St. Francis Xavier Catholic School

ducate their children. The idea of a Parish School was warmly welcomed by the community due to the urgency & exigency of education, especially in the many depressed areas of the Parish. By God's grace, through the cooperation of many committed parishioners and through the help of ERDA Foundation Inc. which improved financial assistance and school supplies, the Learning Center was opened in June 1994. Francis Xavier who is the patron saint of the parish church. Its first school year 1994-1995 opened with 89 pupils and two teachers, with Mrs. Concepcion Castillo, a retired professional teacher with a lot of experience in teaching, as the first School Principal. Castillo served enthusiastically as a volunteer without pay. On the second school year 1995-1996 St. Francis Xavier Learning Center welcomed and accommodated 133 pupils. The very first school building was a gift from the Xavierian Missionaries of Japan through the initiative of Re. Peter Venturini, acting Parish Priest at that time. On February 11, 1996 the second parish priest, Rev. Jorge Rosales and Rev. Rodrigo Vazquez, Parochial Vicar, organized the opening of a Parish Library in order to support the educational program of the Learning Center and to help other students of the parish in their research. This new project with proper materials for reading and learning motivated students and parishioners. By having a book donation campaign led by Mrs. Rebecca Harder and other volunteers, the parish began receiving different kinds of books and encyclopedias from different organizations and people of good will. In 1996, the Department of Education Culture and Sports (DECS) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) granted the school the proper permits to operate a complete elementary curriculum. From a Learning Center the school was officially named as St. Francis Xavier Parochial School Inc. in 1997 through the request of Frs. Rosales & Vazquez, Manos Unidas, a funding agency based in Madrid, Spain, donated a sum of $141,340 for the construction of the school building which is blessed by His Eminence Jaime Cardinal Sin in June 16, 1999. By that time, St. Francis Xavier Parochial School was already well-known in the area and became an active member of the Manila Archdiocesan of Parochial Schools Association (MAPSA). Indeed the school traveled a long way from its humble beginnings. It was a decade filled with love, sacrifices, patience, and aspiration t mold young minds and hearts. On May 1, 2011 SFXCS was turned over to the Diocese of Novaliches by the Xavierian Missionaries Fathers. James, Fr. Sandro, Most Rev. A.R.T. & Fr. Aldo formalized the turnover. It is now the 8th school officially owned by the Roman Catholic Bishop of Novaliches Educational System (RCBN-ES) under the effective leadership of Bishop Antonio R. Tobias, D.D. and Rev. Albert N. Delvo, RCBN-ES Superintendent and School Director. The new administration then caused the construction of the new four-storey school building which now efficiently provides the students and teachers/employees with big classrooms, library, laboratories, faculty rooms, canteen, and offices. Francis Xavier Catholic School will continue to realize its vision of announcing Christ to the young generation by molding them in His image. The small seed which gave birth to a small education center has indeed become a big & strong tree in the community to which the young are joyously welcomed to stay & study. It is a tree nurtured with love and strong determination by the administrators who are driven by the noble desire of bringing Christ to everyone who comes to be formed under the branches of St. Francis Xavier Catholic School.