WHAT DOES CICM SIGNIFY?

The letters CICM are an abbreviation in Latin of the name Congregatio Immaculati Cordis
Mariae or Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Rev. Theophile Verbist chose
this name for his newly founded missionary institute as a way of honoring Mary, the mother
of Jesus Christ, and placing his institute under her patronage.

The CICM Missionaries are also known by several other names depending on the country
where they are working. 

In Europe and Africa, they are widely known as the “Missionaries of Scheut” or “Scientist”,
Scheut being the name of the locality near Brussels where the institute was founded. In the
past CICM missionaries were sometimes known as the “Belgian Fathers” since the institute
was founded in Belgium and most of its members were Priest. However, the institute was
never an exclusively Belgium institute and includes both priests and brothers. Thus this
name has fallen out of use, especially as the institute becomes more and more multicultural.

In North America, the institute is known as “Missionhurst – CICM” and its members referred
to as “Missionhurst Priests and Brothers”. 
Hurst is an old English word meaning a small hill or a wooded rise. As the headquarters of
the missionary institute in North America is located on a small wooded hill, this became the
popular name of the institute in that part of the world.

The CICM Philippines

CICM (The Congregation Of The Immaculate Heart Of Mary) Is A Catholic, Religious,
Missionary Institute Founded In 1862 By A Belgian Priest, Rev. Theophile Verbist, For The
Evangelization Of China. On February 23, 1868, Just Three Years After Setting Out For His
Mission In China With Four Companions, Father Verbist Died Of Typhus Fever At The Age
Of 45 Years.

REV. THEOPHILE VERBIST, FOUNDER OF THE CICM

CATHOLIC MISSIONARY INSTITUTE
China always held a special place in the heart of CICM founder Fr. Theophile Verbist and in
the hearts of those who came after him.
Born in Antwerp, Belgium in 1823, Father Theophile Verbist had ambitions to become
a priest ever since he was a boy. So, while his twin brother looked towards becoming a
lawyer, he headed into a priestly vocation. In the years after his ordination, he was a prefect
in the minor seminary in Malines, a chaplain at the Belgian Military Academy, and a
diocesan priest in the archdiocese of Malines-Brussels.

His first serious thoughts of being a missionary came when he was already 37 years
old. Inspired by the work of the Holy Childhood Association which cared for
abandoned children in the Far East and in other parts of the world, Father Verbist felt
that he, too, should do something more for the poor and needy in China. By strenuous
efforts, he overcame numerous obstacles, until his Belgian mission in China was finally
approved by Pope Pius IX. The new foundation’s first formation house was located at an old
site of pilgrimage called Scheut, in the municipality of Anderlecht, near Brussels, Belgium.
Thus the name: ‘Scheut Missions or Missionaries of Scheut’.

In 1865, Father Verbist and four other zealous companions made their final
preparations for their mission in China. They arrived in the winter of that same year in
the village of Xiwanzi, in the Province of Inner Mongolia, north of the Great Wall.
There they set up a base, getting to work immediately on plans to administer the vast
territory that lay before them: organizing small Christian communities, attending to an
orphanage and school, and training seminarians.

“It’s difficult. Such a pity that we are so few,” Father Verbist used to voice to himself
whenever he considered the vast task ahead of him. But guided by the Holy Spirit, he and
his team were able to overcome the obstacles – not the least of which were the harsh
terrain, the severe weather, the immense distances to be covered, and the local language.

These missionaries also faced many critical situations, including famine, sickness,
accidents, and martyrdom. Father Verbist himself died of typhoid fever at Laohugou,
China in 1868, at the age of 45, just three years after arriving in Inner Mongolia. His
companion, Father van Segvelt, a co-founder of the CICM Congregation, had succumbed to
the same dreaded disease a year earlier.

Although not a canonized saint, the fact that his foundation has grown to what it is
today is testimony to the love and work of Father Verbist and the power of the Holy
Spirit within him.

“Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations,” Christ said to his disciples…

Father Theophile Verbist lived by that command and continues to inspire others to do
likewise to this very day.

THE PROVINCIAL MISSION STATEMENT OF CICM

PHILIPPINES
We –

the CICM Philippine Province, an international

community of religious missionaries dedicated to the
Incarnate Word under the patronage of the Immaculate
Heart of Mary, with the inspiration of Théophile Verbist
and his companions, and sent to the nations particularly to
where we are most needed –

commit ourselves to proclaim Christ and foster the

missionary consciousness of the local church through our
joyful and prophetic witness, and to keep alive a
pioneering spirit in our involvements.

