1. Welcome to the
Bishop Frederick Rooker Auditorium
About
Bishop Frederick Rooker
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Dedicatory
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2. BISHOP FREDERICK Z. ROOKER
In 1902, BISHOP FREDERICK Z. ROOKER, American Bishop of Jaro, invited the
Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres to establish a mission in the Philippines. In his letter
to Mother Candide Cousin, Principal Superior of Saigon, he appealed to have
Sisters to help in the work of evangelization, particularly by strengthening the
Catholic faith through the religious education of the people. He noted the
flourishing of Protestantism in Dumaguete, a place that then formed part of the
Diocese of Jaro. With the permission of Mother La Croix Binet, Superior General,
seven Sisters sailed from Saigon and arrived in Dumaguete on October 29, 1904
to found the first Paulinian school in the Philippines. Bishop Rooker assured the
Sisters of his support and encouraged them: “It is the good God who has chosen
you for this work.”
This auditorium honors the vision of Bishop Rooker. May the work of
evangelization be further expanded and may God’s kingdom of love be promoted
in every event in this auditorium.
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