Their first superior in the Philippines was Fr. Clovis Rondeau, the second was Father J Geoffroy. In 1939, Father C Thibault became the Parish Priest of San Pedro, asssisted by Fr. Leo Poirier. Fr,. L Labelle took charge of St. Peter's High School. Father Cote opened a new parish of Kingking. Fr. Guerin was in Caraga; Fr. Dupuis in Baganga, Fr. Leblanc in Cateel; Fr. lamy in Mati with Fr. Lahaye.
In the early fifties during my early elementary days at the Holy Cross of Digos, I could recall Fr. Guerin as our Parish Priest in our new town. First time I saw a huge police dog in the convent , brought by him. I remember Fr. Lahaye as our Saint Francis Seminary Rector in the early sixties when I was in high school.
The third group of missionaries arrived in 1940. They were
- Robert Lemay
- Roland Hebert
- Andre Pigeon
They immediately went to assist in Caraga, Cateel, and Baganga.
The 4th group arrived in November 1940 and January 1941. They were
- Eugene Ouellet
- Gerard Campagna
- Jean Bernard Bazinet
- Henri Desjardins
- Marcel Turcotte
After the war, in the early fifties, Fr. Bazinet initiated the project of the seminary to produce the Diocesan Filipino Clergy, later known as the Saint Francis Seminary.
The last batch to arrive before the war were
- Alfred Tremblay
- Octave Rheaume
- Julien Vezina
The pre-war missionaries concentrated their mission, replacing the Jesuits, in San Pedro and in the three parishes of Cateel, Caraga,and Baganga. They were able to open new parishes in Mati in 1937, Kingking in 1940, Santa Cruz in 1941. Then the war broke out, and the mission was disrupted.
During the war, the Fathers spent their time escaping the terrors of war,then being imprisoned in concentration camps. Four Fathers died during the war: Fr. Lamy, Fr. Poirier, fr. Desjardins, and Fr. Leblanc. The rest survived, very weak at the end of the war. All except Fr. C Thibault and Fr. Campagna left to recuperate in their homeland back in Canada. They , however, returned in January 1946 together with the new priests:
- Florian Roch
- Denis Cosette
- Maurice Cote
A full-swing mission work after the war
- Churches and parishes mushroomed all around the three locations of Davao in towns of Digos, Padada, Malalag, Tagum, etc. At the same time Catholic Schools were made around the Parishes, most of them named "Holy Cross" of Digos, of Bansalan, of Santa Cruz, etc. Starting from kinder education , school education grew to elementary grades, then to high school, and after ten years to colleges. The PME Fathers were able to invite many religious congregations to handle education and health care like the RVM sistes, Presentation of Mary, the Maryknoll,Dominican Sisters, Carmelite Sisters, Pink Sisters, the Jesuits, the Redemptorists, Pauline sisters, and many more in years.
Most of the leaders today (year 2000) and in the future in the provinces of Davao came and will come from these institutions of learning.. one way or other.
Then in 1956, the PME started constructing the Saint Francis Xavier Seminary. Forty-four years later, the seminary project produced hundreds of priests and ex-seminarians for the dioceses of Davao and of Mindanao. In Davao, this project prepared the way for the Filipino clergy to continue the christianity of Davao.
Today, there are only very few PME Fathers left to maintain a helping hand to the Diocesan Clergy. Also, the Seminary produced a lot of ex-seminarians, who received a strong religious and scientific formation. The ex-seminarians would exert unique influences in their leadership in government, education, businesses, and in the legal and medical professions.
The PME Priests who arrived after the war - Gerard Dube, 1947
- Alcide Lefebvre, 1947
- Bernard Giraldeau, 1947
- Jean-Paul Asselin, 1947:I remember him as our teacher in the seminary in the sixties. He was very friendly and fatherly.
- Philippe Houle, 1947
- Gerard Rondeau, 1947
- Henri Fournelle, 1947
- Germain Pelletier, 1947
- Frenand Schetagne, 1948
- Odoric Beaulieu, 1948
- Gaudiose Gagnon, 1948
- Alain Lecomte, 1948
- Eloi Montambault, 1948
- Guy Poupart, 1948
- Marcel Vallieres, 1948
- Bernard Gemme, 1949
- Guy Riendeau, 1949
- Paul Guibault, 1949
- Maurice Leveille, 1949: I remember him as our Parish Priest in Digos in 1958 and 1959. He accepted me and endorsed me to the Seminary in 1959.
- Paul Gravel, 1959
- Louis-Charles Sabourin, 1950: I remember him as our Parish Priest in Digos, replacing Fr. Leveille in the middle sixties; then as our teacher in the seminary.
- Gilles Ouellet, 1950
- Henri Veilleux, 1950
- Jacques Greendale, 1950
- Henri Coursol, 1950
- George Reid, 1950: I remember him as our college professor of English writing and literature. He was very good. With him, we built up our English vocabulary and appreciation of the English and American Literatures. If I come to appreciate all the works of Shakespeare and Edgar Alan Poe, it is because of him.
