per Scientiam ad Dominum

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PROFESSIONE NOSTRA

On the Occasion of the Twentieth Anniversary

of the Profession of the Fr. Regent into the Order of Preachers

The Fourth Letter to the UST College of Science

10 May 2021

Dearly beloved Dean Emeritus Carmen G. Kanapi, PhD; Dean Fortunato B. Sevilla III, PhD, Academician and Professor Emeritus; Dean Maribel G. Nonato, PhD, UST Vice Rector for Research and Innovation and Academician; Dean John Donnie A. Ramos, PhD; Dean Rey Donne S. Papa, PhD, our incumbent Dean; Prof. Ma. Claudette M. Álvarez-Agnes, PhD, Assistant Dean; Prof. Cecilia A. Banag-Morán, PhD, College Secretary; members of the Faculty Council and Executive Committee; Department Chairs; officials of the Faculty Association of the College of Science; Faculty Members of the UST College of Science; Guidance Counselors, Alumni, Benefactors, Students and their Parents, Support Staff, Maintenance and Security Staff; Friends of the UST College of Science; Brothers and Sisters:

Greetings of Peace!

By our profession, we, Dominicans, dedicate ourselves to God, embracing Christ's kenosis; and at the same time, we share His life in the Spirit. The profession of a Dominican friar is one of the most important milestones in his life. The act of professing, with God Almighty as our witness, means promising to always live in the Dominican way of life—a promise that entails daily battle, often with the world, against temptations, and much more often, with oneself. In this way, we endeavor to remain faithful witnesses in the Church.

Moved by filial devotion, we also promise to obey the Virgin Mary, Mother of God, as the most loving Mother and Protectress of our Order. We also promise obedience to St. Dominic, the founder of the Order, observing fidelity to his spirit and ideal. Furthermore, we promise obedience to the Master of the Order and his successors.

Today, I am celebrating my 20^th year as a professed Dominican, along with my batchmates Frs. Julius Paul Factora OP, Dexter Austria OP, and Jessie Yap OP. From twenty persons who heeded the call of God and entered our formation house in Calamba—which is also named after our patron, ‘St. Albert the Great Pre-Novitiate House’—ten moved on to the next stage of formation in the Novitate in Manaoag; then eight professed and became student-brothers in Quezon City, and four were ordained and are still persevering until today. In spite of our weaknesses, God has called and chosen us to His mission.

Many would confuse profession with ordination. The former incorporates us as religious into the Order of Preachers, while the latter consecrates us as members of the clergy. Yes, Dominicans are both. We are religious priests. In order that we may be perfected in the love of God and neighbor (cf. Mt 22:37-39) through the sequela Christi (following of Christ), we, Dominicans, are incorporated into the Order of Preachers by profession. Consecrated totally to God, we are dedicated in a particular way to the universal Church, “being appointed entirely for the complete evangelization of the Word of God.”

Last night, one of my batchmates asked me a simple yet a profound question: “What is the one thing that you are thankful for in these 20 years of profession?” I told him, “I am grateful that we are trusted in the Order, in the Province, and in the University.” I do cherish that trust, and since I am entrusted with the responsibility of the Regent of the UST College of Science, I am taking such mission not just seriously but also joyfully, as St. Dominic, the doctor of truth and joyful friar, would accept his mission.

Our religious profession is rooted in our baptism that we share with you. In our baptismal promises, we renounce the darkness and believe in God, who is the Light (cf. Mt 5:14-16 and Jn 8:12). We continue to seek the light amidst the darkness of our time. Sometimes, we tend to focus more on the things that we previously enjoyed, such as the face-to-face classes, field works, mask-free and face-shield-free movement, one’s tender embrace among others. The things that we may have taken for granted before the pandemic become somewhat a luxury today. This too shall pass (cf. 2 Cor 5:17), but we don’t have to wait for the darkness to totally disappear before we seek the Light. We must not forget what we still have each other to hold on to.

The UST College of Science family itself is one of our greatest treasures. Please take care of yourself and remain steadfast in faith, because there are many persons who love you, and they would be very sad to see you wallowing in sorrow. By baptism, we are consecrated to God, and as children of God we are all given the mission to preach the Good News; in our particular circumstance, “praedicare Evangelium per scientiam ad Dominum” (to preach the Good News through Science towards the Lord)—the very dynamic taught by our patron, St. Albert the Great. God provides us with the grace as we embrace our profession as children of God, and our profession as scientists, students, and staff.

