A female Muslim student offering a candle in memory of the Roxas bombing victims. Photo by Camaela Mijares

The Rodriguez Hall was fully-packed last Monday, Sept. 5, as university students and staff came to take part in the Ateneo Interreligious Community Prayer.

The community prayer started off with a mass presided by Fr. Joel Tabora, SJ. During the mass, he implored students to exert a conscious effort in making a difference in times of adversity.

“Evil and terrorism is not the vice. Laziness and paralysis is,” he stated.

Shortly after the mass, a prayer vigil in commemoration of the victims of the recent Roxas bombing incident followed. The opening prayer consisted of prayers from multiple religions delivered by their respective representatives.

Students were given white ribbons and white candles to show support and encouragement to everyone affected by the recent Roxas bombing incident.

As Tabora rang the ceremonial gong, a procession followed as people started to walk solemnly towards Roxas to offer their candles to the memorial site.

SAMAHAN President John Chin, who was in attendance at the event as an organizer, shared that he didn’t expect what he felt during the vigil.

“I didn’t expect it, but I was overwhelmed. The whole thing was really overwhelming. Events like these where you see people united really push us to do our job as student leaders,” he said.

Other Ateneo campuses all over the Philippines also held their own interreligious community prayers dedicated to the people affected by the Davao bombing incident.