Ateneo Community Celebrates Feast of St. Ignatius with Overnight Knights with Iggy
The Campus Ministry Office (CaMin), together with the Ateneo Religious Organizations (ARO), staged this year’s Knights with Iggy, an overnight faith and spiritual formation gathering held annually to celebrate the Feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus and patron saint of Ateneo schools.
Held under the theme “Steadfast in the Spirit: Leading with Heart, Discerning with Grace,” the event gathered delegates from the Ateneo community for a night of formation talks, fellowship, and worship, continuing CaMin’s tradition of forming students in the Ignatian spirit of faith, community, and service.
CaMin and ARO welcomed delegates with an opening program marked by fellowship and prayer. Campus Ministry Office Director Mr. Patrick Jose Cavan formally opened the event, encouraging the participants to approach the night with a spirit of genuine encounter, central to the University’s formation mission.
After the portion of getting to know each other, Fr. Jessel Gerard “JBoy” Gonzales, SJ, delivered the evening’s first keynote formation talk on “Steadfast in the Spirit,” inviting the delegates to reflect on remaining rooted in faith and hopeful despite life’s challenges. Gonzales reminded participants that steadfastness means continually choosing God through every season, not the absence of struggle.
Members of the Jesuit community, Fr. Fr. Antonio “Tony” M. Basilio , SJ, Fr. Eric Escandor, SJ, and Fr. Errol Nebrao, SJ, offered enriching insights and experiences on Ignatian spirituality, faith and vocation, and servant leadership to the participants during the “Meet the Jesuits” segment, paving the way for an interactive discussion while reinforcing Jesuit values and ideals that anchor the University identity
Alumni and former university student leaders, Mr. Paul Angelo Gastanes, Engr. Christian Mark Labiano, and Ms. Hidden Zeal Corpuz led the second keynote talk, “Leading with Heart, Discerning with Grace,” speaking on leadership rooted in compassion, discernment, and faithful service, underscoring that leadership is measured not by position but by one’s willingness to serve others. This echoes the institution’s broader formation of servant leaders across its student organizations.
Included in the event is the game “Do You Know Your Jesuits?”, a game highlighting the lives and legacy of the Society of Jesus, followed by a fellowship break over snacks and coffee.
The evening session closed with a Praise Jam of worship and prayer, organized in partnership with Ateneo Religious Organizations Youth for Christ (YFC) and Subdominant 7.
On the following day, delegates began with a morning prayer and Shibashi exercise, a session of mindful movement intended to foster both physical wellness and spiritual readiness. The gathering concluded with a Holy Mass, capping a program that reflected CaMin’s continuing commitment to nurturing the University’s Ignatian faith community.
