OF MARY HELP OF CHRISTIANS SCHOOL (CEBU), INC.
Minglanilla, Cebu
A Journey of Loving Service and Dedication
St. John Bosco and St. Mary Domenica Mazzarello founded the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (Salesian Sisters of St. John Bosco) in 1872. Guided by the Spirit, they realized God’s plan for the salvation of youth. The Spirit enkindled in Mother Mazzarello the same apostolic charity of Don Bosco, preparing her to express the feminine dimension of the charism.
In 1955, the communists’ takeover of China forced the FMA missionaries to move to Hong Kong and then to the Philippines where they started a variety of apostolic works. From a presence of 4 pioneer missionaries, now, after 65 years of its educative presence, some 150 Daughters of Mary Help of Christians of the Philippine-Papua New Guinea Province can be found in 20 communities in Luzon, Visayas and PNG.
In 1986, true to its aim of helping poor and out-of-school youths in the vicinity, the school opened an all-girl Evening High School Department and offered scholarship grants for a 6-month vocational course to poor but deserving out of school youths and high school graduates thus Mary Help of Christians School started its educative mission among the poor young girls in Minglanilla, Cebu.
Faithful to the educational heritage handed on by St. John Bosco and St. Mary Domenica Mazzarello, the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians educate young people in the spirit and style of the Preventive System. Don Bosco firmly believed that in every young person there is a seed of goodness and therefore no one is beyond redemption. Herein lies his fundamental choice for the preventive style of education rather than the repressive system. In the style of the Preventive System the educators are afire by the single motto of Don Bosco: “Da mihi animas coetera tolle”, i.e., “Give me souls take away the rest”.
To this day, its 35 years of educative presence proves to be fruitful not only in the lives of the young it educates but also in the growth of the Educating Community. The sharing of life, collaboration and unity of vision among the sisters, lay collaborators, parents and young people has made the school what it is today. Mary Help of Christians School’s journey of loving service and dedication to young people continues…
OUR PHILOSOPHY
The Daughters of Mary Help of Christians educate young people in the spirit and style of the Preventive System, an educational heritage handed on by St. John Bosco and St. Mary Domenica Mazzarello. The fundamental choice for the preventive style of education is the firm conviction that in every young person there is a seed of goodness and therefore no one is beyond redemption. The educators are afire by the single motto of Don Bosco: “Da mihi animas coetera tolle”, i.e., “Give me souls take away the rest”.
The Preventive System as a spirituality is deeply rooted in the heart of Jesus, the Good Shepherd and as a method has three fundamental elements: reason, religion, and loving kindness. By reason, the young is helped to develop critical thinking and to have a discerning attitude which will equipped them to make intelligent judgments, decisions and enlightened moral choices. By religion the youth is accompanied to have a deep and lasting relationship with Jesus through prayer, an active Sacramental life and through the formation of an upright conscience. Don Bosco emphasized “Education is a matter of the heart, of which God is the Master ”, therefore the Preventive System is founded on the Gospel virtue of loving kindness.
The relationship between the educators and the young is a relationship that is based entirely on the love of God and an unwavering trust and respect for the person’s self-worth and dignity. Thus, the educators are able to challenge them and motivate them to take hold of their life and be responsible for it.
The aim of this style of education is for the young to become good Christians and honest citizens. The educative presence, called the Salesian assistance, gives the young a sense of security and a sense of being “at home” wherever they are. The educators’ presence in their midst and accompaniment in their life’s journey remind them of the presence of God and of Mary herself. This gives them confidence that they are not alone in their struggles to become good and to make responsible choices.
The youth breathe and live the Salesian Youth Spirituality which is tailor – made for them but shared and lived by the educators themselves. This is a spirituality which encourages the young to strive for holiness in their day to day life as members of God’s family, the Church, and of society. Thus, they are expected to be active and committed promoters of the culture of life. This style of education provides the youth educative experiences not only in the classrooms and playgrounds but especially through volunteerism and membership in different groups within the Salesian Youth Movement.
In the spirit of the Preventive System the educators walk hand-in-hand with the youth towards the fullness of life, “that they may have life and have it abundantly”. (Jn 10:10).
VISION
After the Heart of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, an Educating Community that commits itself to live the Salesian Spirituality of St. John Bosco and St. Mary Domenica Mazzarello forming the young to be good Christians and Honest Citizens.
MISSION
Through the Christian Living Education and the Preventive System, we educate and accompany the young person especially those who are affected by various forms of poverty to live their Christian vocation to the full in joyful service towards others.
CORE VALUES
CHRISTIAN CONSCIENCE AND CHARACTER
We evangelize through education and we educate through evangelization. Salesian Education gives primacy to the integration of faith and life. We nurture our friendship with Christ through a systematic and dynamic education to the faith, prayer and sacramental life, joyful availability, responsibility and commitment: forming us to become men and women who live the faith that we believe.
SALESIAN SPIRITUALITY: The Hallmark of our Education
The Salesian Preventive System of St. John Bosco and St. Mary Domenica Mazzarello lived and shared by the educators and the young is the hall mark of our educative – pastoral work. The Salesian Family Spirit characterized by deep and open relation-ships, dialogue, mutual trust, collaboration, joyful availability, responsibility and commitment permeates our educational environment.
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
The Educating Community lives our Catholic and Christian faith by being a community of responsive Salesian servant leaders committed to the promotion of people’s holistic wellness, moral integrity towards social transformation and productivity. We reach out and mobilize our resources and potentials to empower people in target communities empowering them to achieve the desired development and transformation.
CULTURE OF EXCELLENCE
The Educating Community pursues a culture of excellence as the tangible expression of St. Mary Domenica Mazzarello’s words: “Here sanctity consists in doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.” Salesian education provides a transformative learning environment and a high standard of professional service that prepares and engages all who learn and work here to serve humanity as competent and responsible men and women.
THE OFFICIAL SEAL OF MARY HELP OF CHRISTIANS SCHOOL (CEBU), INC.
The scepter symbolizes Mary Help of Christians, the Mother and Teacher in every Salesian School.
The Lily stands for Radiant Purity which must be the shining virtue lived to a heroic degree in the daily by every Salesian pupil and educator.
The Rose stands for Charity – the Love of Christ the Good Shepherd – which impels every Salesian educator to value and see the educative potential in every young person on his/her road to salvation. It is the same love that challenges the young to respond to God’s love by becoming his/her best “doing the ordinary things extraordinarily well in the right place and proper time and solely for the love of God” (Mother Mazzarello). It is also this love which impels the young to be protagonists in the society and in the Church, making their contribution for its building and development as good Christians and honest citizens”.
OUR SALESIAN ROOTS
SALESIAN HOLINESS
ST. MARY DOMENICA MAZZARELLO
St. Mary Domenica Mazzarello was born on May 9, 1837 in Mornese (Italy) and died May 14, 1881 in Nizza Monferrato (Italy). She is the co-founder of the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians. Beatified November 20, 1938; Canonized June 24, 1951.
To every Daughter of Mary Help of Christians, she left behind an educational tradition imbued with Gospel values: the search for God known through enlightened catechesis, ardent love for Jesus in the Eucharist, and filial trust in Mary Help of Christians, sense of responsibility in work, honesty, humility, joy, simplicity of lifestyle, and total self-giving in the search for the true good of the girls, especially the poor and needy both at home and in the various mission countries.
ST. JOHN BOSCO
St. John Bosco was born at Castelnuovo d’Asti, Italy on 16 August 1815, of a family of peasant farmers. His father, Francis Bosco, died when John was two years old, and Margaret Occhiena raised Anthony, Joseph and John as a single parent.
Pope Pius IX encourages Don Bosco, who for years has cultivated in his heart the project of founding a female institute, to decide to do for the girls what he is doing for the boys. With the wise collaboration of Fr. Domenic Pestarino, he chose the first foundation stones of the future Institute from among the Daughters of the Immaculate who eventually became the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (Salesian Sisters), wherein most of its members became the first Sisters of the congregation whose beginning was in Mornese, Italy.
BLESSED LAURA VICUÑA
Blessed Laura Vicuña was born on April 5, 1891 in Santiago (Chile) and died on January 22, 1904 in Junín de los Andes (Argentina). In her 13 years of existence, she lived an intense life, made a profound journey of faith, and transformed suffering into love. Laura is a young girl where the Salesian charism exists: a poor girl, a young at risk, beloved by God.
DOMINIC SAVIO
St. Dominic Savio was born on April 2, 1842, in the village of Riva, Italy. He was the second of eleven children of Charles and Brigid Savio, who were poor, hard-working, pious people. Dominic was a remarkable boy. St. John Bosco himself has written a biography of this young saints so that the young people of the Oratory will emulate the example of this pure soul. He attended the Oratory of St. Francis of Sales a school, youth center and hospice founded by Don Bosco and he lived the spirituality that was shared with him by St. John Bosco.
