Archdiocese Confirmed Once Again As Owner of Seminary Property

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Agana
March 18, 2016

http://www.aganaarch.org/8575/seminary-property-confirmed/

The Department of Land Management issued new Certificate of Titles on March 15, 2016, once again confirming that the legal and sole owner of the Redemptoris Mater Seminary of Guam in Yona (former Hotel Accion property) is the Archbishop of Agana.

The Department of Land Management issued Certificates of Title Nos. 136387, 136388, 136389 and 136390 for the purpose of memorializing the Declaration of Deed Restriction recorded on November 22, 2011 to the Redemptoris Mater Missionary Seminary of Guam and the Blessed Diego Luis de San Vitores Theological Institute. As part of this formal process, the Director of Land Management and Registrar of Titles, Michael Borja, determined that the proper way to proceed with this memorialization was to cancel the former Certificates of Title Nos. 135922, 135923, 135924 and 135925, which did not include the Declaration of Deed Restriction, and issue new Certificates of Title. The issuance of the new Certificates of Titles did not change the Department of Land Management’s certification of ownership; the Archbishop of Agana is the owner of the property, and the certification is dated March 15, 2016.

While dissenters and opposers of the Archbishop have claimed that the now cancelled certificates of title were “bogus”, the Department of Land Management diligently acted to address the concerns over the memorialization. According to Monsignor David C. Quitugua, Vicar General, “The release of these new certificates did not change the ownership of the Seminary Property, but more accurately describes all the pertinent information recorded; the owner of the Seminary property is the Archbishop of Agana, A Corporation Sole; that has not changed since the day the property was acquired for the seminary.”

More than 40 young men currently are enrolled in the Redemptoris Mater Seminary, and 3 young men are enrolled in the St. John Paul the Great Archdiocesan Seminary of Guam. All of our seminarians participate in academic courses provided by the Blessed Diego Luis de San Vitores Theological Institute, which is affiliated with the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome. This is the Pope’s University. At the completion of studies, the degree conferred comes from the Lateran University. The program of studies and the Faculty have the Nihil Obstat of the Lateran University.

The majority of young men, if ordained, will be priests of the Archdiocese of Agana. Other dioceses such as the Dioceses of Kiribati, American Samoa and Western Samoa are also sending their men to the Redemptoris Mater Seminary; their respective dioceses fund the education of these men, and those men will return to their dioceses upon completion of their studies.