Bishop Ongtioco blesses Senior High School’s "heart and soul"

Ateneo de Manila Senior High School held a Mass and program in the morning of 18 December 2023 for the blessing of the Formation and Learning Center (FLC) and its St Aloysius Gonzaga Chapel. The momentous occasion was led by Most Reverent Honesto Ongtioco, Bishop of Cubao; Fr Roberto “Bobby” C Yap SJ, Ateneo de Manila University President; Fr Joaquin Jose Mari “Jonjee” C Sumpaico III SJ, Vice President for Basic Education; and Noel P Miranda, Principal of the Ateneo de Manila Senior High School (ASHS).   

The event began at 9:00 am with Maria Jennifer “Jen” Concepcion, ASHS Assistant Principal for Formation, welcoming the guests as they gathered outside the chapel. “In our liturgy today, the altar of this chapel will be blessed together with its sanctuary, nave, and walls in an act of purification that will set this chapel aside for the prayer and worship of the Senior High School community, especially the celebration of the mass,” she explained. “May this chapel be kept as an oasis of grace and friendship for all who will pray here, for it lies within the protective mantle of the Blessed Mother of God and the overflowing mercy of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.”

Once the Bishop, clergy, and people were inside the chapel, the rite of Blessing followed, which included the sprinkling of holy water on the attendees, on the church walls, and on the Altar.   

In his homily, Bishop Ongtioco thanked the architects, engineers, laborers, and donors who made the completion of the chapel and the FLC possible. He also spoke animatedly about what the chapel would become for the ASHS community: “This chapel is a HOME. It will become more than a building. It will become a refuge and sanctuary for many….this chapel will become a source of hope, a fount of generosity, and a beacon of compassion where values and devotions such as love for the sacred heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary our Mother will abound.”

Following the Liturgy of the Word, the blessing of the Altar took place, a process which included its ritual wiping by the Jesuit priests in attendance and its incensation. Afterwards, it was covered and lit with candles.

After the distribution of Holy Communion came the inauguration of the St Aloysius Gonzaga Chapel’s Tabernacle of the Reserved Sacrament. Vice President for Basic Education Fr Jonjee Sumpaico SJ then led the congregation in reciting the Act of Consecration to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

University President Fr Roberto Yap SJ then delivered a message of thanksgiving, where he described the St Aloysius Gonzaga Chapel as “the heart and soul” not only of the FLC but of the entire Ateneo de Manila Senior High School. “We will always pray that this chapel will truly be a sacred space where we can encounter the Lord and always be inspired to be like Aloysius Gonzaga, a person for and with others," he said.         

After the concluding rite, Fr Bobby then said the prayer for the blessing of the FLC. “Through the gift of Your eternal wisdom, grant that all we undertake here may serve to better our lives, and through Your goodness contribute to the spread of the kingdom of Christ, who lives with You and the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever,” he prayed. 

The other Jesuit Fathers – Fr Norberto “Kit” Bautista SJ, Director of the Office of University Development and Alumni Affairs; Fr Alberto "Bert" V Ampil SJ, Director of the Parents’ Union for School and Home (PUSH); Fr Mamert B Mañus, Chaplain of the Ateneo Junior High School (AJHS); and Fr Braulio "Bong" M Dahunan SJ, Chaplain of the ASHS – joined Fr Bobby and Fr Jonjee in blessing all the rooms and learning spaces throughout the FLC’s three floors, sprinkling them with holy water to complete the building's blessing and purification.

The event then concluded with refreshments at the ASHS cafeteria on the ground floor of the FLC. Among those who attended the blessing and inauguration were ASHS alumni, current student leaders, parents, faculty, staff, and administrators, including Ma Victoria “Bitchik” P Dimalanta, former ASHS Principal; and Socorro Perpetual "Pinky" E Escarez, former ASHS Assistant Principal for Academic Affairs. Present as well were donors representing the AHS Class of 1978.

ASHS Principal Noel Miranda summed up the event as “a day of blessings” that resulted in “hearts overflowing with gratitude.” He revealed during his message of acknowledgments that the blessing of the altar had moved him to tears because he deeply felt and sensed the chapel’s transformation following the rite. “I hope this transformation is not only of the place but also a transformation in our hearts,” he offered, “that we also come home to ourselves and discover that even as we bless our chapel and make it a home for Christ, He also dwells in us through His spirit.”