By Richard Villacrucis Ella SJ

The Chaplaincy Office together with the Xavier University community and mass goers across Cagayan de Oro City commemorated the feast of the patroness of XU at the Immaculate Conception Church with activities geared toward creating a festive yet solemn celebration.

The novena masses held from November 29 – December 7 at 5PM were sponsored not only by the different colleges and units of XU but also by the nearby establishments along Divisoria and Corrales streets.

On the eve of the feast, a taboan (fair) was mounted wherein a number of vendors were invited to sell their wares to the Sunday congregation of the church.  

Nature’s Spring, Hyundai, Condura, Shopwise, Dunkin’ Donuts, Pepsi and some plant vendors were accredited to sell at the back area of the church compound.  World of Fun also brought some of their units where children can play, and Photocrib was hired to provide family pictures with the Pope Francis’ standee and the Blessed Mother as background for free.

 

The event culminated with a procession on December 8, the actual feast of the Immaculate Conception at 7AM. A number of classes from Religious Studies, First Year Formation Program (FFP) and the School of Education joined the procession together with the lay ministers, the XU faculty, formators and staff as well as other mass goers based outside the university. The ROTC cadets, XU band and a medical team of XU - Maria Reyna Hospital also joined the procession.

CDO Archbishop Antonio Ledesma SJ DD presided a high mass around 8AM with three deacons and some members of the Jesuit community of Loyola House.  Members of the XU-United Religious Organization also presented choir numbers for the mass.  

The Immaculate Conception Church of XU continues to serve as “an instrument of God’s blessing to the Catholic Christian community” in this part of the country.