AJHS celebrates first ever co-ed "Red Mass"

Held beginning 7:45 am on 14 August 2024 in the AJHS covered courts, the AJHS Mass of the Holy Spirit – a.k.a. the Red Mass- was a celebration of firsts. Not only was it the first community mass for the new school year, it was also the AJHS’ first community eucharistic celebration as a co-ed institution.

The Red Mass is a Jesuit school tradition, an occasion to mark the start of a new academic year. It is named as such because the color red symbolizes the “tongues of fire” that descended on the apostles during Pentecost and filled them with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4).

The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. In his homily, University President Fr Roberto C Yap SJ prayed that these gifts would continue to strengthen the Ateneo community in its ever constant mission to find solutions to society’s most pressing problems. "Throughout this schoolyear, may we be on fire with Magis, ready to go down the hill, to go to the peripheries where we may convey the good news of God’s salvation,” he said.

Veni Sancte Spiritus.

Halina, Espiritu Santo.

Come, Holy Spirit, enkindle in us the fire of Your love so we may go and set the world on fire.