To understand the soul of the Ateneo de Manila University -- what shaped it and where it came from, where it is going and where it can take you -- it is essential to understand its motto, Lux in Domino, or "Light in the Lord."

From the letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians (5:8), these words capture the spirit of a way of life which the Ateneo holds up to her sons and daughters as their best contribution to the work by which God transforms the world. To be "light in the Lord" in all fullness demands moving insistently and deliberately towards God as the center of a person's life, identifying the issues that such a centering poses, and then moving out to the world to find ever new ways of constructing the edifice, cultivating the garden, painting the masterpiece, that God is unfolding in one's life.

It is a call to BE that light of the Lord in the world.

This year the Ateneo de Manila University celebrates its 152nd anniversary and marks 152 years of the return of Jesuit Education to the Philippines in December.

Mission/Vision

As a University, the Ateneo de Manila seeks to preserve, extend, and communicate truth and apply it to human development and the preservation of the environment.

As a Filipino University, the Ateneo de Manila seeks to identify and enrich Philippine culture and make its own. Through the education of the whole person and the formation of needed professionals and through various corporate activities, the University aims to contribute to the development goals of the nation.

As a Catholic University, the Ateneo de Manila seeks to form persons who, following the teachings and example of Christ, will devote their lives to the service of others and, through the promotion of justice, serve especially those who are most in need of help, the poor and the powerless. Loyal to the teachings of the Catholic Church, the University seeks to serve the Faith and to interpret its teachings to modern Philippine society.

As a Jesuit University, the Ateneo de Manila seeks the goals of Jesuit liberal education through the harmonious development of moral and intellectual virtues. Imbued with the Ignatian spirit, the University aims to lead its students to see God in all things and to strive for the greater glory of God and the greater service of mankind.

The University seeks all these, as an academic community, through the exercise of the functions proper to a university, that is, through teaching, research and service to the community.

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