A HOLY CHEMISTRY
by: Paul Dominic Olinares

Ateneo education has always fostered holistic formation upholding not only excellence in one's chosen field but also a deep spirituality and social awareness. It is no wonder then that some alumni from the Ateneo Chemistry department pursue not only wholeness, but holiness as well. Five alumni have responded to the call of priesthood and missionary work. How did they weigh their options on what to do after college? What made them decide to pursue the priesthood? Was it a quantum leap from science to religion? These questions will be answered as the five alumni, at different stages of their vocations and affiliated with different religious denominations, share their vocation stories.

Fr. Antonio Samson, SJ
Fr. Samson entered the Society of Jesus after obtaining his AB Chemistry degree form the Ateneo in 1958. As part of his Jesuit formation, he taught Chemistry at Ateneo de Davao from 1963-65. He then pursued further studies in Chemistry at Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts. In 1969, he got his PhD working on friedelin compounds, a class of pentacylic triterpenes. He then worked at Texas A&M under the USAID program isolating and characterizing coconut proteins for food purposes. Afterwards, he went back to the Philippines to finish his Theology formation. During that time, he also taught Chemistry at the Ateneo. After his ordination into priesthood in 1973, Fr. Samson became the Director of the Office of Admission and Aid. Four years later, he was designated the Executive Vice President (EVP) of the Ateneo. Fr. Samson left Ateneo de Manila for Ateneo de Davao in 1986 to become its President for 12 years. Then, from 1993 up to the present, he is the President of Xavier University at Cagayan de Oro City. Although he currently focuses on the Jesuit education apostolate in Mindanao, Fr. Samson still maintains contact with the Chemistry Department of Ateneo de Manila by being a board member of the Philippine Institute of Pure and Applied Chemistry (PIPAC).

Fr. Mario Francisco, SJ
When Fr. Mario entered Ateneo de Manila, the Chemistry Building (now, Schmitt Hall) was just newly inaugurated. In his first year, their chemistry laboratory class mainly involved transferring equipment from Gonzaga, where chemistry classes were held originally, to Schmitt Hall. At one point, Fr. Mario became the Ateneo Chemical Society president. He fondly remembers the good rapport between student and faculty in the department. In one instance, they would gather at the second floor verandah and they would drink beer in beakers.
Before Fr. Mario got his BS Chemistry diploma in 1968, he had four options on what to do after graduation: teach Chemistry at Mindanao, teach theology in Ateneo de Davao, pursue graduate studies abroad, or enter the Sacred Heart Novitiate to begin his Jesuit formation. While taking his final exams in his senior year and finishing his undegaduate thesis on method development of thin layer chromatography (TLC) analysis under Dr. Anna Javellana, Fr. Mario was also taking the entrance exams for the Novitiate. When he got accepted, he eventually entered the Society of Jesus.
Realizing that there was a need for a critical and systematic study of the Philippine literature in the vernacular, Fr. Mario pursued an MA in Literature. He then used his expertise in teaching English, Literature and Filipino at Xavier University during his Regency. After his ordination in 1977, he was assigned as a Parish Priest at a resettlement area in San Pedro, Laguna for two years. He then taught Filipino Writing and Literature to Jesuit scholastics who were in their Juniorate year. From 1982-86, he took his Doctorate in Philosophical Theology at the Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, Califronia. Afterwards, he went back to the country and taught Theology and Philosophy at the Ateneo and at the Loyola School of Theology (LST). He is currently the National Chaplain of the Jesuit Volunteers Philippines (JVP) and the Director of the East Asian Pastoral Institute (EAPI).
Fr. Mario is very grateful for his BS Chemistry training particularly the discipline and attitudes involved in working in the laboratory. Analyzing a series of chemical reactions and understanding the mechanisms behind each reaction also helped him develop his skills in analytical and critical thinking. As such, he never severed ties with Chemistry. During his stay in California, he befriended twins from UC Berkeley who specialized in Organometallic Chemistry. Sometimes, he includes examples from Chemistry in his Theology or Philosophy lectures. He even teaches a Science and Religion course in the Ateneo, drawing from his rich experience of both disciplines.

