The de regiueur statue of St Ignatius, here kneeling infront of the old Lucas Hall building. The Hall still sports the old logo the Ateneo de Cagayan
Welcome to my alma mater! I graduated from this university in 1996 after 3.5 years of studying Biology. It was established in 1933 as a high school named Ateneo de Cagayan by Jesuit missionary Fr. James T.G. Hayes S.J., who later became the first bishop/archbishop of Cagayan de Oro. A college department was added in 1938, with course offerings in liberal arts, education and commerce. The Grade School was started in 1940. Ateneo de Cagayan had 614 students when it was forced to close during World War II.
Fr. Edward J. Haggerty S.J., school Rector, who served as a military chaplain during the war years and as Military Vicar for the U.S. Armed Forces from Borneo to Okinawa, wrote in his diary: Iin fifteen minutes, the American liberator bombers destroyed our labor of 15 years." It reopened a few years after the war.
In March of 1958, the Ateneo de Cagayan received university status and its present name, Xavier University, in honor of St. Francis Xavier, the Jesuit missionary to the Indies and companion of St. Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus.
XU, as we fondly call it, is the first Ateneo to become a University. Ateneo de Manila gained its status a year after during its centennary.
When asked about the change in name, Fr. Francisco Araneta S.J., Rector explained that the change of name "merely crystallized an old spirit that always had been the soul of all Ateneos, the spirit of learning and service, the spirit of purposeful scholarship."
Just one of the many stained glass windows put up during the tenure of Fr Antonio Samson, SJ. This one shows a Filipino-style Pentecost
Fr. Edward J. Haggerty S.J., school Rector, who served as a military chaplain during the war years and as Military Vicar for the U.S. Armed Forces from Borneo to Okinawa, wrote in his diary: Iin fifteen minutes, the American liberator bombers destroyed our labor of 15 years." It reopened a few years after the war.
In March of 1958, the Ateneo de Cagayan received university status and its present name, Xavier University, in honor of St. Francis Xavier, the Jesuit missionary to the Indies and companion of St. Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus.
XU, as we fondly call it, is the first Ateneo to become a University. Ateneo de Manila gained its status a year after during its centennary.
When asked about the change in name, Fr. Francisco Araneta S.J., Rector explained that the change of name "merely crystallized an old spirit that always had been the soul of all Ateneos, the spirit of learning and service, the spirit of purposeful scholarship."
Just one of the many stained glass windows put up during the tenure of Fr Antonio Samson, SJ. This one shows a Filipino-style Pentecost
Detail: immediate past president, Fr Samson, finds himself immortalized in his own project, here shown holding a building - a tribute to his being a builder-president. I was president of the Student Government during his time. He has now been re-assigned to Ateneo de Davao. See you again soon, Fr Ting!
The University Chapel. Inscription means "Thou art all fair, Mary."
The imposing Immortals of Science facade of the 5-storey Science Center
The University Chapel. Inscription means "Thou art all fair, Mary."
The imposing Immortals of Science facade of the 5-storey Science Center
Ground floor of the Science Center, home to laboratories, the faculty office and a lecture hall at the far end
The new library building across the Science Center
4 comments:
i'm teaching at ADDU. fr. samson is now our university president. i hope he'll build stained glass windows in our chapel as well. hehehe
ha ha ha! I am sure he will if you ask him to, elaine. Thanks for visiting.
hello dylan.
hey, you're from XU pala. nice to hear that. i hope my jesuit brothers there did edify you, hehehe.
nice shots.
Thanks and God bless.
Fr Jeff, I only went to the chapel to pray. I only had two hours left before my flight back to Manila. Besides, my only SJ contact in XU is - now "was" - Fr Ting himself.
I didn't get to visit KKP (XU's social involvement office) which i was a part of in my college days. Next time, next time.
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