Theological Centrum was created to offer permanent formation programs to secular priests in the Philippines. This was made possible through the JPM Foundation, Inc., established by some priests of the Prelature of Opus Dei and the Archdiocese of Manila, along with a number of professionals, who were eager to assist Bishops in their response to the Second Vatican Council’s call to facilitate the on-going formation of priests (cfr. Presbyterorum Ordinis 7). In 1985, to allow Theological Centrum to carry out this task more effectively in a new juridical framework and to initiate other activities, the Studium Theologiae Foundation (STF) was established.
Theological Centrum (TC) holds its office on the 5th floor of Quad Alpha Centrum Building, 125 Pioneer Street, Mandaluyong City, Philippines. Its chapel, dedicated to Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage (Our Lady of Antipolo) was blessed by then Archbishop of Manila, His Eminence, Jaime L. Cardinal Sin. Its library, holding around 3,000 basic books on Philosophy, Theology and Canon Law, is open to all the clergy. From this venue, Theological Centrum coordinates several activities for priests and seminarians all over the country, such as Holy Hours, publications of newsletters and books for spiritual reading and the ecclesiastical sciences, retreats and recollections, spiritual direction, conferences on Philosophy and Theology, yearly seminar for priests and seminarians, and live-in seminars at a regional or national level.
Since 1986, Theological Centrum, with the help of generous benefactors, initiated a major project that aims to offer a much-needed support to the Church in the Philippines, a project called FORMATION FOR SEMINARY FORMATORS FOR THE LOCAL CHURCH. Through this project, Bishops have been sending priests and seminarians to the University of Navarre in Pamplona, Spain, and to the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome, for studies in the different ecclesiastical fields.