Last Saturday, 13 December 2025, 43 student-leaders from the Ateneo Grade School Class Officers Movement (AGSCOM) Grades 4, 5 and 6 were blessed with a truly meaningful encounter with the Lolo Jesuits, a morning filled with warmth, gratitude, and heartfelt connection. Read more: https://www.ateneo.edu/news/2025/12/ags-class-officers-visit-lolo-jesuits

Discernment and Spiritual Direction Second Semester | January–May 2026 Wednesdays, 2:00–4:50 PM Classes begin January 7, 2026 Both Onsite and Online/Zoom students will be admitted (hybrid). Essential for those accompanying others in faith, leadership, and service. Loyola School of Theology offers Discernment and Spiritual Direction—a course for lay, religious, and ordained who desire to accompany others with greater spiritual depth and care. Rooted in the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola and attentive to real human stories and struggles, this course helps form guides who listen with compassion, discern with wisdom, and walk faithfully with others in the Church and in civil society. Course Facilitators Discernment: Fr. Selva Rathinam, SJ From Tamil Nadu, India, Fr. Selva holds a Licentiate in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical Biblical Institute (Rome) and a Doctorate in Biblical Theology from the Jesuit School of Theology, Berkeley. Former President of Jnana Deepa Institute of Philosophy and Theology in Pune, he has extensive experience in Ignatian pedagogy, parish ministry, and retreats. He currently teaches Old Testament and Spirituality at LST. Spiritual Direction: Fr. Roberto “Bob” Buenconsejo, SJ Fr. Bob earned his Doctorate in Sacred Theology (Spirituality) from LST in 2024. Former Associate Director and Director of Formation at the Center for Ignatian Spirituality–Philippines, he is currently a formator at San Jose Seminary, Quezon City. He lectures on Spiritual Direction, the psycho-spiritual dynamics of the Spiritual Exercises, and the Anthropology of the Christian vocation. He regularly guides individual and group retreats. If you are accompanying others in discernment—or being called to do so—this course offers solid grounding, Ignatian depth, and pastoral wisdom for today’s complex contexts. Tuition discounts are available. If interested, email enroll@lst.edu.

The Ateneo de Naga University community gathered today, December 18, 2025, for the Wooden Building Farewell Rites, fittingly titled “Looking Back… Moving Forward.” The evening opened with an invocation, setting a reflective tone as members of the Board of Trustees, alumni, former and current administrators, faculty, staff, and friends of the University came together to bid farewell to the 85-year-old right and left wings of the Main Building. Meaningful sharing of memories followed, featuring messages from former faculty, administrators, alumni, and those who spent their formative years within the Wooden Building’s halls. These reflections were complemented by an audio-visual presentation tracing the building’s history and the generations it had housed. Fr. Aristotle C. Dy, SJ, delivered a message of gratitude and hope, leading to the revelation of the architect’s perspective of the new building, which is a powerful symbol of continuity and renewal. The evening concluded with an a cappella rendition of Regnum Dei, as blue lights illuminated the vision of what lies ahead, and a final walk-through of the Wooden Building, allowing attendees to say their personal goodbyes. It was an evening of remembrance, gratitude, and quiet hope to honor the past while moving forward together as one Ateneo.

Ateneo de Zamboanga University (AdZU), through the School of Liberal Arts and the Global Paths: Internationalization Office, hosted a Professional Growth Session for SLA entitled “Chavacano: Language, Identity, and Survival at the Edge of the Global Hispanophone.” The lecture was delivered by Carlos Yebra López, Assistant Professor at California State University, Fullerton. Prof. Yebra López presented Chavacano as more than a language, describing it as a living reflection of history, culture, and resilience in Zamboanga. He emphasized the importance of understanding Chavacano within the broader global Hispanophone context while honoring its unique local identity. The lecture also highlighted how providing global perspectives grounded in local realities allows the University to bridge international experiences with meaningful local action. Through initiatives such as this, internationalization becomes a pathway for advancing AdZU’s mission and vision—charting global paths that deepen cultural understanding, strengthen local identity, and empower communities to engage thoughtfully with the wider world. The University extends its appreciation to Robin Reyes, Dean of the School of Liberal Arts, for organizing this meaningful academic engagement. Photos by The University Communications Office (UCO)- Mr. Jay Bautista.

O God, who see how your people faithfully await the feast of the Lord’s Nativity, enable us, we pray, to attain the joys of so great a salvation and to celebrate them always with solemn worship and glad rejoicing. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.