Provincial Administration
 The following are the members of the current CICM-RP
Provincial Administration, on a term of three years 2019-
2021.

Left: Fr. Luke Moortgat & Fr. Fransiskus Gella (Councilors)

Center: Fr. JB Mubibi & Fr. Jessie Hechanova (Vice Provincial & Provincial)
Right: Fr. Eugene Arco & Fr. Melanio Reyes (Councilors)
Our Motto: “To go where we should and to do what we must with trust in the spirit.”

 The PG’s Vision/Mission

“We, members of the Provincial Government, aspire the CICM RP to rekindle the
spirit of missionary daring by making the peripheries as the center of our corporate
commitment as we work and collaborate with one another, our lay partners and the
local church.”

Aspirational Statement of the PG:

AS RELIGIOUS:

“We, members of the Provincial Government, aspire for the CICM RP to be a

witnessing community of religious by living a life of prayer, simplicity, financial
responsibility as we support, appreciate and enrich one another and foster a life of
solidarity.”

AS MISSIONARIES:
“We are animators of unity and solidarity in revitalizing the RP-Province to be faithful
to the CICM charism and mission in frontier situations”.

CICM Philippines
State of the Province (Narrative)
Of the 100 confreres, 42 confreres (in ad intra and ad extra commitments) have a three-
year appointment. Eight confreres 70 years old and above, have a one-year appointment.
The rest are either retired, students, bishops, on sabbatical or on exclaustration. The District
Coordinators and the Rectors of religious houses are constantly animated to take up their
respective roles, as stipulated in our Provincial Statutes, as seriously as they can. The
chairpersons of the seven provincial committees will assist the provincial superior and his
council in implementing the action plans contained in our five-year strategic planning.

A new paradigm in the inner dynamics among the committees and the provincial
government is in place. Before, the committees and the different entities (formation houses,
schools, parishes, special ministries, and administration) were somewhat independent, if
not even in conflict or in competition. Now, the synergy and inter-linking of these different
aspects and entities are promoted. The structures to ensure this paradigm is in place.

A well-planned personnel deployment scheme is adopted and will be in place. All the
appointments and the term of office of those in the schools have just been synchronized. All
of them have a fresh start and a new mandate starting from July 1, 2015. The
synchronization of the appointments and terms of those confreres in parishes will be in
place. Most, if not all, will receive new terms starting July 1, 2016. This move will make the
planning of the deployment, preparation and capacitation of confreres a lot feasible and
attainable. This would facilitate the evaluation of the different commitments, especially in the
parishes, in view of their possible turnover. Since June of 2013 to date, there have been five
requests from several local ordinaries for CICMs to open mission stations in their dioceses
and vicariates. We have responded to two of these five requests.

We will continue to prepare confreres for specific missionary tasks, which would require
special studies or special preparation.

We will continue to animate Filipino-born confreres working in their mission countries to

render home service for at least two terms, assuring them that they can return to their
mission countries, after their home service. We are a sending and receiving province. The
Philippine province has two formation houses catering to congregational needs, namely:
Theophile Verbist Novitiate and Asian International Formation Community. Some provinces
are sending their candidates (for the novitiate) to learn English in the Foreign Language
Institute of Saint Louis University and are accommodated in Maryhurst Seminary. In view of
this, we see the need to have confreres, with positive missionary experience, in these
formation houses.

 The CICM Province of the Philippines has a lot of potentials. The confreres are
aware of this and believe in this. The majority of the confreres have pledged to look
forward and move as one corporate entity, with One Vision, One Mission, in different
and varied ministries. This was expressed during the May 2013 Provincial Assembly.

 On-going formation is stressed, from the basic and fundamental Spiritual Direction to
formal updating courses. The long list of possible activities on this level is clearly
spelled out in the recently updated Provincial Statutes.

 Financial Budgets: Each confrere, each team, each entity is required to submit a
realistic and fully justified budget. Submission is October 31 of each year.
  Financial Reports: Clear accounting, with supporting documents is enforced.
Submission is January 31 of each year. A system of checks and balances is in place.
The funds that will be needed for the different commitments, after careful
assessment by the Committee on Finance and the Provincial Government, will be in
place.

 Whenever possible, religious communities, with rector and treasurer are created.
Comunity schedules for prayer, relaxation, meals and evaluation are in place.

