“Were not our hearts burning inside us as He talked to us on the road and explained the scriptures to us?” (Luke 24:32)

Companions in Formation and Mission

For over twenty-five years, Emmaus Center has been involved in the work of human and spiritual formation. It has helped in the formation of Church leaders – lay persons, bishops, priests, men and women religious – in the Philippines and Asia. It has accompanied numerous individuals, organizations, and communities in their journey of discernment in faith and growth in ministry.

Resource Center for Psycho-Spiritual Formation

Emmaus works in partnership with individuals and organizations (seminaries, dioceses, schools, congregations, parishes, corporations, lay communities, government agencies, NGOs) in the design and conduct of programs and engagements like the following:

• Psycho-Spiritual Integration (PSI) workshops and retreats. PSI facilitates the integration of bio-physical, psycho-emotional, social, functional, transcendent, and spiritual dimensions of one’s self toward greater spiritual freedom to encounter and respond to God’s call to vocation and mission

• Individual Accompaniment: psychological testing, mentoring, coaching, counseling, spiritual direction, supervision, psychotherapy

• Seminars on Vocation and Mission Development: self-awareness, personal clarity, religious experience, community-building, affective maturity, discernment, renewal

• Coaching and Training for the Ministry: formation for formators, helper and processing skills, spiritual direction, leadership

• Facilitation of organizational development, group dynamics, formation, and planning processes

The staff of Emmaus is its biggest resource. Composed of both lay and religious men and women, trained here and abroad, and blessed by decades of experience, its staff continues to grow in a broad range of expertise necessary in the field of integral formation: psychology, spirituality, theology, social sciences, leadership, group and organizational dynamics, spiritual accompaniment.

Clients and Partners of Emmaus

On a regular basis, Emmaus serves the individual and organizational formation needs of the following: Society of Jesus (SJ), San Jose Seminary, San Carlos Seminary, Society of the Divine Word (SVD), St. John Vianney Theological Seminary, Ateneo de Manila University, Xavier University, Order of St. Benedict (OSB), Magis Deo Community, Archdiocese of Manila, and several dioceses all over the country. It has worked with major religious congregations like the Religious of the Good Shepherd (RGS), Religious of the Virgin Mary (RVM), Daughters of Charity (DC), Religious of the Assumption (RA), St. Paul of Chartres (SPC), Carmelite Missionaries (CM), and many others.

As a Jesuit ministry, Emmaus works in partnership with the following Jesuit institutions: Center for Ignatian Spirituality (CIS), Loyola School of Theology (LST), Society of Jesus Social Apostolate (SJSA), and the Center for Family Ministries (CEFAM).

Fundamental Values

Emmaus upholds the following values:

• Integral psycho-spiritual formation. The exploration of a person’s psychodynamics is done at the service of spiritual growth.

• Reverent companioning. Our ways of accompaniment are respectful and non-intrusive, honoring a person’s individual processes.

• Professionalism. Center personnel uphold competence and integrity. They update themselves with the latest knowledge and skills, and live out ethical behaviors and practices.

• Deep respect for the diverse gifts and charisms in the Church. Programs strive to combine different gifts in ministry coming from clergy, religious, and lay.

• Sensitivity and responsiveness to God’s presence and promptings. The end goal of all endeavors is to foster greater cooperation with God and God’s work.

Short History

Established in November 1981, Emmaus Center was set up by a team of religious and lay people led by Fr. Benny S. Calpotura, SJ, to address the formation needs of various religious congregations, seminaries, lay organizations and clergy in the Philippines. The other founding members were the following: Eva Galvey and Teresa Nietes. They were joined by Fr. Ben Moraleda, CSSR, Fr. Bernard MacEahern, CP, Sr. Mary James Wilson, RGS, Sr. Maribel Carceller, RSCJ, and Clarissa Banuelos.
Through the years, the Center has extended its services beyond the Philippines, toward clientele in the Asia-Pacific Region: Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Saipan, Guam, Sri Lanka and Hawaii.

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