The Xavier Ateneo community came together on 22 August 2025 to welcome the new Academic Year 2025-2026 through the Mass of the Holy Spirit or Red Mass. University President Fr Mars P Tan, SJ, served as the Presider, with University Chaplain Fr Ruben B Orbeta Jr, SJ, as the Homilist.

In his Homily, Fr Ruben quoted Cardinal Yves Cougar, OP, who said that the Holy Spirit is the “soul of the Church,” and that the Xavier Ateneo community should pray to be filled with the Holy Spirit, who unites people of diverse backgrounds through love. He also emphasized that the Holy Spirit guides Christian ministry and Christian living — that they are never self-powered. “The Holy Spirit is invoked upon the candidate so that he lives his life and performs his episcopal or presbyteral ministry under the auspices of the Holy Spirit. So everything he does is done in the power of the Holy Spirit, never by and of himself.”

Finally, Fr Ruben calls the community to pray that this academic year, all our efforts and actions be done under the auspices of the Holy Spirit: “when we feel discouraged to go on with our academic endeavors, when we feel overwhelmed and tempted not to give our best in our studies, when we feel intimidated by our demanding bosses or professors, we pray Come, Holy Spirit! Ignite our beings with the fire of your passion! Having been filled by and ignited with the fire of the Spirit, we will renew the face of the Earth.”

Fr Mars then performed the Concluding Rites, sending the community the message of a productive AY 2025-2026.

 

By Communications and Promotions Office