History of St.
William’s Institute
In 1945, Sta.
Teresita’s Institution in Narvacan, Ilocos Sur, then managed by the Sister’s of
St. Paul of Chartres, was accidentally burned by the American forces. Left
homeless, the Sisters sought refuge in Rosary
College (now St. Paul College of
Ilocos Sur) in Vigan, Ilocos Sur.
The Sisters did
not wait very long for a new field of apostolate, for then Bishop Santiago C.
Sancho of Nueva Segovia invited to go to Magsingal to start a new educational
institution. On August 14, 1945, the Magsingal pioneers: Sr. Modesta of the
Sacred Heart Valledor, SPC, Superior Sr. Laura Maria Manaligod, SPC, Sr.
Gertrudes Cristeta Quinto, SPC, Sr. Claudine …………………………………………
The succeeding
years after the phase out of the elementary Department saw the unprecedented
rise of enrollment of high school students. Since the school year 1975-1976
when Sr. Mary Loyola Marcelo, SPC became Superior,
st. William’s institute has been offering the secondary course to both boys and
girls. Enrollment continued to increase. In 1978, Sr. Mary Edmund Antonio, SPC
took over as Superior-Principal followed by Sr. Mary Elena Tuazon in 1984. The
school year 1981-1982 enrollment rose to 813 students. The trend of enrollment
continued upward. In the school year 1990-1991 the total enrollment was 870
students. The following school year enrollment increased to 893 students. In
the school year 1992-1993, jumped to 911 students, the biggest so far in the
fifty-four year existence of St. William’s Institute. In the following school
year 1993-1994 enrollment went down to 897, and further down to 829 in the
school year 1994-1995 only to increase again to 849 students the following
school year when Sr. Estela Eugenia Sebastian, SPC became Superior-Directress.
St. William’s
Institute celebrated its Golden Jubilee on May 19, 1995 with the theme “Give
thanks to the Lord for He is Good, for His Love endures forever.” (Psalm 106:1)
the celebration was highlighted by a concelebrated Thanksgiving Mass offered at
the St. William the Hermit Parish church with the Most Reverend Orlando
Quevedo, DD, Archbishop of Nueva Segovia, as the main celebrant. The
concelebrants were Msgr. Thaddeus Mercado, Rev. Abbot Santos Rabang, OSB, Rev.
Fr. Marcelo Cantorna and Rev. Fr. Peregrino Pira. Before the final blessing,
st. William’s Institute awarded plaques of appreciation to those who had
rendered outstanding service to the school. The first and foremost awardee was
Msgr. Cosme Fang, the founder of St. William’s Institute. Sr. Teresita Bayona SPC,
then Provincial Assistant for education of the Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres,
presented the plaque to Fr. Peregrino Pira whoreceived it for Msgr. Fang, who
could not make the trip to Magsingal from Tubao, La Union, his hometown, where
he was then residing in his retirement years.
The year 2005, saw
the celebration of the sixty years of life and mission of SWI under the SISTERS
OF ST. PAUL OF CHRTRES. It was led under the leadership of sr. Teresita Punay,
SPC. The Diamond Jubilee was highlighted by a Thanksgiving Mass which was
presided by the newly appointed Archbishop of Nueva Segovia, the Most Reverend
Ernesto Salgado, DD as the main celebrant. With him are the other priests, Fr.
Victorino Rabaca, the parish priest, Fr. Alen Villareal, the assistant parish
priest, and the priest visitors: Msgr. Gary Noel Formoso, Fr. Felix Costales,
Fr. Arthur Amian, Rector of the ICM Seminary and Fr. Erwin Rebollido. An AGAPE
or Thanksgiving meal was offered by the SPC Sisters and the SWI Faculty to all
who joined the celebration on October 21, 2005. The other events that
highlighted the jubilee celebration were the parade and the SPORTSFEST, where
the invited SWI Alumni and alumnae joined in the basketball and volleyball
exhibition games in the last day of the intramurals.
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