 It is the goal and desire of the whole province to move towards the creation of teams
of at least two confreres. We will strive as much as we can to form teams in the
different mission commitments where we are. As much as possible, a confrere living
alone will be discouraged.

 An updated evaluation grid, which will be used to assess our missionary presence in
all fields, will be formulated and implemented.

CICM Schools
The CICM Philippines Educational Apostolate
From the CICM Philippines mission standpoint, education aims at evangelizing cultures and
society. Historically, evangelization through education has always been an integral aspect
of CICM work in the Philippines.  Mission/parochial schools always were at the heart of the
CICM missions in the Cordillera region as well as in the dioceses where we worked.  Our
schools were unique in the Philippines, perhaps in the world, for the very high proportion of
education on the elementary level. 

Saint Louis University – Baguio City

Education in the North was a very effective factor in alleviating poverty and in making a
positive impact on indigenous communities.  These schools envisioned and structured as
essential instruments of evangelization, offered and continue to offer, to the youth in far
places solid basic education.  They opened up a future for the youth in a world that was
wider than their native place.  These schools became also breeding grounds for missionary
vocations, in particular for CICM.
 University of
Saint Louis – Tuguegarao City
Apart from these, CICM Philippine Province has five CICM educational institutions reaching
out to a broader area on college and university level.  These institutions, catering to more
than 70,000 students, are very much part of our missionary presence in the Philippines. 
Many scholarships are given to deserving students.

Saint Mary’s University – Bayombong (Nueva Vizcaya)

In response to the challenge of restructuring and re-orienting our missionary presence in the
schools, our colleges and universities (namely, Saint Louis College – San Fernando, Saint
Louis College – Cebu, University of Saint Louis – Tuguegarao, Saint Louis University –
Baguio City, and St. Mary’s University – Bayombong), which are presently administered and
animated by our confreres, are being re-directed to bring about missionary consciousness
among the youth. The Office of the Vice President for Mission and Identity has just been
introduced in the Organizational Structure of our Schools.

Saint Louis College – San Fernando (La Union)

In the exploratory stage is the goal to create the merger of our schools, including Maryhill
School of Theology, into the One CICM School Network, to be governed by one Board of
Trustees, with the respective Chancellors or Executive Officers in the different campuses.
Competent and trusted Lay Collaborators are being prepared for the different sensitive
functions in the schools, including the position of Chancellor.
Saint Louis College Cebu – Mandaue City (Cebu)
Our Maryhill School of Theology (MST) attends to the academic and pastoral formation of
our CICM student-confreres and some 300 seminarians and religious sent by several
dioceses and more than 20 religious institutes enrolled in the General Theology Program
(GTP).  The Adult Theological Education Program (ATEP) has students, mostly lay, who
take up evening and Saturday classes to be more capable to serve in their local
communities. MST is known to have the most complete collection of books, journals,
magazines and reference books, among all the other theological graduate schools in the
country.

MST aspires to offer programs that would lead to a civil degree of Doctor in Missiology.

The CICM Maryhill School of Theology

CICM Parishes
A good number of confreres are working in peripheral communities, rural and urban, located
in different dioceses and apostolic vicariates, in rather difficult and delicate political and
social situations.  There were efforts to address directly the livelihood of communities, like
cooperatives, vocational training, and agricultural/farm projects.  They were directed at self-
reliance and also at the youth in order to stem the tendencies to emigrate from their
communities.
Other confreres ventured into new approaches of community building (BEC-CO/BCC). 
These new ways of formation of communities, yet unfamiliar to many Christians, will
challenge people to take up their responsibility in the building of a truly incarnated Christian
life.

As missionaries, we want to make the distinction between commitment to the mission,

which is permanent and missionary involvements, usually a parish-setting, which is
temporary. 

The parishes that are geographically close to one another will be linking with each other into
clusters. Common planning and implementation of fundamental commitments like JPIC,
Formation of Lay Leaders, BECs, among others, will be enhanced.

