'May the Sto Niño inspire us to live boldly in our identity as children of God' -Fr Marlon Fabros SJ

The Ateneo de Manila Junior High School (AJHS) community gathered in the covered courts in the morning of 15 January 2025 for the first schoolwide mass of the new year, the Votive Mass for the Feast of the Sto Niño. Many of the students were dressed in red and yellow, the colors associated with the Sto Niño image. The Mass Presider was Fr Marlon T Fabros SJ, President of Pangantucan Community High School (PCHS) in Pangantucan, Bukidnon. 

PCHS is a Jesuit mission school among the Indigenous Peoples and other locals in Bukidnon that caters to more than 1,100 students, many of whom are from marginalized communities like the lumads and the farming families of the region. The Mass' collection and love offerings were earmarked for PCHS to help the school fund its priority projects for this year, which include scholarships for non-Lumad students and sports equipment.  

 In his homily, Fr Marlon urged the devotees of the Sto Niño to live out their devotion by doing three things: by being light in the darkness, by being joyful bearers of the Good News, and by reevaluating their own identities with humility and freedom. "May the Sto Niño inspire us to live boldly in our identity as children of God, transforming the world with faith, hope, and love,” he concluded.

After the final blessing, Fr Marlon, AJHS Chaplain Fr Mamert Mañus SJ, and Jesuit formands Rev Septian Marhenanto SJ (from Indonesia), Bro Jasper Ong SJ (from the Malaysia-Singapore Region) and Sch Johnmar Monato SJ, went around the covered courts to bless the attendees and the images of the Sto Niño brought by students.

The Mass was live-streamed on the Ateneo de Manila University YouTube channel and can be viewed here: