St. Marie Eugenie Homes rise in Brgy. Sto. Domingo
St Marie Eugenie Homes in Barangay
Sto Domingo, Arevalo
* This was inspired by St. Marie Eugenie's passion to shape a society where there is more justice, humanity, and solidarity
"Be the change you want to see."
A few years before Mahatma Gandhi gave this powerful guideline to anyone who desired to effect change in society, St. Marie Eugenie of Jesus, recently canonized founder of the Religious of the Assumption, exhorted all involved in the process of educating the young to help them grow and develop into strong persons, exerting a decisive and positive action even in their little sphere of influence.
Guests gather for the blessing
Drawn to all that is positive in human beings - goodness, beauty, truth - she was deeply convinced that the freedom Christ offers has the power to transform society and to lead people to genuine fulfillment. St. Marie Eugenie saw in the society around her that the sense of human worth was distorted by excessive hunger for possessions: a materialistic cynicism had corroded a people's capacity for faith and commitment, a thirst to satisfy ambition at all costs, selfishness, and the exploitation of others were accepted as ‘normal'. Generosity, helpfulness, the willingness to share and share alike were undervalued. All this, she felt, could be corrected by education.
A beneficiary and his son look on
Inspired by St. Marie Eugenie's passion to collaborate in God's Plan of making humankind one people, thus destroying the walls of separation, to shape a society where there is more justice, humanity, and solidarity, the St. Marie Eugenie Homes in Barangay Sto. Domingo, Arevalo, was born. The first of several centennial projects of Assumption Iloilo, this provided 21 members of its faculty, non-teaching, and maintenance staff homes they could proudly call their own, was launched in 2005 as "Balay sang Gugma". Two years later, on June 30 2007, Rev. Jesusimo Candado, parish priest of Sto. Niño de Arevalo, blessed the new units. Each homeowner with family members, (some up to the 3rd generation!) welcomed Fr. Candado into their residence for the blessing, thanking God for the gift of their home. Also present to witness this significant event were Alfonso Tan (the project's partner), his son, Allan, construction team and workers, Sisters of Assumption Iloilo, alumnae, other faculty and staff, benefactors and friends.
Fr. Candado leads the guests in prayer
Challenged to grow into a community whose presence in Brgy. Sto. Domingo would exert positive influence towards the building of "a society in which all are invited to share their gifts, to take real responsibility, and to enrich through their own personality the community in which each one is called to live and act", the residents of St. Marie Eugenie Homes have a saint to inspire and lead them on.