CICM Parishes in Luzon

Diocese of Antipolo
San Isidro Labrador Parish – Barangay Sa Isidro, Rodriguez, Rizal

Diocese of Novaliches
Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary – Tala, Caloocan

Parokya ng Mabuting Pastol – Commonwealth, Quezon City

Diocese of Baguio
Saint Aloysius Gonzaga Parish – SLU, Baguio City

Holy Family Parish – Bakakeng, Baguio City

Saint Padre Pio Parish – Beckel, La Trinidad

Saint Joseph the Husband of Mary Parish – Irisan, Baguio City

Diocese of San Fernando

Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Parish – Carlatan, San Fernando City

Diocese of Bayombong
Saint Patrick of Ireland Parish – Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya

Saint Damien de Moloki Parish – Ambaguio, Nueva Vizcaya

Apostolic Vicariate of Tabuk

Saint Mary’s Parish – Allaguia, Pinukpuk, Kalinga

Saint Joseph Parish – Dagupan, Tabuk

Chair of Saint Peter Parish – Junction, Pinukpuk

CICM Parishes in the Visayas

Archdiocese of Cebu
Holy Family Parish – Mandaue City, Cebu

Diocese of San Carlos

San Isidro Labrador Mission Station – Hyanghyang

CICM Parishes in Mindanao

Diocese of Butuan
San Isidro Labrador Parish – AFGA, Sibagat, Agusan del Sur

Parish of Saint Michael the Archangel – Simbalan, Buenavista

Sectoral Ministries
Sectoral or Special Ministries
Some confreres are helping the local churches in special ministries.  These special
ministries are the result of either a particular appeal from the local church or the special
talents of our confreres. These include chaplaincy in hospitals, ministry to persons with
disability, the presence among street families, work with abused and abandoned children
and adolescents, various responsibilities in the administration of dioceses/vicariates, the
presence among the workers and NGO’s who are pro-poor and with the migrants.

The CICM Philippine Province is assessing the plausibility of getting involved in all these
various service areas.

The Sunflower Children’s Center

SLU – Baguio City
The Lourdes Handicapped Center
Pandacan, Manilahttps
Inter-religious Dialogue (between Christians and Muslims)

New ventures are commitments and forms of presence adopted by the Province in line with
the pioneering characteristic of CICM. The western part of Mindanao has the greatest
concentration of the Muslim population in the Philippines. 

Justice and Peace and Integrity of Creation

Following a mandate from the General Chapter of 1992, the Province made explicit its
commitment to JPIC.

In October 1996, a confrere was assigned on a full-time capacity to coordinate the

possibilities for exchange and further growth along with the JPIC vision.  It is a deepening of
an awareness of how to proclaim the Kingdom of God in new situations.  It concretizes
further our missionary presence among the poor and the marginalized.

Since 2014, a confrere has been assigned full time in Social Ministry.

Indigenous Peoples’ Apostolate

CICM Philippines started with the indigenous communities in the Cordilleras. The culture,
values and rights of these communities, found all the country, have to be promoted and
preserved.  In the two provinces of Agusan, there are peoples of the Manobo Ethnic Group.
In the parish of Montalban, we have the Dumagats in the Sierra Madre Mountain Range.

CICM Works
Formation of Lay Leaders
From the very beginning of our presence in the Philippines, CICM has been linked with the
formation of pastoral agents or lay collaborators. More and more we use the term Lay
Mission Partners, to emphasize their role as active partners in the CICM Mission. Besides
the Catechetical Formation Programs, a lot of our Religion Teachers have graduated with a
Master’s Degree in Religious Studies from our own Maryhill School of Theology.

The Asian Social Institute was founded by a CICM confrere to form leaders for the
Philippines and other Asian countries, based on the Christian values of solidarity, inclusion,
justice, and equality.

We include here also the special attention given to the Department of Religion in our two
universities and two colleges, as well as the numerous seminars and updating courses for
the formation of catechists and lay leaders in the different districts of our Province.

The CICM Bukal ng Tipan Project, under the Maryhill Mission Center, has well-prepared
lay collaborators. They promote the formation of lay leaders who actively realize their varied
ministries in the ecclesiological practice of a Participatory Church.

Formation Program
Initial Formation
Since the Province started its first novitiate in 1953, it has sent out a hundred confreres to
practically all the CICM Provinces all over the world.

Structurally, the work of formation runs over several phases, each of which has its own
needs in terms of program, personnel, budget, and buildings.

The Maryhurst Seminary

Baguio City
We have Maryhurst Seminary for the pre-novitiate level (college) training, in collaboration
with our Saint Louis University. It also caters to candidates from other provinces preparing
themselves either for the novitiate or post novitiate. The Théophile Verbist Novitiate is one
of two official Novitiate Programs of CICM. Due to the stable increase in novices, the Novice
Director would really need a Socius.
 The CICM Novitiate
Taytay, Rizal
Post-Novitiate training is located in the Asia International Formation Community (AIFC) and
Maryhill School of Theology (MST).  Theology studies lead to either Master of Arts in
Theological Studies or Masters in Pastoral Ministry, both with thesis.

