New Prefect (News Feature)

Fr. Jim: MHCCS’ New Prefect

by: Sem. Jaime Garcia Andres Jr.

LIFE IN THE SEMINARY is full of trials, hardships and challenges. Being a seminarian is great challenge that entails a lot of responsibilities and concerns. That is why priest formators are there to guide and, especially, to form the seminarians to be a good priest in serving the people and leading them towards the kingdom of God. This entails a great amount of patience and courage and labor.

Among the hardest jobs in the seminary is to be the Prefect of Discipline. When you’re the prefect, it seems that you are the guard of the seminary who is carefully watching almost every actions of the seminarians. You seem to be always strict that is why the seminarians fear your presence. But there is always a tendency that seminarians will also despise you for that. That is why it is really a very hard job. As if the motto of all the assigned prefects is: "Walang personalan, trabaho lang."

Rev. Fr. Jim S. Cerezo was the newly assigned Prefect of Discipline of MHCCS. He was born on January 7, 1977. He hails from Dagupan City. He is a proud alumnus of this institution. He finished his Theology at the Immaculate Conception School of Theology in Vigan City and was ordained to the priesthood last November 29, 2004. For his first assignment, he was appointed to the Holy Family Parish in Sta. Barbara, Pangasinan as the Parochial Vicar for almost two years. Being appointed as the new prefect of the seminary is his second appointment.

Though it’s a gargantuan task, this job is not anymore new to him for he was once a seminarian exposed in many jobs and duties. In his interview, he put stress on the word obedience. He said, "Obedience moves the knowledge from one’s heads to his heart in serving the people. To obey God is to love God. That is why the prefect sees to it that the rules and regulations are followed regularly. To be a prefect, it requires a certain person to be strict and intimidating at all times, but his followers must also see the good effects that these actions will bring." Before the interview ended, he left a short message for the seminarians: " Keep the order and the order will keep you."