- Julien Rivard, 1950
- Francois Han, 1951
- Paul Han, 1951
- Henri Babin, 1951
- Jean-Paul Foisy, 1951
- Jean Lalonde, 1952
- Donat Baril, 1952
- Joseph Godbout, 1952
- Herve Gautreau, 1952
- Gerard-Andre Gagne, 1953
- Marcel Lavoie, 1953
- Jean Bernier, 1953: I remember him as our Philosophy Professor, beginning with the study of Logic, Psychology, and Cosmology. First time we listened to his first lectures in Latin. I then wondered how to follow any understanding of Philosophy . We could read and understand, but listening? That was something else. He was very understanding, he would then lecture in English.
- Fernand Larocque, 1953
- Francois Brunelle, 1953
- Gaston Pelland, 1954
- Andre Garneau, 1954: I remember him as the assistant Parish Priest in Digos, then as our Latin Teacher in the seminary in the early sixties.
- Viateur Allary, 1954
- Ephrem Melancon, 1954
- Carol Bernard, 1954
- Jean-Louis Breault, 1954
- Noel Scott, 1955: I remember him as our teacher in the seminary, and also taught us how to play softball and as a powerful team, and be champions in all schools of Davao. The only team we could not beat was the softball Tream of the Davao Penal Colony. I learned from him the importance of Teanwork and constant rigorous practice for skills in all our sports competitions and leagues.
- Leopold Charlebois, 1955
- Lois-George Fortin, 1955: I remember him as our Latin Teacher and Prefect of Discipline in the Minor Seminary. I learned from him study discipline. I learned from him the value of work in our house cleaning and seminary landscaping.
- Guy Pigeon, 1955: He was our teacher at the seminary in the sixties; he was fun of organizing outdoor games like treasure hunting around the hill and the neighborhood of the seminary. At the Major Seminary, he taught Spirituality, and was my Spiritual Director until I decided to leave the Seminary in 1968. His deep spiritual directions will always be remembered.
- Andre Girourd, 1955
- Normand Blais, 1955: I remember him as a very gentle priest when he was assistant Parish Priest of Digos in the sixties.
- George Courchesne, 1956. He was the Seminary Procurator and Teacher in the sixties.
- Claude Matte, 1956
- Jean-Denis Tremblay, 1956
- Jules Boucher, 1956: I remember him as our teacher in Mathematics, Geology, Astronomy and Physics. My interest in the Sciences grew with the talent and deep but humble Scientific learning of Father Boucher. The Earth and the stars and the Universie became so intelligible with him. His interests on knowing its mysteries are contagious even now.He was also very good in music, and taught us how the appreciation of Classical Music. He initiated us to the beauty of stereophonic sounds when this two-dimensional musical technology was first introduced in the sixties. I learned from him the discipline to attempt at perfection.
- Gerard Loiselle, 1957
- Jean-Claude Pelland, 1957: I remember as a very friendly Assistant Parish Priest of Padada in the sixties. In the nineties, he serve at the Saint Francis Seminary until his death in 1999.
- Louis-Charles Breton, 1957
- Roger Begin, 1957: I remember him as our Philosophy Professor and Rector of the Major Seminary. He was very good. His philophical diagrams to understand all aspects of philophical thinking are still vivid in my mind. His philosophical-thinking discipline is a model for opennes, creativity and dialogues.
- Marcel Deschambault, 1958: I remember him as a Seminary teacher.
- Donal Carbonneau, 1958.
- Donald Bouchard, 1958: He was also in the Seminary.
- Andre Vallee, 1958:I remember him as our professor in Chemistry and Biology. Together with Father Boucher, he delivered a strong discipline of scientific thinking to all his students. The theories of DNA, genes, and Genetics were still new in the sixties. Yet he was able to get the best textbooks of the the time,and we were initiated to the mysteries of biological programming of all living species, evolution, etc. At the age of seventeen or eighteen and until now, we wonder at the wonders of the atoms, molecules, amino acides, proteins, and the generations of so many species of living things. The deepest questions activate a search for answers with religious implications making theological and biblical thinking more intelligent and humane.
- Aloysiu Lee, 1958
- Armand Lalande, 1959. I remember him as a very accomodating assistant Parish Priest of Digos.
- Jacques Paquin, 1959.
- Paul Lu, 1959
- Marcel Loiselle, 1960
- Andre Bujold, 1960: I remember him as a teacher and Prefect of Discipline.He excelled in the development of sports in the seminary. He was very good at photography. Together with father Fortin, we learned our first lessons in photography with him.
- Richard Vanasse, 1960. He was also assigned as Procurator and teacher of the Minor Seminary.
- Miguel Moto, 1960
- Jean-Marie Thibault, 1960
- Henri Brossard, 1960.
