As an educator and a man of faith, Saint Benilde Romançon preached the meaning of true wisdom and humility as God-given gifts, and how being intelligent does not necessarily make one wise.
This was the message of last Friday’s mass at the ARG Theater to members of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB), presided by Archbishop Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Saint Benilde Romançon’s canonization, the College’s patron saint.
Cardinal Tagle’s homily pointed out two teachings from the life of Saint Benilde as an educator: the first was “true wisdom,” where he explained the difference of intelligence and wisdom, stressing that although the world today is full of “intelligent and prepared people,” the world was still “in mist and disarray.” Saint Benilde, Tagle said, presented us with the true meaning of wisdom— a wisdom that is a gift of God— when he was given an opportunity to study. Instead of using his wisdom to make his life comfortable, he made it his mission to use this talent to give back to those who are in need.
The second teaching Cardinal Tagle said we can learn from Saint Benilde is humility. The archbishop of Manila instructed that the path to wisdom requires the capacity to admit that one is not wise nor the greatest [person in the world], hence everyone should individually be more of a learner than a bragger.
“Humility enables real wisdom,” Tagle emphasized. St. Benilde was officially canonized on October 29, but the decision to celebrate the event on October 27 was made because this year’s anniversary lands on a Sunday.
In addition, according to the Center of Lasallian Ministry (CLM), Cardinal Tagle is not available on Sundays.
Top DLS-CSB officials, Lasallian Brothers, professors, parents, personnel, associates, and students, filled the venue’s interior and exterior at the 5th floor of the Mutien Marie building. Among the notable attendees present were Benilde President Bro. Dennis Magbanua FSC, Chancellor Robert L. Tang, Vice President for Lasallian Mission and Student Life Neil Fariñas, and former DLS-CSB president Bro. Victor A. Franco FSC.
Saint Benilde was born as Pierre Romançon on June 14, 1805 in the town of Thuret, France. He became a dedicated educator and a follower of St. John Baptist de La Salle. He spent 40 years of his life teaching until his death on August 13, 1862.
On October 29, 1967, he was canonized by Pope Paul VI as the patron saint of vocations.
According to the La Salle website, “Pope Pius XII stressed that [Saint Benilde’s] sanctification was attained by enduring “the terrible daily grind” and by “doing common things in an uncommon way.”
