The Divine Word Seminary Tagaytay (DWST) is a

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

mission

seminary A seminary, school of theology, theological college, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called seminarians) in scripture and theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as cle ...

located in Tagaytay City, Philippines. Established in 1933, the seminary is owned and administered by the Society of the Divine Word (

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

: ''Societas Verbi Divini'', or SVD). The primary purpose of the seminary is to prepare

missionaries A missionary is a member of a religious group who is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Miss ...

for both the Philippine and foreign missions. Its students are mostly

seminarians A seminary, school of theology, theological college, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called seminarians) in scripture and theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clerg ...

preparing for the priesthood, and come from a cluster of around 14 autonomous affiliated houses of formation.

Academic programs

DWST offers the following degrees: # a four-year

Theology Theology is the study of religious belief from a Religion, religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an Discipline (academia), academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itse ...

course; # Sacrae Theologiae Baccalaureus or S.T.B. – diploma comes from

Pontifical Urbaniana University The Pontifical Urban University, also called the ''Urbaniana'' after its names in both Latin and Italian, is a pontifical university that was under the authority of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. The university's mission is to ...

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; # M. A. in Theology; # A.B. in Theology; and # Certificate in Theological Studies directed mainly to the

laity In religious organizations, the laity () — individually a layperson, layman or laywoman — consists of all Church membership, members who are not part of the clergy, usually including any non-Ordination, ordained members of religious orders, e ...

. DWST also hosts a house of formation for the SVD-Philippines—the SVD Scholasticat and the Divine Word Institute of Mission Studies (DWIMS). Included in its academic programs are the following courses/subjects: # Ecclesiastical Course (course for candidates for the priesthood) # Licentiate in Mission Theology (run by the Divine Word Institute of Mission Studies) # Baccalaureate in Sacred Theology (degree conferred by the Pontifical Urbaniana University, Rome) # AB Theology Degree (recognized by CHED) # M.A. in Theology, Major in Moral Theology # M.A. in Theology, Major in Missiology # M.A. in Theology, Major in Sacred Scriptures # M.A. in Theology Major in Systematic Theology # M. A. in Theology: Major in Pastoral Ministry (non-thesis) # M. A. in Theology Major in Mission Studies (Non-thesis)
Certificate in Theological Studies
(CTS)
SVD-Alternative Learning System
(SVD-ALS)

Administration

Affiliated houses of formation

# Divine Word Seminary Scholasticate (SVD) - Rector, Fr. Samuel Agcaracar, SVD # Mission Society of the Philippines (MSP) - Fr. Roberto Ruben Elago, MSP # Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales (MSFS)- Rector, Fr. Binoy, MSFS # Oblates of Saint Joseph (OSJ) - Fr. Randy dela Rosa, OSJ # Religious Tertiary Capuchins of Our Lady of Sorrows (Amigonians) - Fr. Renz Canuto, TC # Saint Augustine Major Seminary (SASMA)- Rector, Fr. Andy Lubi # Saint Lawrence of Brindisi House of Studies (OFM Capuchins) - Rector, Fr. Arnold M. Montealto, OFMCap # Saint Paul Seminary Foundation (SSP)- Rector, Fr. Norman Pena, SSP # Saint Paul Scholasticate (Barnabites) - Rector, Fr. Jesus Allado, CRSP # San Pablo Theological Formation House - Rector, Fr. Jose Segudo # Servants of the Paraclete (sP)- Rector, Fr. Peter Khan # Somascan Major Seminary (Somascans)- Fr. Gabriele Scotti, CRS # Tahanan ng Mabuting Pastol (TMP)- Rector, Fr. Michael Cron # Two Hearts (OATH and SMITH)- Superior, Bishop Leopoldo Jaucian

Deans

The School of Theology had graduates already from the school years 1964–1969, but there was no official appointment of a dean for the school. The school's entity was closely associated with the rector, thus there was no official appointment for a dean until the start of the school-year 1969. * Fr. Antonio Pernia, SVD, STD 2020–present * Fr. Guilberto Marqueses, SVD, STL 2017-2020 * Fr. Randolf Flores, SVD, SSL, PhD and STD – 2014–2017 * Fr. Felix Ferrer, SVD, STD – 2013–2014 * Fr. Alexander Muaña, SVD, STL – 2008–2013 * Fr. Michael Layugan, SVD, PhD and STD – 2004–2008 * Fr. Felix Ferrer, SVD, STD- 1999–2004 * Fr. Lino Nicasio, SVD, PhD – 1996–1999 * Fr. Antolin Uy, SVD, PhD – 1995–1996 * Fr. Lino Nicasio, SVD, PhD – 1992–1995 * Fr. Guillermo Villegas, SVD, SSL, STD – 1990–1992 * Fr. Constante Floresca, SVD, MA – 1988 * Fr. Antolin Uy, SVD, PhD – 1987–1990 * Fr. Florencio Lagura, SVD, STD – 1985–1987 * Fr. Herbert Scholz, SVD, STD – 1981–1985 * Fr. Reiner Franke, SVD, SSL – 1975–1981 * Fr. Macario Magboo, SVD, STL – 1972–1975 * Fr. Frederick Scharpf, SVD, SSL – 1969–1972

References

* Antolin Uy, "Divine Word Seminary: History, Perspective and Orientation Towards New Evangelization," Diwa: Studies in Philosophy and Theology 39 (2014): 69–77.
Deans of the Divine Word Seminary

Rectors of the Divine Word Seminary

Houses of the Divine Word Seminary

School History

AdministrationVision

External links

Divine Word Seminary

Societas Verbi Divini

The Divine Word Seminary – video presentation
created by the fourth year Scholastics 2006; music by Fr. Raul Caga, SVD {{SVD Schools Catholic seminaries in the Philippines Christian organizations established in 1933 Catholic organizations established in the 20th century Divine Word Missionaries Order 1933 establishments in the Philippines Buildings and structures in Tagaytay