by Duey T. Guison

IN A university like the Ateneo, teachers should not just be concerned about teaching but also about research, and this is what six theology teachers were recognized for. On January 25, the an­nual Fr. George Gorospe, SJ, Fund for Research and Publications in Theology rec­ognized six theology teachers for their research work. Among the awardees were Assistant Professor Michael Demetrius Asis, Ph.D., Assistant Professor Arnella Francis Clamor, Ph.D., and Instructor Rafael Dy-Liacco. The other awardees were Associate Professor Fr. Pasquale Giordano, SJ, Associate Professor Markus Locker, Ph.D, and Professor Emeritus Fr. Joseph Roche, SJ. “[The Fr. Gorospe fund] contributes to the research and publication of the faculty members of the Theology Department,” said Roche. Theology Chair Fr. Ad­olfo Dacanay, SJ, started the fund in 2002 in honor of Fr. Vitaliano Gorospe, SJ, for his contribution to the Theology Department. “Fr. Gorospe has pub­lished so many things, so in one sense, the Theology De­partment keeps his memory alive,” said Giordano. Giordano was recognized for editing Ateneo’s Theology 141 textbook and for making the booklet Evangelizing Presence: Living the Moral Life Today, which he au­thored with Nancy Russell Catan. For Roche, meanwhile, the fund has been a big help to the department, and has continued even after Gorospe’s death. “[Fr. Gorospe] died six years ago already, and here is his fund that actually sup­ports actively the research of the department,” Roche said. Roche was recognized for two articles, “The role of doctrine in Christian Faith” published in the Humanities edition of the Loyola Schools Review, and “Towards a Review of Integration in Catechesis,” in the CBCP Monitor.

Full dedication

According to Dy-Liacco, theology is a discipline wor­thy of study. He added that being a theology teacher means that one should show full dedication in doing schol­arly work and research. Dy-Liacco emphasized the importance of research to teaching. “Theology teach­ers must not only have a good grasp of some field in their discipline [and] gain a view on the rest of the discipline.” “But for this wider view to stay good they must stay current with the issues and research in their chosen field,” he said. “The exposure to new issues and fresh ideas cannot but help enrich their teaching.” Dy-Liacco was recog­nized for his work on “OT [Old Testament] Holy Moun­tain ethos and its NT [New Testament] transforma­tion,” which he presented during the 8th Annual Convention of the Catholic Biblical Association of the Philippines.

More than money

All of the theology teach­ers except for Roche and Giordano, who are Jesu­its, were given financial rewards. “The funds were for the lay faculty,” said Giordano. Still, the Jesuits do not mind because for them, the recognition for their work plays a more important role than the financial re­wards. “It is the recognition that is more important,” said Giordano. “It is always good to have your publications recognized. In that respect, that is the value of it.”