For 35 years now, the Priests of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the Philippines have been running formation houses and parishes. And while there are still largely missionaries working there, the Dehonians are being blessed with a growing number of local vocations. Currently, more than half of the Dehonians in the Philippines are Filipinos.

In addition to Filipinos, seminarians from Vietnam also study at the dehonian seminary in Cagayan de Oro on the island of Mindanao. The Vietnamese authorities continue to severely restrict the activities of the Catholic Church there. Dehonian formation consists not only of acquiring theological knowledge, but also of learning the dehonian way of life and work. Father Francis Pupkowski SCJ stresses that it is not just about religious worship, but about closeness to those in need and responding to their needs.

Preparation for priestly and religious life requires more than just formation - it also involves attending college. A huge pain for young Asians is the economic situation of their families. Many of them can't start seminary education because their relatives can't afford the associated costs. That's why we're supporting our Dehonian candidates from the Philippines and Vietnam by paying their tuition at St. Francis Xavier University, which is $1,200 per semester.

Bank account numbers for money transfers are:

For $: PL 52 1600 1462 1847 3641 5000 0009; SWIFT: PPAB PLPK
For €: PL 41 1600 1462 1847 3641 5000 0013; SWIFT: PPAB PLPK
For others: IBAN: PL 79 1600 1462 1847 3641 5000 0008; SWIFT: PPAB PLPK