Rev. Fr. Jessie M. Hechanova, CICM
Sixth President of Saint Louis University

On August 20, 2005, the administration, faculty, employees and students of Saint Louis University together with government officials and representatives from the religious community and other educational institutions witnessed the Investiture Ceremony of Rev. Fr. Jessie Hechanova, CICM as the sixth President of Saint Louis University. He is also the first Filipino citizen to hold the highest position in the University. He succeeded Rev. Fr. Paul van Parijs, who will be moving on to Rome as the rector of the CICM Generalate House and as the Liaison with Vatican Congregations.

Rev. Fr. Jessie Hechanova was born to Paterno Hechanova Sr. and Alice Pastrana Morana on December 22, 1949 in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental. Twenty years after, the young Jessie entered the Brothers of the Christian Schools. In 1979, he took his first vows in CICM, and later he served as a Deacon in Yaounde, Cameroun, Africa in 1982. It was on February 12, 1983 when he was finally ordained as a priest in Ogbere, Nigeria, where he took his CICM internship.

Rev. Fr. Hechanova's academic preparation reveals comprehensiveness and excellence. He was a Jose Rizal First Honor Awardee when he graduated Bachelor of Science in Education major in Natural Sciences at De La Salle University in 1972. He also finished his Bachelor of Arts major in Philosophy in the same year and the same University. In 1982, he completed his Bachelor of Science in Theology at Ecole Theologique St. Cyprien in Cameroun, Africa.

He took up Master of Arts in Education at the De La Salle University, majoring in Guidance and Counseling, where he graduated in 1974. He also took other postgraduate studies on topics such as the Contemporary Issues on Theology, Spirituality, and Community Development at the Asian Social Institute in Manila in 1985, at the Mater Ecclesiae Center in Galilee, Israel in 1995, and at the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium in 2005. In 2004, Rev. Fr. Jessie completed his Doctor of Philosophy, major in Educational Management, magna cum laude, here at Saint Louis University.

From 2001-2004 he was a member of the Ad-Hoc committee on Internationalization and Interculturality in Rome. At present, he is a provincial council member of CICM-Philippines, and a member of the Provincial Committee on Education of CICM-Philippines.

Father Jess' credentials is one of a success story. His professional and pastoral involvement in the academe shows that he rose from the ranks. In the mid 70s, he served as Guidance Counselor in La Salle High School in Lipa Batangas, and in the University of St. La Salle in Bacolod. Later, he taught at the University of St. La Salle in Bacolod and De La Salle University in Manila. He then devoted his time as the Vocation Director of the De La Salle Brothers of the Philippines from 1978-1979.

It was in 1984 when he became the Dean of Studies in Maryhurst Seminary here in Baguio City. However, in 1987, he went back to Africa to be the Parish Priest of Koza, North Cameroun. When he came back to Baguio City in 1995, he labored as the Chaplain of SLU Laboratory Elementary and High Schools. In 1997, he assumed the Presidency of Saint Mary's University, whose employees describe him as down-to-earth, and a hands-on person.