By Dianne Kristie Anislag

Administrators, teachers, and students are seated in a form of the rosary to represent each bead of the five mysteries.

Adding to Xavier University Junior High School's firsts along with its Flexible Learning Plus program, the community gathered on-site to celebrate the culmination of the month of the Holy Rosary on the 28th of October 2022, in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary with the praying of the Living Rosary.

After two (2) years of holding events online at the height of the pandemic, the Xavier JHS community went back to the school covered courts for a hybrid celebration of the Marian Event, a tradition carried on by the community for years during the pre-pandemic time to offer veneration to Mary.

The statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary is processioned around the school covered courts for the community to see.

The image of the Blessed Virgin Mary was processioned around the courts before the praying of the Living Rosary as the venue resounded with solemn prayers and the singing of Marian songs. The Living Rosary was led by the administrators, faculty members, and the student-representatives from each class, while the rest of the students celebrated the Marian event online in their homes.

The Living Rosary was graced by special guests from the Ursuline Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, the beneficiary ministry of leukamia-diagnosed children.

The Living Rosary was also graced by the presence of the Ursuline Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, the beneficiaries of XUJHS’s monetary donations. The collection gathered will help them continue their ministry in Leupapo, an organization of leukemia patients (kids) and their parents.  

Students generously offer their flowers and roses before the statue of the Virgin Mary. After the floral offering, the statue was filled with their immense tribute to the Lady, a beautiful gesture of devotion and veneration.

The Marian Tribute was meaningfully concluded by showering the Blessed Virgin Mary with floral offerings in veneration of her title, The Lady of the Holy Rosary. Assistant Principal for Formation, Mr Joseph Seth Saga, shared his thoughts during the event saying, "Today's event was indeed meaningful and solemn. The participation and the generosity of the students was overwhelming, and that was made visible during the gift and floral offerings before the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary." XU Basic Education Chaplain, Fr RB Hizon, SJ, ended the activity with the final blessing to pray over the community through the intercession of the Lady.