The Our Lady of the Pillar Seminary was born of a great need. For at the time the Diocese of Imus was separated from the Archdiocese of Manila there were not enough priests serving the rapidly growing number of parishes in the whole diocese. Hence, there is need to produce more priests who are sensitive to the needs of our diocese.

The seminary was from the beginning a residence. When it opened in June 1970, it was a seminary residence for high school boys desiring to become priests. The majority of these boys went to school in St. Andrew Catholic School, Paranaque, Metro Manila. Some studied in St. Mary Magdalene, in kawit and St. Michael, in Bacoor. Both are in Cavite.

In the year 1976, it was decided to discontinue receiving intermediate and high school seminarians. From then on, only applicants who were high school graduates were admitted to study a liberal arts course, major in Philosophy. At first, the seminarians were studying institutions within the Diocese. From 1976- 1980, they took their academics at Imus Institute, after 1980 they transferred to Emillio Aguinaldo college ( now under De La Salle University) in Dasmarinas, Cavite. But because the Philosophy course had to be strengthened, the decision was made to enroll the seminarians at the University of Sto. Tomas (UST) that was year 1982. The seminirians took two years of Philosophy and allied subjects to earn an A.B degree and then transferred to Tahanan ng Mabuting Pastol in Tagaytay City to continue the rest of their Philosophy in the Divine Word Seminary (SVD).

In 1987, the SVD fathers decided to close their Philosophy department in Tagatay and transfer it in Christ the King Seminary, in Quezon City. This decision greatly affected the academic program of the seminary. Instead of providing only two years of initial formation to the seminarians, the seminary has to keep them for the entire four year program of formation

Over years we have seen a steady increase in the number of young men who desire formation to the priesthood. Some pf these men have had two or three years of college; others were already professionals and have finished courses in Engineering, Agriculture, Commerce and other allied courses. For these reason, it was felt that the Bishop’s house which served as the seminary residence for many years proved too small to house the increasing number of seminarians. Beside it also serve as the central office of the Diocese. Hence, the need to relocate the seminary to a site more conducive for prayer, work, silence, and study.

In 1988, with the help of many generous people both hise and abroad, the Diocese of Imus purchased a 2.6 hectare-lot at Sitio Buhay na Tubig, Tanzang Luma, Imus, Cavite. The site chosen was within the town of Imus to maintain our proximity to the centers of learning in Manila and its size is big enough to support livelihood projects such as farming.

For four years our seminarians ger their academic training at Christ the King seminary in Quezon City under the supervision of the SVD fathers. But because of the worsening traffic situation in Manila, the community and the Seminary fathers decided to transfer the seminarians to St. Paul Seminary in Silang, Cavite. It took another four years of academics at St. Paul Seminary before the community again decided to leave St. Paul and finally settle at San Carlos Seminary, the Seminary of the Archdiocese of Manila. San Carlos Seminary provided us the much-needed academic training streamlined for diocesan seminarians. At present San Carlos Seminary serves as the venue for philosophical training for the seminarians belonging to different congregations and dioceses.

There were other important developments to be noted. Motivated by our efforts to meet the financial needs of the seminary and the desire to provide the laity with their needs for spiritual books, articles, and gift items at affordable prices, OLP Seminary opened BLESSINGS on October 3, 1990, a religious store and gift center rolled into one. BLESSINGS is an attempt to serve the Catholic community by providing good Catholic literature and other sacramentals used to express the Filipino’s unique religious experiences. The Blessing Seminary Bakeshop was also established to provide financial assistance to both the seminary community and the immediate community where it lives. The bakeshop was established through Bishop Felix Perez’s initiative and dream, that is, to serve as a potent venue for values formation for both seminarians and workers. This is our humble contribution to society to help those in need of work and ultimately a clearer goal in life.

The official blessing of the seminary on November 30, 1991, was another milestone in the history of the seminary. After 53 years of existence, we are proud to say that 60% of the clergy in our diocese were initially formed at our seminary. We firmly believe that the vision and dream of Bishop Perez for our Diocese will always be kindled in our hearts, as a community forever. We vow to continue pursuing and fulfilling that dream. With all these things said, we also believe that with the help of Jesus, the intercession of our Blessed Mother and prayers of Bishop Felix P. Perez, a blessed future is in store for us and for our Diocese. Much will still unfold, by God’s Grace