History of San Jose de Mindanao Seminary

San Jose de Mindanao Seminary is the first founded college seminary in the island of Mindanao. The late Archbishop James T. G. Hayes S.J., D.D. ordered the erection of this important institution, “The heart of the diocese,” for the formation of the native clergy in Mindanao. The construction began in 1954. It is situated in one of the strategic hills of Cagayan de Oro City, located on top of Camaman-an Hill facing the southeastern part of Misamis Oriental. It is the area where anyone can see the panorama of the Macajalar Bay, full view of the city, and beautiful island of Camiguin.

The Jesuit Fathers were the first administrators of the seminary. Informal classes started in October 1956. Rev. Theodore Daigler, S.J. was the first appointed rector of the seminary which was still under construction. The first teachers or formators consisted of the rector, the archbishop’s secretary and one of the Jesuit scholastics from the Ateneo de Cagayan who used to come to teach Latin and other pertinent subjects.

In June 1957, the seminary had a team of formators composing of two Jesuit priests and two Jesuit scholastics. On May 1958, Reverend Father Estanislao Lagutin, S.J., was appointed a new rector of the seminary. During the school year 1959-1960, Fr. Lagutin began working for the government recognition of the academic courses offered by the seminary. The recognition was granted during the same school year. Young men with a desire for the priesthood and who have graduated from high school were the first persons admitted to the seminary. They were the first seminarians to be called, not as minor seminarians, but as college seminarians.

The seminary began with a three (3) years of college before being sent to theology, either to San Carlos Major Seminary in Cebu or San Jose Major Seminary in Manila. In 1964 to 1985, due to the emphasis of the study of Latin, the seminary courses were extended to four years. Meanwhile, the first regional major seminary in Mindanao was opened and thus seminarians from San Jose de Mindanao Seminary, were then sent to the Regional Major Seminary (REMASE) in Davao.

In the school year 1966-67, the formators experimented sending the seminarians to take their Bachelor of Arts in Ateneo de Cagayan (Xavier University). The other courses such as Latin and religion subjects were taken in the seminary. At present, the seminarians enroll at Xavier University for their Degree in Philosophy.
After 50 years of existence, the seminary had 14 rectors who selflessly labored in governing this very important institution.