One-ing with the community

Being a parent meant that we were always in the background. We constantly place our kids first and prioritize their needs. Choosing Ateneo for our children's education was part of that decision to give them the best academic, socio-emotional and spiritual formation. Being invited as a parent to take part in this communal experience of Ateneo formation and Ignatian spirituality then, came as a pleasant surprise. I have never felt more a part of the Ateneo community as I was in this moment. 

Participating in the trail walk was a unique and truly memorable experience. Always caught up in the busyness of child-rearing and work, the Mount Purro experience came as an unexpected but much-needed reprieve -- an unplanned but necessary pause to look inwards and to nurture my faith and my self. Being there amidst nature, God's creation, allowed me to see myself and my life as a small speck in the bigger scheme of things that God has created. It reassured me that as God takes care of all His creations, so will He look ever so fondly at us. This eased all anxieties, especially as a parent, in this chaotic unpredictable world. 

I could not be more grateful to the Ateneo Grade School Campus Ministry Office and the Ignatian Spirituality Formation Office for extending the invitation to participate in the nature walk to AGS parents like me. The experience has allowed me to walk in my children's shoes, the Ignatian way, and allowed me to be more confident that I can guide them in their spirituality. 

Interacting with the members of the different Ateneo units was such a welcome experience too. I felt truly a part of the Ateneo community and felt reassured that this is the community, the kind of "second family," that I would like my children to grow up in. I sincerely hope that there are more invitations to Ateneo parents like this in the future. 

Ma-Anne Rosales-Sto. Domingo

Parent - Ateneo Grade School