On the Collaboration Between Bishop Constant Jurgens, CICM, of the Diocese of Tuguegarao and the Divine Word Missionaries

Abstract

The article examines the role of Bishop Jurgens, CICM, in the establishment of the first SVD mission seminary in the Philippines and the SVD missionaries’ involvement in northern Cagayan parishes in the 1930s. It makes use of various archival sources to recreate the collaboration between the Bishop and the SVD, shedding light 1) on the SVD’s decision to take over parishes in northern Cagayan that belonged to the Diocese of Tuguegarao; 2) on the Bishop’s assistance in the creation of Christ the King Mission Seminary in New Manila; and 3) on the roles of various individuals and institutions in making the collaboration between the Bishop and the SVDs possible.