The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines’ Episcopal Commission on Culture (CBCP-ECC) has declared Xavier University as an official Catholic Cultural Center (CCC).
The formal conferral rite was held at the Eucharistic Celebration presided by Rev. Elenito Galido DD, CBCP-ECC chairman, at the Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan University Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary on September 7 as part of the Mission and Ministry Week celebration of XU.
The University Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary stands prominently at the heart of Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan, a Catholic, Jesuit and Filipino university in Mindanao. (Photo courtesy of XU Communications Office)
Being a Catholic Cultural Center, XU is tasked to carry out a decisive role in nurturing the relationship between faith and culture through opportunities promoting understanding and inclusiveness. It also means proclaiming the joy of the gospel, promoting peacein Mindanao and enriching the values formed through the Catholic culture andusing these as guides in various academic disciplines.
“This is very good in the sense that this reminds us of our role as a university — to promote the joy of the gospel and to really strengthen our Catholic identity,” shared Irene A. Guitarte, XU vice-president for mission and ministry.
Like other CCCs in the Philippines such as educational institutions, seminaries and Diocesan centers, XU aims to serve as a forum for discussions where faith and culture converge.
But more than this, Guitarte believes that being a Catholic Cultural Center encourages the XU community to go back to the basics of their Atenean identity — to be true to the university’s mission of serving the church, the global community and the Filipino people.
“This is really an affirmation of our mission as a Catholic, Jesuit and Filipino university. It’s going back to the basics of our faith, of our identity,” said Guitarte. “These kinds of endeavors have always been part of XU’s character formation.”
“This is what we teach here at Xavier: formation not only for the mind but also of the heart, the hands and the soul.”
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