Bro. Antonio Basilio, SJ
Bro. Tony finished his BS Chemistry degree in 1993. His undergraduate thesis was on medium chain triglyceride synthesis under Dr. Modesto Chua. After graduating, he taught Chemistry and Math at the Ateneo for a year. Then, he worked as a quality assurance laboratory management officer of the finished goods department at Nestle Philippines, Lipa factory for one and a half years. Afterwards, he transferred to Procter and Gamble working in product development for another year.
He then went back to Ateneo and did his Masters in Chemistry. At this time, he stayed at Arvisu, the Pre-novitiate house for those who want to join the Jesuits. His master's thesis was on surface characterization of copolymer systems under Dr. Nestor Valera. On May 30, 1999, five days after his Masters thesis defense and three days after presenting at the Philippine Chemistry Congress in Cebu, Bro. Tony entered the Sacred Heart Novitiate. Two year after, he pronounced his vows on poverty, chastity, and obedience. He then transferred to the Loyola House of Studies (LHS) for his Juniorate Studies and eventually completed his final bound Master's thesis. His current apostolate includes being a Bilibid volunteer, Vocation Promotions team member, and facilitator of Retreat in Daily Life.
While in college, Bro. Tony never thought of entering religious life. He only started thinking about it when he was working at Procter and Gamble. He was not happy with his job. According to him, his restlessness and confusion arose from too much materialism. It struck him that there was more to life than earning money and supporting oneself. He got attracted to the Jesuits because Ignatian spirituality involves a degree of boldness and a sense of adventure, of finding God in all things, of His being in everything. He tried to search for his path. He attended the Vocation Seminar and Workshop. Things fell into place after that.
Bro. Tony is very passionate in what he does. And where does Chemistry figure in his mission? He sees it as an aid in helping the business and socio-economic area of his mission, whatever that may be. The Society is open in supporting him to pursue his PhD in Chemistry.
For Bro. Tony, it was primarily a transition from career to vocation, from a sense of purposelessness to a sense of mission. It was a paradigm shift. "Vocation is trying to find out what your deepest desire is and realizing that this is also God's desire for you," he quips. Through one's vocation, one gets to live one's relationship to God and share His love to other people.

Paul Segarra
Paul Segarra was Batch 1992, BS Chemistry. Upon graduating, he pursued his Masters in Chemistry and at the same time, taught Environmental Chemistry at the Environmental Science (ES) Department. Under the leadership of Dr. Fabian Dayrit, Paul helped in establishing the ES program. His MS thesis was also environment-related, focusing on the biochemical analysis of the effects of environmental stress on plants.
From 1998-99, Paul was invited to attend a lay vocation school in Tagaytay. For him, it aided in his discernment. For a year, he worked at an adoption-at-a-distance program translating Italian-to-Filipino letters from the Italian "parents" and vice-versa (from kids and their families). The beneficiaries were thirteen families whose main source of living is scavenging in a dumpsite in Tagaytay.
After a year of live-in experience, Paul had to decide if he was going to finish his Masters or continue with the next stage of his formation in the mission. He chose the latter and thereafter went to Lupiano, Florence in Italy to continue his formation.
The lay vocation organization that Paul entered is called Focolare, an Italian term for "hearth" or "a place where a family gathers". It is an ecclesiastical organization founded by Chiara Lubich, who espoused the spirituality of communion. The path she took was not of single-blessedness but consecrating oneself in a community. Basically, Focolare's mission focuses on dialogue among ecclesial organizations in the Catholic Church, among Christian churches, among different religions, and among different ideologies. The dialogue does not only take place on the level of theological discourse, but also on the level of life and praxis. Overall, it makes one realize from the appreciation of one's differences and of the sharing of one's gifts the richness of religious experience.
Things do fall into place. This year, Paul went back to the Philippines to finish his Masters thesis. Then, he has to go back to Singapore, where he was initially assigned, to continue his apostolate on youth formation and study the Koran.

Elder Mark Mabanglo
Mark was in sophomore year in college when he first learned about the Church of the Latter Day Saints. Prior to that time, he was struggling with confusion and lack of direction in life that limited his personal happiness. That problem was compounded by the insecurities he had from being a poor student in a rich school, as well as by the fatigue resulting from long trips to school from his house in Makati. These then affected his academic performance and he realized that he had no goal nor inspiration to study. Theology 121 moved him to ask questions of ultimate meaning and decided to find the answers. He consulted one of his high school friends who, he discovered, was a full-time missionary of the Church of Latter-Day Saints. After their conversation, Mark felt calm and uplifted. He eventually decided to join the Church by welcoming regular visits from the Elders. On May 20, 2000, Mark was baptized into the Church of Latter-day Saints.
While finishing his undergraduate studies, Mark became a part-time missionary. Every Fridays during his Junior year in college, he would attend his physical chemistry class wearing white polo and dark slacks. With a tie in his bag, he would immediately change in proselytizing attire afterwards and work with missionaries in the area where he lived. Having time for missionary work despite the rigors of completing his academic requirements, Mark realized that one of the blessings he received as a convert was the skill to manage his time.
After graduating from college, Mark taught at the Chemistry Department of the Ateneo for a year. He then began his full-time missionary work as part of the Philippine Ilagan Mission at Cauayan City, Isabela. Ten months after embarking on his mission, Mark shares that " there is no greater blessing than to lie down at night and know that the Lord is pleased with how you spent your day, how you tried to help the people who sense that there could be something better in their lives. Our message to the world is a message of hope. It is not a false hope, but a true hope, that someday, in the eternity's future, everything that we suffer in this life will end and will mister to our education, and that everything that we treasure and hope for can be obtained because a loving Father in Heaven has shown the Way."