On 03 August 2026, in celebration of the Golden Jubilee of the Saint Louis University (SLU) School of Medicine (SOM), SLU conducted a blessing ceremony of the Fr. James Desmet, CICM Building of the SOM. This houses the Dr. John Anthony A. Domantay and Dr. Elizabeth F. Dacanay Lecture Halls, Office of the SOM Dean, Faculty Rooms, and state-of-the-art specialized classrooms, among others.
The official unfurling of the ribbon was led by CICM Philippines Provincial Superior, Rev. Fr. Hirohito Bolo, CICM; SLU President Rev. Fr. Gilbert B. Sales, CICM, PhD; SLU Vice President for Mission and Identity Rev. Fr. Emery Mwako Ebumea, CICM; Vice President for Academic Affairs Felina P. Espique, PhD; Vice President for Finance Roberto M. Arguelles, PhD; and SOM Dean, Dr. Myrna Espiritu.
In leading the blessing ceremony. Fr. Ebumea said, “May this Fr. James Desmet, CICM Building be a home of learning, service, collaboration, and christian witness.” He offered a prayer to the Builder of all things and said, “Grant that the work we complete here serve to better our lives and contribute to the spread of the Kingdom of Christ. Bless this Fr. Desmet Building and all Louisians who will study, work, and serve within its walls. May this always be a place where faith enlightens the mind…and where charity guides all endeavors.” The ceremony then commenced on the building’s different floors.
Fr. James Desmet, CICM: The Quiet Legacy of a Teacher of Medical Ethics, SOM’s Moral Compass
Igniting the momentum, Fr. Sales gave a touching tribute and said, “Today is truly a day of thanksgiving and celebration. As we commemorate the Golden Jubilee of the Saint Louis University School of Medicine, we gather not only to dedicate the Fr. James Desmet Building, its new home, but also to celebrate fifty years of forming physicians committed to competence, compassion, and service. It is most fitting that, as we mark this milestone, we also honor a man whose life and ministry helped shape the very values that continue to define our School of Medicine Fr. James Desmet, CICM.”
Fr. Sales then said that buildings are often named after people who dreamed of the future, affirming that Fr. Desmet was one of those visionaries. “Yet his dreams were never about buildings or recognition. They were always about people,” Fr. Sales emphasized. Throughout the years of Fr. Desmet at SLU, he dedicated himself to forming minds, nurturing faith, and shaping hearts. His greatest legacy lives not in concrete and steel, but in the countless lives he touched.
Fr. James served Saint Louis University in many capacities—as Head of the Religion Department, educator, campus minister, and pastoral leader. He became the first parish priest of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga Parish and later coordinated the University’s first Pastoral Team, helping define pastoral ministry as accompaniment and compassionate presence. He also served among the first chaplains of SLU Sacred Heart Hospital, bringing Christ’s comfort to patients and their families during moments of suffering and hope. For the SOM, however, Fr. James will always be remembered as “a teacher of Medical Ethics,” Fr. Sales underscored. “He reminded future physicians that medicine is not merely the science of curing disease but the vocation of caring for persons. Long before bioethics became widely discussed, he challenged students to ask not only, ‘Can we do this?’ but more importantly, ‘Should we do this?,’ Fr. Sales recalled. “He taught that every patient is a person created in the image of God, deserving of dignity, compassion, and respect. His classroom formed more than competent physicians. It formed doctors with conscience, integrity, and compassion. In many ways, Fr. James helped shape the moral identity of our School of Medicine. It is therefore most fitting that this building, where future physicians will be formed, proudly bears his name,” Fr. Sales further stated.
The Fr. James Desmet Building therefore stands as another concrete proof of SLU’s enduring commitment to mission and excellence: to medical education rooted in compassion, integrity, and social responsibility.