As we endeavor to seek the Light amidst the darkness, we are directed concretely to reflect on the image of the “Tria Haec” immortalized atop the UST Main Building. It constantly reminds us never lose faith, hope and love. As Thomasians, together with all the baptized, our profession of faith, hope and

love, all manifested in our studies, works and researches, serve as light amidst the pandemic. May the blessing of our Holy Triune God, in Whose Name and for Whose honor the College of Science fulfills its scientific endeavors, be with you always. May you receive it in full, along with my renewed friendship and continued affection for all of you.

In Sanctis Thoma et Alberto Magno,

Rev. Fr. Louie R. Coronel, OP, EHL

Regent, UST College of Science

Post-scriptum:

Before the day of our profession, it has become customary to write our names on one of the bricks of the walls of our room as an attestation of God’s grace. May we continuously inspire others and continue to persevere in preaching and living the Word of God.

CYGNUS ATRATUS

On Faith and Science at the Turn of Events

since the Total Lockdown of the Philippines

due to the COVID-19 Pandemic in March 2020

Third Letter to the UST College of Science

12 March 2021

Dearly Beloved Dean Emeritus Carmen G. Kanapi, PhD; Dean Fortunato B. Sevilla III, PhD, Academician and Professor Emeritus; Dean Maribel G. Nonato, PhD, UST Vice Rector for Research and Innovation and Academician; Dean John Donnie A. Ramos, PhD; Dean Rey Donne S. Papa, PhD, our incumbent Dean; Prof. Ma. Claudette M. Álvarez-Agnes, PhD, Assistant Dean; Prof. Cecilia A. Banag-Morán, PhD, College Secretary; members of the Faculty Council and Executive Committee; Department Chairs; officials of the Faculty Association of the College of Science; Faculty Members of the UST College of Science; Guidance Counselors, Alumni, Benefactors, Students and their Parents, Support Staff, Maintenance and Security Staff; Friends of the UST College of Science; Brothers and Sisters:

The Black Swan has been widely regarded as mystifying ever since the Dutch explorer, Willem de Vlamingh (ca. 1640-1698), discovered this specie in Australia in 1697. This was an unexpected event in scientific history, which profoundly changed not just the landscape of Zoology but also the people's way of thinking. Before its discovery, people in the old world had no reason to believe that swans could be of any other color but white. The Latin expression "Rara avis in terris nigroque simillima cygno" (A rare bird upon the earth, and exceedingly like a black swan) from the Roman satirist, Juvenal (ca. 60-130), attested for the term 'black swan' to be a metaphor for any event considered nonexistent unless otherwise proven by empirical evidence. It is somehow similar to the Filipino idiom that also uses avian subjects: "Kapag pumuti na ang uwak at umitim ang tagak" (Literally, 'When the crow becomes white and the heron becomes black').

In modern times, the Lebanese-American author Nassim Nicholas Taleb (b. 1960), whose work concerns problems of randomness, probability, and uncertainty, has largely redefined this metaphor, or at least refined it. He provided three properties of a 'black swan' event: (1) it is unpredictable; (2) it has severe and widespread consequences; (3) and after its occurrence, people would rationalize it as having been predictable (known as the ‘hindsight bias’) Therefore, 'black swan' events are prospectively unpredictable yet retrospectively predictable.

Arguably, recent events affecting the world could be regarded as 'black swans'. As the world watches with anxiety and vigilance—and sometimes, unavoidably, with a sense of helplessness—the spread and resurgence of COVID-19, with different variants of mutation, the Filipino Bishops continuously exhort us to observe precautionary measures and, most importantly, "to turn to our Loving Father in heaven for protection and guidance" (CBCP Circular no. 20-05). It has been a year since the Philippines was placed under strict community quarantine. We have experienced powerlessness and vulnerability in this pandemic, which has also been a great equalizer that affects all walks of life. Many suffer from isolation. People die every day, by the hour, and we seem to be defenseless in the face of such 'black swan'. People are becoming complacent in observing the minimum health protocols which could be a consequence of the so-called ‘pandemic fatigue’.

Nevertheless, we keep on fighting at the academic front using digital platforms. We continuously develop our creativity, and we even set a higher bar in our programs. It could have been easier for all of us to just be complacent and forego the celebration of Science Week, putting forth the difficulties caused by the pandemic as a convenient excuse, but that would go against the nature of Science. Vaccines were developed in record time and are continuously being evaluated. What could be the prognosis in the coming days? When will this pandemic end? We pray for guidance in the matters at hand, and we ask God to clearly show us how to conduct our endeavors with a spirit of joy and enthusiasm.

