The Ateneo High School Batch 1974 sponsors mass presided by Fr Bobby Yap SJ at St Kostka Chapel

On 1 December 2024, Ateneo High School Batch (AHS) 1974 celebrated a Mass presided by University President Fr Roberto C "Bobby" Yap SJ, and concelebrated with Office of University Development & Alumni Affairs (OUDAA) Director Fr Kit Bautista SJ, with homilist Fr Joey Cruz SJ, at the St Kostka Chapel. This is to commemorate their Golden Jubilee Homecoming as AHS graduates. They felt it was appropriate to begin their week-long celebrations by praying as one community through the holy sacrifice of the Mass.

During his homily, Fr Joey Cruz SJ, emphasized the significance of appreciating both small and big blessings that God bestows upon us, stating “...that you have in large measure, been spared of calamity; no, in fact, have been abundantly blessed. Here your memory will be enabling and life-giving."

"Relish the friendships that bind you – the deep, sturdy, lifelong friendships you keep," he continued. "Recall the successes in the ventures you bravely undertook and the gainful leaps in your careers; recall what you have built and what you have now become. Remind yourselves of the strangers you helped. Let the strong ties with family and those entrusted to your care bind you tightly to them and sustain you for life. And do not fail to recognize the silent deepening through the years of your inner life.”

As one Golden Jubilarian shared, full of nostalgia, “...the noise inside the cafeteria was just as loud as 50 years ago.” They felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the blessing of a Jesuit education, for a shared life with each other for the past 50 years, and most importantly, the gift of life itself.