Fr. Vicente Fernandez: OLPS’ Founding Father

This year marks Our Lady of Peace School’s Golden Anniversary. For 50 years, the school stood strong and proud of what it has become, but has anyone wondered where and from whom it all started?

Let us journey, look back, and learn about him, the man who founded our school 50 years ago, and the reason why we are in this institution he built.

Father Vicente Fernandez was born on April 4, 1891, in Tondo, Manila, the son of Tomas Fernandez and Paulina Salandanan. He entered San Carlos Seminary on March 12, 1910, at the ripe age of 18, and received minor orders and/or tonsures on September 21st of the same year. In his time in the seminary, he was constantly practicing preaching, giving retreats, and teaching catechism.

Three years later, he was conferred to the Order of Subdeacon on March 13, 1913, then ordained to the Sacred Order of Deacon the following day. Eventually, he was ordained to the Sacred Order of Priesthood on November 2nd of the same year.

In his first few years of priesthood, he first became a parish priest in 1918 in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan, and then became the Parish Priest of Malolos on June 21, 1923.

He became Parish Priest-in-Charge of Barasoain in 1926 without leaving the parish of Malolos. On June 15, 1931, he became the Parish Priest of Barasoain without ceasing to be the Parish Priest of Malolos.

In June 1936, Fr. Vicente became the Parish Priest of Quiapo. He took charge of the Church of Quiapo and built a convent that was eventually turned into Quiapo Parochial School which was founded by him in 1952.

By 1954, he became Antipolo’s Parish Priest and Vicar Forane, he was in charge of overseeing priests in a particular area.

While he was Parish Priest in Antipolo in 1972, Fr. Vicente founded Our Lady of Peace School. He invited the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres to administer the school, and from there, OLPS continued to flourish and grow as one community.

Sadly, Fr. Vicente passed away on December 2, 1977— 3 years after he finished his term as Parish Priest. In honor of him, one of the OLPS’ main buildings was named after Fr. Vicente.

All thanks to Fr. Vicente who founded Our Lady of Peace School, service, hard work, and perseverance are still evident in the institution. Even after 50 years, we are grateful, as he is the reason why OLPS still continues to strive for excellence and serve its community enthusiastically.