We pray for the success of the researches of all scientists, especially our very own, Rev. Fr. Nicanor Austriaco, OP, a Dominican Priest and Molecular Biologist, who has been developing a vaccine for the poor. In a conference on the “Ethical and Scientific Issues of COVID-19 Vaccinations” with Filipino Bishops last January 2021, Fr. Austriaco requested to update the Oratio Imperata (mandated prayer) to give thanks and acknowledge the gift of vaccines, and to bless our endeavors in using it:

“We pray that You guide the people tasked to find cures for this disease and to stem its transmission. We thank You for the vaccines developed made possible by Your guiding hands. Bless our efforts to use these vaccines to end the pandemic in our country. We pray for our health workers that they may minister to the sick with competence and compassion.”

Proclaiming the absolute sovereignty and uncontested power of God, “Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man, this is impossible, but with God all things are possible’” (Mt 19:16). I know that we are sometimes becoming impatient, irritable and fatigued, but we hold on to God’s hand and lay everything at Jesus’ feet, for He said: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Mt 11:28-30).

The unprecedented turn of events—the ‘black swan’—causes disturbance and uncertainty, but it has also underscored the importance of Faith and Science in our life, perhaps more than ever. We must move forward with optimism, with the lamp of faith illuminating our next steps. Pope Francis asks us to be open to “the God of surprises,” who “is a living God, a God who abides in us, a God who moves our heart, a God who is in the Church and walks with us; and He always surprises us on this path”. Thus, “just as [God] had the creativity to create the world, so He has the creativity to create new things every day.” He “is the God who surprises” (Morning Meditation at the Domus Sanctae Marthae, 8 May 2017).

Just recently, I have my own share of a ‘black swan’ event in my life. I was conditioned to leave the College to face a new mission (cf. Coronel, Amor et Gratitudo, 14 February 2021), but to everyone’s surprise, I am back for good after experiencing a detour. Come to think of it: we are on the road as co-pilgrims in this journey of life, that is full of speed bumps and detours, but we must never lose sight of our destination: Our Lord Jesus Christ, who takes the wheel when we are overburdened.

Although 'black swan' events seemingly have a negative connotation, the concept does not only apply to undesirable events. The judgment on whether an event is positive or negative depends on the perspective of the faithful. A person grows in faith in the face of such events. The exceptional resilience of the faithful are tested in these trying moments. Remember that a swan is a bird of great strength, but it only uses its strength at its advantage: to defend its family, and not to offend other creatures. Therefore, we should know our strength. We should never lower the standard of our researches even after the pandemic, for this is our way of serving God and our neighbor (cf. Mk 12:30-31). In this challenging time, “God is our refuge and strength” (Ps 46:1). May Faith and Science be part of our arsenal in combatting the pandemic. May we remain steadfast in faith as we engage in our scientific endeavors.

May the blessing of our Holy Triune God, in Whose Name and for Whose honor the College of Science fulfills its scientific endeavors, be with you always. May you receive it in full, along with my renewed friendship and continued affection for all of you.

In Sanctis Thoma et Alberto Magno,

Rev. Fr. Louie R. Coronel, OP

Regent, UST College of Science

AMOR ET GRATITUDO
Letter to the UST College of Science
On the New Mission of the Fr. Regent
14 February 2021

Dearly Beloved Dean Emeritus Carmen G. Kanapi, PhD; Dean Fortunato B. Sevilla III, PhD, Academician and Professor Emeritus; Dean Maribel G. Nonato, PhD, UST Vice Rector for Research and Innovation; Dean John Donnie A. Ramos, PhD; Dean Rey Donne S. Papa, PhD, our incumbent Dean; Prof. Ma. Claudette M. Álvarez-Agnes, PhD, Assistant Dean; Prof. Cecilia A. Banag-Morán, PhD, College Secretary; members of the Faculty Council and Executive Committee; Department Chairs; officials of the Faculty Association of the College of Science; Faculty Members of the UST College of Science; Guidance Counselors, Alumni, Benefactors, Students and their Parents, Support Staff, Maintenance and Security Staff; Friends of the UST College of Science; Brothers and Sisters:

LOVE AND GRATITUDE have been lingering in my heart ever since I first stepped into the portals of the UST College of Science. My first-ever contact with the College was with the Faculty, on July 28, 2016, when I was invited to facilitate their Recollection. I did not expect that after two years, I will be appointed as your Regent. On February 14, 2018, I visited the Dean's Office for the first time for a casual orientation, while awaiting the Rector's Office to release my appointment paper. I was warmly welcomed by everyone, especially Prof. John Donnie A. Ramos, PhD, the Dean during that time. Two days later, I received the letter dated February 11, 2018, appointing me Regent of the UST College of Science for a term of four years. I was blessed to witness the grace-filled transition of office between Dean Ramos and the present Dean, Prof. Rey Donne S. Papa, PhD, whose leadership is also remarkable especially in this time of the pandemic. And the rest, as they say, is history.

On January 19, 2021, while engaged in a meeting of our Faculty Council, the newly-elected Prior Provincial of the Dominican Province of the Philippines, Very Rev. Fr. Filemón I. de la Cruz, Jr., OP, called me and presented his request for yours truly to be the head of the Provincial Secretariat and, concurrently, the Provincial Promoter of Evangelization through Social Communications. Such appointments necessarily entail transferring from UST to our Provicialate in Bahay Dominiko, Quezon City. Relatively short have been our journey together, but it is now time for me to conclude my ministry as your Regent. Even the Prior Provincial knows that it would be difficult to say goodbye. However, as Dominicans, we are to obediently heed the call of God to serve wherever we are most needed.

I am blessed to have walked with two great Deans of the College, Dean Ramos and Dean Papa. In such a short period of time, I have witnessed how the College rose, and continue to rise, above many challenges, in many occasions. From the beginning of my term as your Regent, I’ve been aware that my main role in the College is beyond what are formally stipulated in the University’s Statutes. My foremost duty to God, as your Regent, is to be present, to be there, and accompany you in your journey. It was my joy to witness how our students progress in their academic life; how the administrators, faculty and the guidance counselors painstakingly undertake preparations to deliver only the best service possible; and how our support staff indefatigably perform their duties amidst the many challenges in their personal lives. Indeed, I have been blessed to be a part of your life.

Truth be told, I still have many projects in the pipeline, especially that the Church is celebrating the 500 years of the dawn of Christianity in our country. I know that I have an ‘unfinished business’ here, but a great Dominican once made me realize how we need “to celebrate our endings”—not to mourn it but to celebrate it. One could only celebrate when there is love and gratitude. Come to think of it: the friendships we have developed would linger beyond our roles in the College. My presence could only be transformed into another role, for the College of Science is forever etched in my heart.

I will not anymore execute my administrative functions in the College because of the shifting of priorities. Nevertheless, with the approval of the higher-ups, I will still be celebrating the Eucharist with you, in our scheduled monthly Masses, until the end of the academic year or until a new Regent is appointed. Likewise, I will still continue the social media endeavors of the Office of the Regent until the new Regent takes over. My dearest friends, mga anak, feel free to communicate with me and, in whatever way I could be of help, kindly let me know.

This is not ‘goodbye’ but ‘see you soon,’ or even better—‘see you around’ and ‘see you online’. We shall have our online Ash Wednesday Mass at 2:00 pm on February 17, 2021. After the mass, I will already transfer to the Provincialate. Let us pray for one another as we face our missions in life.

As one of my last acts as your Spiritual Father, allow me to remind you of this special lesson from Saint Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians: “Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. […] And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

Offices, appointments, and powers shall come and go. No matter how we think we can influence these, no matter how highly we may regard ourselves, I want you to remember that all things lay at the feet of Jesus Christ. At times, His plans will be difficult to understand and to undertake, but ultimately, we shall strive to imitate the great Lady of the Holy Rosary, His Mother, who chose not to forcibly inject her own projects in the Divine plan, but simply surrendered herself to the complete disposal of God. That is her supreme greatness, from which there is so much to learn. I want you to keep her in your hearts.

“Since God has first loved us (cf. 1 Jn 4:10), love is now no longer a mere 'command'; it is the response to the gift of love with which God draws near to us.” There will be changes from now on, but love and gratitude shall remain for all time. I believe, this is the essence of Valentine’s Day. The love that we receive is the love that we share.

May the blessing of our Triune God, in Whose Name and for Whose honor the College of Science fulfills its mission daily, be with you always. May you receive it in full, along with my friendship and affection for all of you.

