By Vianca Viloria, Mary Philline Rodriguez, and Lovely Jane Pangandaman
For 125 years, the halls of San Beda University have stood not only as an institution of learning but as a sacred space for formation.
Founded by the Benedictine monks in 1901, San Beda was established as a Catholic institution deeply rooted in the Benedictine tradition guided by fides, scientia, and virtus. For Father Anselm M. Manalastas, OSB, one of the institutionโs defining milestones lies in the very reason for its establishment: โWhen the monks decided to open San Beda, it was for a very specific reason, to defend the Catholic faith.โ
Living true to its core, it anchored its mission through wars, political unrest, national crises, and changing generations. During World War II, classes continued inside the Abbey despite dangers looming in Manila. San Beda also weathered the politically charged years of Martial Law in Mendiola, when speaking against authorities came with great risk. Many Bedan student leaders became active during that time, alongside Dom Carlos Taleg, a monk who joined the political movement and never returned.
Even in recent years, San Beda has overcome new challenges. Reflecting on the universityโs survival during the pandemic, Father Anselm shared that San Beda endured because โGod loves usโ and continues to guide the institution in contributing to society, the community, and the nation.
Over time, the institution itself became the Benedictine communityโs contribution to the Philippine Church. As Father Anselm shared, when people hear Benedictines in the Philippines, they immediately think of San Beda. To this day, San Beda continues to form Bedans who strive to become fully human, wholly Christian, truly Filipino, and globally competitive.
The Cloister Walk
Beyond the busy classrooms and vibrant student life lies one of the most symbolic spaces within the university: the Cloister Walk. It is a place where silence, reflection, and history quietly meet.
Framed by old walls and shaded pathways, the Cloister Walk echoes decades of prayer, conversations, memories, and encounters. It is where generations of monks once walked in silence before prayer, where students hurried between classes, and where alumni now return carrying stories of their own Bedan journey.
It carries the rhythm of monastic life within the heart of the campus. While students move through lectures, examinations, and responsibilities, the Cloister Walk gently reminds the community to pause, breathe, reflect, and remember the deeper purpose of education โ the balance that Saint Benedict himself emphasized: a life harmonizing ora et labora: prayer and work, silence and community.
Life of Abbey Priests
Abbey priests live a structured, yet colorful life. They wake up at dawn and begin their day with community prayer followed by mass. Some then have breakfast, while others proceed to teaching or administrative work. They reconvene at midday for lunch and prayers, then continue their respective tasks in the afternoon and gather once again for dinner.
โEven in a structured life, we can have surprises,โ said Father Anselm, narrating how dinners become special whenever someone celebrates a birthday or when it is a feast day. On such occasions, the priests are treated to the celebrantโs favorite dish or additional desserts.
Still, dinner does not quite compare to the time that follows afterward. Once dinner is finished, Abbey priests gather in one room to listen to music, read newspapers, and engage in conversations. What makes this time meaningful is its purposeful serenity. Abbey priests are in the company of friends, or as Father Anselm calls it, his community.
When once asked whether he ever found Abbey life monotonous, Father Anselm disagreed. To him, being with his community meant a life filled with fulfillment and surprises.
โIf you are in the right place, if you love what you are doing, you will never get bored,โ he shared. โAnd of course, the Lord surprises us in many ways.โ
Abbey priests close the day exactly how they started it โ with prayer. Community prayers at the Abbey consist of singing psalms, reading the Bible, and offering petitions and prayers for the church, the country, and the community.
โWhen we pray as a community, we’re praying as a church. That prayer is for the universal church,โ he said.
Father Anselm also noted his fondness for singing the psalms and recalled a funny yet lighthearted anecdote about spotting a newcomer. A new priest may sing in the wrong notes at first, but eventually learns how to read musical sheets along the way. โBecause weโre doing it as a community,โ he said.
Aside from community prayers, Abbey priests also devote time to personal prayer through Lectio Divina, or divine reading. โEvery day, we have that time of the day when we are engaging in reading and spiritual contemplation,โ Father Anselm told thebarrister.
These personal prayers may vary for every Benedictine monk, but one thing remains certainโthey are always offered in praise of God, like everything else in the Abbey Church.
Role of the Abbey
The bells ringing across the Mendiola campus tell more than just time. They echo a century and a quarter of prayer, a history of surviving the fires of war, and a promise that as long as there is a Bedan who strives for the glory of God, the legacy remains alive.
While the world outside the Mendiola gates moved from the age of war to the age of high-speed fiber optics, the Abbeyโs bells have rung with the same consistency for 125 years. โDuring the war, classes were still ongoing in the Abbey,โ Father Anselm shared, noting that the Benedictines stayed behind to ensure that the flame of Bedan education was never extinguished.
Father Anselm described the Abbey as a place to breathe amid the hustle. In the universityโs evolution, the Abbey served as a physical reminder that work (labora) is only half of the equation; prayer (ora) gives it meaning.
Likening the institutionโs journey to a tapestry, Father Anselm noted that Bedan history is a beautiful work of art in which everyone contributed, and without each individual, it would never have happened.
This value of community ensures that the striving of one is supported by the stability of all, creating a generational bond that remains as vibrant today as it was more than a century ago. It is this understanding of being part of something larger, a spiritual and academic mosaic, that allows the Bedan community to thrive across eras of change.
Forwarding the Mission to Future Bedans
As the 125th anniversary celebrations eventually fade into the archives, the bells of the Abbey will continue to ring, serving as the steady heartbeat of a community that refuses to remain static.
The true Bedan today is defined not by the noise of honors, but by the quiet integrity of oneโs actions. As Father Anselm profoundly noted, the most significant contributions to nation-building often happen in silence. It is not always those in high-ranking positions who move the world; rather, it is the ordinary Bedans who embody true values in the unseen moments of daily life. This is the ultimate โlived legacy,โ a realization that the intelligence gained in the classroom is only as valuable as the goodness practiced outside of it.
Looking toward the next century, the challenge for every Bedan is the deep integration of these lessons into the fabric of everyday existence. True learning is not found in a memorized case digest or a perfectly written examination, but in the persistent effort to become a good citizen and a person of integrity.
In the end, the tapestry woven for the next century will be shaped by those who understand that being a true Bedan means striving to become the best version of oneself for the community and for the greater glory of God.
That in all things, God may be glorified.
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THE BARRISTER 