Ateneo Law holds send-off mass and cheer rally for 2025 Bar Exam takers

On 30 August 2025, the Ateneo Law School gathered in faith and solidarity on a Saturday evening to send off its 2025 bar exam candidates with a Mass and a cheer rally at the Ateneo Rockwell Campus.

The send-off Mass, held at the St Thomas More Chapel, was presided over by Fr Erwin “Bok” Arandia SJ, who imparted blessings upon the candidates. The liturgy brought together family members, friends, faculty, staff, and administrators in a communal expression of support and prayer for the examinees. 

In his message to the bar candidates, Dean Jose Maria G Hofileña drew on imagery of battle, resilience, and faith. “Not too long from today, you will be marching into war against a formidable foe, your bar exams,” he said, urging students to stand firm and face the challenge head-on.

Dean Hofileña encouraged the candidates to confront the bar with confidence and tenacity, invoking the words of poet Maya Angelou: “You may shoot me with your words, you may cut me with your eyes, you may kill me with your hatefulness, but still, like air, I’ll rise.”

At the same time, he reminded them of the humility needed for the long and difficult journey, echoing the prayer of St Ignatius of Loyola: “To give and not to count the cost; to fight and not to heed the wounds; to toil and not to seek for rest; to labor and not to ask for reward.”

“You have been trained for this battle,” Dean Hofileña told the candidates. “Your Ateneo Law community is praying for you and cheering you on. We will be with you every step of the way and will be waiting for you at the battle’s conclusion.” He ended with a reminder to the candidates: “Have courage. Be confident. Stay humble. All for the greater glory of God. One Big Fight!”

After the Mass, the atmosphere shifted from solemn to celebratory as the Blue Babble Battalion led a cheer rally. Family, friends, and classmates joined in, their chants echoing across the campus to energize and uplift the examinees.

The evening’s events embodied the Ateneo tradition of forming not only competent lawyers but also men and women for others—rooted in faith, strengthened in community, and ready to rise to the challenge of the bar.

One Big Fight!