As Fr. Sales said, “As a Catholic and CICM institution, SLU has always understood education as a mission. Since 1911, its purpose has been not only to impart knowledge but also to form men and women who become instruments of justice, compassion, and transformation. The Fr. James Desmet Building continues that missionary tradition. It is a reminder that the greatest contribution to society is not simply producing excellent doctors, but forming compassionate healers whose minds are enlightened by science and whose hearts are guided by conscience. The Fr. James Desmet Building stands today as a testament to what vision, collaboration, excellence, and a shared commitment to our mission can accomplish.”
Fitting Remembrances: Dr. John Anthony A. Domantay and Dr. Elizabeth Fe Dacanay Lecture Halls
The 50th Year Anniversary of SLU SOM was made more significant with the unveiling ceremony of two lecture halls that, Dr. Espiritu said, serve as “a lasting tribute to lives dedicated to educating future Physicians and advancing the mission of SOM.”
Fr. Sales and Althea Domantay Schmidt unveiled the commemorative marker of the Dr. John Anthony A. Domantay Lecture Room, while Fr. Sales and Maria Elizabeth Dacanay Mercado unveiled that of the Dr. Elizabeth Fe Dacanay Hall. In solidifying the honorary gesture, Dr. Espiritu said, “May these lecture halls be more than a place of learning. May they serve as enduring reminders of the remarkable leaders whose lives formed physicians.”
SLU SOM Pharmacology Department Coordinator Dr. Maria Margot Flor Yasay and SLU SHMC Cardiovascular Unit and SOM Faculty Dr. Helenne Joie Brown, Consultant in Charge, then gave testimonials.
Dr. Yasay’s words centered on three values that define Dr. Domantay as an educator and leader: Excellence, Compassion, and Holistic Formation. “May this hall always reflect the values and the culture that Dr. John modeled throughout his life. May every lecture delivered here inspire excellence. May every interaction, within his walls, be marked by respect and kindness; and may every student who leaves this auditorium, become not only a knowledgeable physician, but also a compassionate doctor and a person of character,” she said.
In giving her tribute to Dr. Dacanay, Dr. Brown recalled how Dr. Dacanay was a “brilliant teacher…She steered the college to new heights, and hundreds of brilliant doctors had come out of it. Dr. Dacanay was a dynamic force, a brilliant teacher. She instilled that mediocrity and laziness were unacceptable if you wanted to be a good doctor. It is but fitting, therefore, that this hall be dedicated to her, in honor and remembrance. May every student and faculty member who enters this room, be inspired by the brilliance and force that is Dr. Elizabeth F. Dacanay, an esteemed teacher, a highly respected mentor, and a beloved friend,” Dr. Brown said.
After the unveiling, Dr. Espiritu gave a message for the SLU SOM 50-year Anniversary Celebration. “[S]aint Louis University has continued to invest in facilities that strengthen our academic mission and prepare our students for the challenges of an ever changing world. This new School of Medicine building reflects that vision, a vision that creates opportunities for excellence. By providing modern learning spaces, where students and faculty can innovate, collaborate, discover, and grow together in the pursuit of medical education. This occasion becomes even more meaningful as we reflect on our beginnings,” she said.
Dr. Espiritu then traced back to when the SLU SOM was established in response to the growing need for physicians in Northern Luzon, particularly in the Cordillera Administrative Region. Guided by the missionary spirit of the CICM and the university’s commitment to serving communities, where healthcare was most needed, the school opened its doors in 1976 with a mission of forming physicians, who would contribute scientific competence, combined with compassionate service. That mission has been SOM’s compass through the years. From a pioneer class of 64 students, the SLU SOM has grown into one of the country’s most respected medical schools, producing generations of physicians who now serve in hospitals, clinics, universities, research institutions, and communities throughout the Philippines and across the globe.
Putting a close to the meaningful commemoration, Dr. Espique gave her remarks: “As we close this meaningful ceremony, let us pause and reflect on what we have witnessed today: not just the blessing of the Fr. James Desmet CICM building, but the birth of a new chapter in our institution’s mission to serve, to heal, and to educate… Truly, this School of Medicine has been, and continues to be a blessing to our country, to our community…. “