SALESIAN FAMILY
PAST PUPILS
The Association of the Past Pupils of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians was founded by Blessed Philip Rinaldi, a Salesian priest and third successor of Don Bosco, with the collaboration of Sr. Catherine Arrighi. It is an international, inter-cultural and inter-religious network and a non-profit lay association.
“The Association is for women and men who have been formed in the houses of the FMA irrespective of their religious, cultural, social and ethnic affiliations and who want to share, deepen and witness to the human and religious values in which they have been educated following the Preventive System of Don Bosco.” (Source: Identità dell’Exallieva)
ASSOCIATION OF THE SALESIAN COOPERATORS
The Association of the Salesian Cooperators, the third branch of the Salesian Family, is an association for Catholic lay people or diocesan clergy who are attracted to live the Salesian charism in a secular state.
They are considered as the Salesians in the World who are called to live out their faith in their own secular reality. Taking inspiration from Don Bosco’s apostolic project, they have a strong sense of communion with the other members of the Salesian Family. They commit themselves to the same mission to youth and to ordinary folk in a fraternal and united way. They work for the good of the Church and of society in a manner adapted to the educational needs of their territory and to their own concrete possibilities. (SOURCE: Statutes of the Association of the Salesian, Article 6)
ASSOCIAZIONE DI MARIA AUSILIATRICE
The Association of Mary Help of Christians is an association which promotes the love for Mary and the Eucharist. They belong to the Salesian Family and shares the mission among the poor and the working class. The ADMA is present in 50 countries and is closely collaborating with the other group of the Salesian Family.
Salesian Traditions / Practices
Don Bosco’s primary concern in the education of the young was their spiritual growth. MHCS keeps the following Salesian traditions as St. John Bosco’s effective means of educating the young to filial piety, to Christian joy and to the diligent fulfillment of their duties.
- A triduum of prayer to the Holy Spirit is observed at the beginning of the School Year to invoke the continual help of the Holy Spirit for the entire Educating Community
- A Mass in honor of the Holy Spirit is celebrated by the Educating Community at the culmination of the triduum.
- Masses are celebrated on special occasions, feasts and solemnities and frequent spontaneous visits to the Blessed Sacrament are encouraged as means to help the young experience the loving presence of Christ in their lives, strengthening them in their daily commitment to Him.
- The “joy of salvation and the love of God who saves” are celebrated through frequent Confession and Communion.
5. The strong liturgical seasons of Advent, Christmas and Lent enable the Educating Community to journey with the whole Church towards a deeper participation in the life of Christ.
6. Morning and evening prayers are our response to the Father’s merciful and faithful love.
7. The “Good Day Talk” is a short greeting which inspires the young to virtue.
8. The quarterly “Exercise for a Happy Death” spent in an atmosphere of recollection and prayer helps the young to evaluate their life in the light of God’s Word and eternity.
9. The annual recollection or retreat is an opportune moment for spiritual renewal and growth in holiness.
10. Devotion to Mary, the Mother of God and the Help of Christians instills trust and confidence in the young. It leads them to imitate Mary’s openness to God and neighbor. Such devotion is expressed –
A. Every 24th of the month, commemorating Mary Help of Christians through a renewed filial entrustment to her.
B. On the month of October through a more fervent prayer dedicated to the Holy Rosary.
C. On the feast of the Immaculate Conception (December 8) through a strong commitment to purity.
11.Loving fidelity to the Holy Father, Christ’s Vicar on earth, is expressed in prayer, in loving adherence to his teachings and in the annual celebration of the Pope’s Day.
12.Devotion to the Guardian Angel, appointed by God as protector and companion, is expressed in prayer, in loving awareness of his presence particularly every Tuesday and on October 2.
13.Concern for the missions is expressed through prayers, sacrifices and material offering every Tuesday and in the mission month of October.
14.Our filial gratitude to our saintly founders is expressed in:
A. The commemoration of St. Mary Mazzarello every 13th of the month
B. The commemoration of St. John Bosco every last day of the month and the celebration of his feast on January 31
15. Music, theater, sports, outings and group life channel the energies of the young towards a healthy, disciplined, creative and balanced personality in the Salesian Youth Movement.
16.The celebration of the Institute Day every 5th of August as a thanksgiving for the presence of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians in the Church
17.The celebration of the Gratitude Day unites the Educating Community in thanksgiving for God’s presence and mediation through our Superiors: the School Directress, Provincial Superior and Mother General
18.The commemoration of Blessed Laura Vicuña every 22nd of the month and on her feast on January 22, and St. Dominic Savio on the 6th of every month and on his feast day on May 6 spurs the young to imitate their example of unselfish love and radiant purity.
