Ateneo Church dedication set

The Ateneo Church of the Gesu is the Ateneo community’s statement of faith as a Catholic, Filipino, and a Jesuit institution. It is the eighth Church of Gesu outside the mother Church of the Society of Jesus in Rome, the Il Gesu, built in the early Renaissance and where St. Ignatius of Loyola was buried and major relics of St. Francis Xavier are found.

It is the fulfillment of a dream of Fr. William F. Masterson, S.J., back in 1949, to build an icon of Jesuit vision and spirituality at the new campus in Loyola Heights, Quezon City.

On Wednesday, July 31 the feast of St. Ignatius, the Church of the Gesu will be dedicated in honor of Jesus our Lord. The solemn rites will be officiated by Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin at 4 p.m. at the Sacred Heart Hill of the Loyola Heights campus in Quezon City.

The rites of dedication and anointing of the Church and altar in all its richness in meaning and history will be observed. The highlights of the celebration are the consecration of the altar with sacred chrism, the blessing of the holy water, the sprinkling of holy water on the church walls, the anointing of 12 crosses representing the 12 apostles, and the incensation of the community. Relics of Saints Ignatius, Francis Xavier, John Berchmans, Robert Bellarmine, Aloysius Gonzaga, Stanislaus Kostka, and the Japanese martyrs Paul Miki and John Goto will be placed beneath the altar.

Designed by Ricio+Casas Architects, the church’s striking triangular architecture symbolizes three things: the Holy Trinity, the outstretched arms of the Sacred Heart and the Filipino spirit embodied in the nipa hut roof design.

The Church has a seating capacity of one thousand, a loft for the choir, two side chapels: one for the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, and another dedicated to Mother Mary, Patroness of the university.

Located at the crossroads of the grade school, high school, and college, Ateneo Church of the Gesu will be the spiritual center for the campus, a constant reminder of the Atenean’s love for Christ and Mary and his commitment to country for the greater glory of God.