- Hubert Paradis, 1961: I remember him as our Theology Professor in Scriptures at the Major Seminary. He was also very good at Music, and taught as a lot of songs in our Seminary choir.
- Guy Lamoureux, 1961.I remember him as a very active assistant Parish Priest, then Parish Priest of Penaplata. In just a year he veloped the gymastic abilities of the children of Penaplata. He did several shows around demonstating the skills and abilities of his troupe. In Penaplata, then, most children learned to walk on their hands upside down.
- Generoso Camina, 1962: I remember him as the first Filipino PME priest. He personally helped me to continue in the seminary studies for ten years. He became Bishop of the newly created Dioces of Digos.
- Jacques Robert, 1962
- Patrice Picard, 1962: I remember him as our Theology Professor Social Anthropoly and Catechetics in the Major Seminary. As of this writing (year 2000), he is still in Davao as PME Regional Director of the remaining misionaries and mission in Mindanao.
- Bernard Robert, 1963
- Gervais Turgeon, 1963: He was assigned in the Minor Seminary in the late sixties.
- Yvon Tetreault, 1964. I remember him as out Theology Professor in Church History at the Major Seminary.
- Jacques Bedard, 1964
- Roland Denis, 1965: I remember him as our Theology Professor in Dogma and Moral Theology at the Major Seminary. He also officiated my marriage.His opennes, intelligent curiosity, and personal faith in theological thinking has made Theological studies very interesting.
- Richard Brodeur, 1965
- Lucien Chabot, 1965
- Ronald Landery, 1966
- Jean-Yves Isabel, 1966
- Jean Binette, 1967
- Rheal Desy, 1967
- Leo Dubord, 1968
- Gilles Belanger, 1968
- Jacques Bourdages, 1968
- Pierre Fisette, 1968
- Andre Viau, 1969
- Francisco Alvarez, 1969: I remember him as my classmate in the Seminary days.
- Jacques Doyon, 1969
- Robert Piche, 1969
- Guy Levesque, 1970
- Andre Rondeau, 1970
- Pierre Samson, 1970
- Gilles Grenier, 1971
- Gregoire Lachance, 1971
- Real Levesque, 1973
The Regional Superiors in Davao
In their years in Mindanao, the PME Fathers are led by a Regional Superior in the following:
- Clovis Rondeau, 1937
- Joseph Geoffroy, 1938-1948
- Clovis Thibault, 1948-1950
- Fernand Scgetagne, 1950-1953
- Lionel Labelle, 1953-1958
- Guy Poupart, 1958-1967
- Jacques Paquin, 1967-1971
- Andre Vallee, 1971-1973
- Roland Denis, 1973-1978
- Patrice Picard, 1978-1984
- Viateur Allary, 1984-1987
- Patrice Picard, 1987-present
� The whole provinces of Davao have grown in leaps and bounds since the arrival of the PME Fathers. Their faith and living examples are continually touching the disicpline and creativities of the Davawneos. The forces of ex-seminarians started, too, with the establishement of Saint Francis Seminary.They did not become priests.However, the seminary education has molded them unique personality , experienced only by very few men. This education in the fifties, in the sixties, and the seventies,is the best bargain they got by participating in the pioneering days of the seminary. They are never going to forget the learning experiences.
The Agustinian Recollects and the Jesuits opened up Mindanao to the map of Christian the world. Nevertheless, the PME fathers were the developmental pioneers of the Catholic Church in Davao. After 50 years, this Church is new compared to the communities in the Visayas and Luzon.A new breed of Christian is developed in Davao, unique in the Philippines with the advent of technologies in Agriculture, Sciences, Computer technologies and big businesses in Mindanao.The Catholic Church has grown. The population has increased tenfold. So, also the proliferation of religious sects. A town in Davao could have as many thirty to forty diffferent religious sects. We will not see this many in the Luzon and in the Visayas regions. The bigger ones are the Iglesia ni Cristo, Aglipay Chruch, the American protestantism in the Baptist and Episcopalian churches, and newer Mormon Church. The Filipino cultures both Christians and Tribal demonstrate a very strong sense of the religious experiences of the Filipino People.
(Sources.. PME Fathers: by JP Mercado 4/28/2000)
- Churches and parishes mushroomed all around the three locations of Davao in towns of Digos, Padada, Malalag, Tagum, etc. At the same time Catholic Schools were made around the Parishes, most of them named "Holy Cross" of Digos, of Bansalan, of Santa Cruz, etc. Starting from kinder education , school education grew to elementary grades, then to high school, and after ten years to colleges. The PME Fathers were able to invite many religious congregations to handle education and health care like the RVM sistes, Presentation of Mary, the Maryknoll,Dominican Sisters, Carmelite Sisters, Pink Sisters, the Jesuits, the Redemptorists, Pauline sisters, and many more in years.
Most of the leaders today (year 2000) and in the future in the provinces of Davao came and will come from these institutions of learning.. one way or other.