The CICM AIFC

New Manila, Quezon City
Animation and recruitment are done in secondary schools and later, among college
students and young professionals.  Our colleges and universities are fertile grounds for
vocation animation and recruitment for CICM vocations.

Postulancy Program:  Several college graduates have been accepted to follow the one-year
postulancy program. 

As a priority commitment, there is a constant need for the Province to prepare confreres for
tasks in formation work, in coordination with the General Government. 

Holy Father Francis appoints Fr. Felicien Ntambue,

CICM Bishop of Kabinda in the Congo
July 24, 2020 by officer
 Appointment of the Bishop of Kabinda
(Democratic Republic of the Congo)
 

The Holy Father has appointed Rev. Fr. Félicien Ntambue Kasembe, CICM, so far General
Councilor of the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, CICM ( Scheut
Missionaries ) as Bishop of the Diocese of Kabinda (Democratic Republic of Congo ).

Rev.do P. Félicien Ntambue Kasembe, CICM

Rev. P. Félicien Ntambue Kasembe, CICM, was born on September 8, 1970, in Kabinda, in
the Province of Lomami. In 1988 he obtained the state diploma in biology and chemistry. He
entered the Novitiate by the Scheut Fathers in Mbudi (1989-1990). He completed his
philosophy studies in the Saint Pierre Canisius seminary in Kinshasa (1990-1993). He
carried out a period of missionary and pastoral internship in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore,
and Mongolia (1993-1996). He made the profession of perpetual vows in 1996. He studied
theology in the Philippines and Cameroon (1996-2001).

He has ordained a priest on August 12, 2001, in Kabinda.

After priestly ordination he held the following positions: Vicar and then parish priest of Saint
Eugène di Menkao, Kinshasa (2001-2003); Provincial Secretary and Rector of Scheutist
Missionaries in Kinshasa (2003-2006); Director of the Pedagogical Research Center in
Kinshasa, Secretary of the Provincial Commission for Finance of the Scheutist Fathers
(2003-2007); Baccalaureate in Civil Law at the Notre Dame de la Paix University, in Namur
(2007-2009); Master in Civil Law at the Catholic University of Louvain-la- Neuve and Master
in Human Rights at the Saint Louis Faculty of LawBrussels (2009-2011); Provincial
Councilor CICM in Kinshasa (2013-2016); African Delegate for the preparations of the
General Chapter and Delegate of Kinshasa to the same Chapter (2016-2017); since 2017
General Councilor of the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, CICM

***********************************************

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Kabinda (Latin: Kabindaën(sis)) is a

Latin suffragan diocese in the Ecclesiastical province of Kananga in the Democratic
Republic of the Congo.

Its cathedral episcopal see is located in the city of Kabinda.

Area 58,625 km2 (22,635 sq mi)

Population
(as of 2004)
- Total
700,000
- Catholic
s
200,000 (28.6%)

Is God Sleeping?
July 2, 2020 by officer

Is God Sleeping?
A Reflection on the Gospel of St. Matthew 8, 23 -27:

Jun 30, 2020 Gospel of the day.

By: Fr. Ernesto Amigleo CICM

Indonesia

When Jesus and the apostles were crossing the Sea of Galilee,  suddenly a violent storm
rocked their boat, tossing them up and down, to the great fear of the apostles, while Jesus
was soundly sleeping. Afraid, the apostles woke him up, saying “Lord, save us. We are
perishing!” Jesus woke up and scolded them for their lack of faith and then calmed the
storm. Immediately there was calm.

Today, all of humankind, like the apostles, is shaken up by the storm of COVID-19, a very
dangerous plaque that can kill people. According to the report, there are already 10 million
people across the world who are affected by the virus and about 500,000 people all over the
world have died. In Indonesia, reports say that the number of cases has spiked. In South
Sulawesi, it is reported that the number of cases is increasing, and in Makassar city, after 4
months, it is categorized still as a “red zone.”

In order to fight the virus and minimize its spread, medical doctors and experts including the
World Health Organization and the CDC have come out with medical guidelines and safety
measures like often washing of hands, using face masks, keep social distance and stay
home or lockdown. For me, they are God sent, a sign that God is concerned and loves
humankind, However, many, many people across the world downplay the seriousness of
this virus. Some say it is “fake news,” others say it is  “just a mild flu.” Still, others believe
that  “just have faith in  God, and He will save us.” Meanwhile, they disregard the safety
measures as if everything is normal. Then they wonder how come the number of cases
continue to spike and the number of deaths continues to surge.  Then, they blame God for
everything that is happening. “God where are you? Are you not involved in the struggle of
humanity?  Don’t you care?  Are you sleeping?

