Guiding students to holiness through synodal approaches: An encounter among three university faculties of theology and religious education

The theology faculty and religious educators of Ateneo de Manila University (Ateneo), De La Salle University (DLSU) and University of Santo Tomas (UST) have begun a process to strengthen theological collaboration through annual inter-university encounters. The first encounter took place at UST on 11 October 2023.

The Ateneo de Manila University Department of Theology hosted the second encounter this past 3 July, coordinated by Dr Edwin Odulio in the School of Management (SOM) 111.

In celebration of the 60^th anniversary of the promulgation of Lumen Gentium, the theme of the encounter was “Guiding Students to Holiness Through Synodal Approaches.” Lumen Gentium notes that: “The Lord Jesus, the divine Teacher and Model of all perfection, preached holiness of life to each and every one of His disciples of every condition (40),” and this mission continues through Catholic educational institutions (Gravissimum Educationis 2.) The challenge for theologians and religious educators is to reflect on how to better inspire holiness, especially when faith is not a regular part of the lives of increasing numbers of students.

The encounter had three parts: (1) An Interview and Conversation with Students, (2) Conversations Among Faculty, and (3) A Plenary Conversation. Ms Maria Lowelle Calderon and Mr Kenjie Cortez were the emcees and main facilitators for the day's events.

The encounter began with an Opening Prayer led by Dr Anatoly Angelo Aseneta followed by an inspiring welcoming message from the Dean of the School of Humanities, Dr Patricia Lambino.

The first part of the encounter was an Interview and Conversation with Student Representatives from each school facilitated by Mr Louie Julian. The three panelists were Ms Maria Arabela Guzman from DLSU, Ms Angelica Del Monte from UST, and Mr Garret Mico Salazar from Ateneo. The students were asked what they appreciated about their Theology classes, how might their classes be improved to better support students in living a life of holiness, and how they thought their Theology/RE teachers could better foster dialogue and synodality in class and in school. Students spoke candidly about their experiences and inspired participants to continue what worked and recalibrate areas that may not have been effective. It was an enlightening session learning about how this generation has been moved by material and topics in theology/religious education classes, but also how some students’ experience with religious trauma affected them in their classes.

The faculty participants were then assigned to different Conversation Among Faculty Members groups for the second session. Each one was given the opportunity to share their thoughts and feelings on how they felt they could guide students to holiness given the Church’s call for synodality while navigating the tension between traditional Catholic teachings and contemporary social justice issues. In other words, how could we teach remaining faithful to the Tradition of Faith while still being relevant to our students’ lived experiences?

The day's events culminated in a Plenary Conversation among representatives from each of the Theology/Religious Education Departments:  Dr Ruben Mendoza, former Chair of Ateneo’s Department of Theology; Dr Allan Basas, Assistant Director of UST’s Institute of Religion; and Dr Dorothy Javier-Martinez, DLSU’s Chair of the Department of Theology and Religious Education (DTRE).

Dr Michael J Liberatore, current Chair of the Ateneo Department of Theology provided a final synthesis and the Closing Remarks.

Next year’s host is DLSU and all the participants are looking forward to that third encounter.

Photos courtesy of Mr John Lenon and Dr Mariles Borja of the Ateneo de Manila Department of Theology.