In Sanctis Thoma et Alberto Magno,

Rev. Fr. Louie R. Coronel, OP

Regent, UST College of Science

MAGISTRI CHRISTI

Second Letter to the Faculty of the UST College of Science

before the Opening of Classes for the Second Term (AY 2020-2021)

during the COVID-19 Pandemic

15 January 2021

Sermon on the Mount by Carl Bloch (1877)

Dearly Beloved Dean Emeritus Carmen G. Kanapi, PhD; Dean Fortunato B. Sevilla III, PhD, Academician and Professor Emeritus; Dean Maribel G. Nonato, PhD, UST Vice Rector for Research and Innovation; Dean John Donnie A. Ramos, PhD; Dean Rey Donne S. Papa, PhD, our incumbent Dean; Prof. Ma. Claudette M. Álvarez-Agnes, PhD, Assistant Dean; Prof. Cecilia A. Banag-Morán, PhD, College Secretary; members of the Faculty Council and Executive Committee; Department Chairs; officials of the Faculty Association of the College of Science; Faculty Members of the UST College of Science; Brothers and Sisters:

Teachers of Christ, greetings of Joy and Peace! It is my hope and prayer that this letter finds you and your loved ones well and at peace. At the start of the new year 2021, I have been thinking about all of you. By means of this pastoral letter, I take the liberty to communicate to you directly my message of love and support, at the threshold of another academic term. I congratulate you for your dedication and resilience in this time of the pandemic.

As your fellow teacher, who is also affiliated with the UST Ecclesiastical Faculties, I fully appreciate and understand the immensity of your work as we prepare for the opening of classes. Last term, some of my students in Medieval Church History were not able to beat the deadline for the submission of requirements, and some did not even seem to bother while the teacher is very much worried about them. I also experienced having some students in our Masteral program just disappear without any trace, so to speak. We really exerted tremendous efforts to be creative in delivering our lessons and administering our examinations, over and above our other obligations. In my class in Latin III, we translated Latin paragraphs into English, and that really took me literally an entire week just to check the students’ answers, to the point that I found myself translating Latin even in my dreams! What more, in your case, who handle far greater numbers of students! I hope we can open more avenues to share experiences. I am looking forward to having a conversation with you.

Indeed, the teaching profession is not just a career but also a vocation. Even though we have already a taste of the new digital mode of education, the preparation and delivery of lessons this coming term are still, admittedly, very challenging and time-consuming! Our faith and values have really been tested this past year, and will surely be tested further in the coming weeks. With God’s help, and with the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary whom we invoke as the Seat of all Wisdom, may we all emerge with deeper faith, and continuously develop a more authentic human and Christian values!

A teacher, especially from the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomás, the Catholic University of the Philippines, is a magister Christi—a teacher of Christ, a teacher who belongs to Christ. We are chosen by Christ, my dear faculty, and we are sent by Christ in a mission (cf. Mk 16:15). It is also Christ who helps us to be good teachers amidst our shortcomings and weaknesses. As a teaching servant of UST, our authority to teach does not only come from our diplomas or from our certificates, or from the results of our board exams. Our authority to teach comes from the one Teacher who is our Lord Jesus Christ. We may be a teacher of Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics, Psychology, or any General Education course, but our main lesson must be Christ. St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997), who visited UST, said: “Give Jesus, only Jesus, always Jesus.”

Most Rev. Socrates B. Villegas, DD, Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan, reiterates that “[t]he first responsibility of a teacher is to be ‘a pupil of Christ.’” The true magistri Christi are fundamentally discipuli Christi (students of Christ), for we learn from the supreme Teacher Himself (cf. Jn 3:1-36). We must never allow ourselves to be separated from Him.

I know that many of you have become influencers, in the true sense of the word, to our young Science students. In as much as our students look up to us, our path to heaven, in turn, are our students. We are accountable to the Lord for everything that we impart to our students; and through them, we are sanctified. Furthermore, “do not be afraid, do not be discouraged” (cf. Dt 31:8) because of the immensity of our task, for our Lord Jesus Christ, who has called us to this vocation, will be the One to sustain us. Therefore, we are all magistri Christi (teachers of Christ).

May you remain strong in faith and in health. May we nurture our gift of teaching through constant, humble, and sincere prayer; through the Most Holy Eucharist, and our devotion to the holy Rosary. May we never let a day pass without uttering a prayer, no matter how short, as long as it comes from the heart.

Thank you for your gift, which is teaching your students competence, commitment and compassion.

With love and support for each other, we shall be ready to face another academic term. Thank you and God bless you!

In Sanctis Thoma et Alberto Magno,

Rev. Fr. Louie R. Coronel, OP

Regent, UST College of Science