God is not sleeping. He is very much involved and He cares for us because He loves us.
That is why he sent His “messengers” – medical experts and scientists, doctors and
nurses,  including the World Health Organization to issue guidance and safety measures to
fight COVID 19 and minimize the spread of the virus. But many people across the world just
ignore them. It is not right to blame God. Instead, we should rather blame ourselves.

Yesus is going to save us if we wash our hands often. Jesus is going to save us if we put on
a face mask. Yesus is going to save us if we observe social distancing and lockdown.  In
the Old Testament God gave the Ten Commandments through Moses. It was meant as a
guideline or road map to be saved. But the people of Israel disregarded this Guideline and
continued to worship idols instead of the one and only true God. In the New Testament,
Jesus summed up the Ten Commandments into two: “Love God with all your soul, with all
your heart, and with all your strength. And love your neighbor as you love yourself.” When
we follow His commandments, in this case, the guidelines or safety measures that His
“messengers” – i.e. the medical experts, scientists, doctors, and nurses, have outlined to
us, we show that we honor and respect God. And that we love Him. When we love our
neighbor, in this case, following the above-mentioned safety measures, we show to our
neighbor that we care for them and we are concerned not only for our own health but also
for their health. This is genuine love for our neighbor.

And so, let us pray: O God, You are truly good and You give us guidelines on how to fight
COVID 19 and prevent the spread of the virus through the experts you sent to us. But we
are stubborn of heart and disobey the directives. Help us and give us a listening and
obedient heart so that many people will recover and be saved. Amen.

 
About the Author:

Fr. Ernesto Amigleo, CICM is a Filipino CICM Missionary in Indonesia since 1974.

Fr. Theophile Verbist’s Birthday

June 11, 2020 by officer

REV. THEOPHILE VERBIST, FOUNDER OF THE

CICM CATHOLIC MISSIONARY INSTITUTE
If alive, Fr. Theophile Verbist, would comple 197 years.

 
Born in Antwerp, Belgium in 1823, Father Theophile Verbist had ambitions to become a
priest ever since he was a boy. So, while his twin brother looked towards becoming a
lawyer, he headed into a priestly vocation. In the years after his ordination, he was a prefect
in the minor seminary in Malines, a chaplain at the Belgian Military Academy, and a
diocesan priest in the archdiocese of Malines-Brussels.

His first serious thoughts of being a missionary came when he was already 37 years old.
Inspired by the work of the Holy Childhood Association which cared for abandoned children
in the Far East and in other parts of the world, Father Verbist felt that he, too, should do
something more for the poor and needy in China. By strenuous efforts, he overcame
numerous obstacles, until his Belgian mission in China was finally approved by Pope Pius
IX. The new foundation’s first formation house was located at an old site of pilgrimage
called Scheut, in the municipality of Anderlecht, near Brussels, Belgium. Thus the name:
'Scheut Missions or Missionaries of Scheut'.

In 1865, Father Verbist and four other zealous companions made their final preparations for
their mission in China. They arrived in the winter of that same year in the village of Xiwanzi,
in the Province of Inner Mongolia, north of the Great Wall.

There they set up a base, getting to work immediately on plans to administer the vast
territory that lay before them: organizing small Christian communities, attending to an
orphanage and school, and training seminarians.

"It's difficult. Such a pity that we are so few," Father Verbist used to voice to himself
whenever he considered the vast task ahead of him. But guided by the Holy Spirit, he and
his team were able to overcome the obstacles - not the least of which were the harsh
terrain, the severe weather, the immense distances to be covered, and the local language.

These missionaries also faced many critical situations, including famine, sickness,
accidents, and martyrdom. Father Verbist himself died of typhoid fever at Laohugou, China
in 1868, at the age of 45, just three years after arriving in Inner Mongolia. His companion,
Father van Segvelt, a co-founder of the CICM Congregation, had succumbed to the same
dreaded disease a year earlier.

Although not a canonized saint, the fact that his foundation has grown to what it is today is
testimony to the love and work of Father Verbist and the power of the Holy Spirit within him.

"Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations," Christ said to His disciples...
Father Theophile Verbist lived by that command and continues to inspire others to do
likewise to this very day.