“As you enter your workplaces in the various professions, building new relations together with your family and friends, let us be rooted in the unity of Jesus in prayer, consecrating your work with commitment to honesty and contributing to the well-being of society in truth and in charity.”
– Metropolitan Archbishop, Most Reverend Julius S. Tonel, D.D.
Celebrant
In keeping with its enduring tradition of faith and gratitude, Ateneo de Zamboanga University (AdZU) gathered the Class of 2026 for the 72nd Higher Education Commencement Exercises Baccalaureate Mass and Pag Du’a on May 21, 2026, presenting its graduates before the Lord Almighty as they prepare to embark on new journeys beyond the University.
The celebration served as a profound moment of thanksgiving, reflection, and consecration, recognizing not only the academic achievements of the graduates but also the values, lessons, and life experiences that shaped them throughout their years at AdZU.
For the Catholic graduates, the Baccalaureate Mass was celebrated at the University Church of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, presided over by our Metropolitan Archbishop, Most Reverend Julius S. Tonel, D.D. In his homily, Bishop Tonel reminded the graduates to remain grounded in faith, integrity, and service as they enter their respective professions and communities.
More than a graduation tradition, the Baccalaureate Mass and Pag Du’a underscored AdZU’s mission of forming individuals who are not only academically competent but also deeply committed to serving others with compassion, truth, and justice.
By gathering as one community in prayer, the University reaffirmed the importance of placing every achievement, challenge, and aspiration in God’s hands—directing all human endeavors toward the greater glory of God and the service of humanity.
As the Class of 2026 prepares to take flight into new fields of service and leadership, AdZU sends forth its graduates with hope and confidence that they will become agents of transformation in their professions, communities, and the wider society.
Fly high, Graduates of Class 2026!
