Where Loyola's Colors Fly

July 03, 2019
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by: Atty. Jose Maria G. Hofileña, Dean, Ateneo Law School
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by: Atty. Jose Maria G. Hofileña, Dean, Ateneo Law School

The second day of the International Scientific Congress was deeply meaningful, perhaps particularly more so for the Ateneo Law School’s contingent, as the academic sessions were preceded with a tour of, and were actually conducted in, Loyola, the birthplace and hometown of Iñigo Lopez de Loyola who would later become San Ignacio de Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus.

After an hour-long bus trip on ascending and meandering roads that sliced through peaceful country landscapes and lush woodlands, we arrived at Loyola in the Basque Country municipality of Azpeitia and were immediately greeted by the imposing sight of the Sanctuary of Loiola Shrine and Basilica.

The Shrine and Basilica was erected adjacent to the house where Iñigo was born in 1491.  The house is not a small one.  In fact, it exuded an aura of privilege ,testifying to Iñigo’s having been born into relative affluence and ascendant social status that ought to engender an even greater appreciation of the significance of his eventual decision to take the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.
Our tour guide, a rather rotund Jesuit priest, Father Pello Azpitarte Iribar, S.J., welcomed us into St. Ignatius’s multi-tiered house and dutifully idenitfied the various features and sections of the house.  More importantly, however, he brought us through the highlights of St. Ignatius’s life—his youth, his education,  his recuperation, his religious awakening and response to God’s call, his mission and his resolve to serve.

Our group of law school academics and administrators was subsequentlty shepered into the nearby modest home of Francisco Garate S.J., a beatified Jesuit brother of humble demeanor and steadfast devotion to the Lord who had served many dedicated years at Deusto University as a gatekeeper.

The terminus of our walking tour was the inside of the Sanctuary of Loiola Shrine and Basilica.  Ornate and cavernous, the Basilica radiated an  aura of spiritual serenity, the type that can effortlessly cause one to lapse into a mood for introspection and reflelction.

After the guided tour, it was of course time to attend to the business at hand, to listen to various presentations at panel sessions kicked off by the afternoon’s plenary keynote speaker, Dean Sedfrey Candelaria and thus to further learn more about the laws of other jurisdictions.

By the late afternoon, with the panel sessions having ended, it was time to return to Bilbao.

As the bus eventually departed from Loyola, many of us in the Ateneo Law School’s delegation could not help but feel ourselves moved by this privileged visit to the birthplace of St. Ignatius and where he ultimately responded to the Lord’s call as he healed physically and spiritually.  It was indeed a unique honor to be able to attend to matters affecting our lawyerly and scholarly vocation in such a hallowed place.
 
And for us, Ateneans privileged to have been part of the group that day, having seen and encountered first-hand the place where the person responsible for the cherished academic institution that we have today had his formative years, Loyola will resonate with us more profoundly. 
 
Ad maiorem Dei gloriam.
 

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    Where Loyola's Colors Fly
    Wednesday, July 03, 2019

    by: Atty. Jose Maria G. Hofileña, Dean, Ateneo Law School

    The second day of the International Scientific Congress was deeply meaningful, perhaps particularly more so for the Ateneo Law School’s contingent, as the academic sessions were preceded with a tour of, and were actually conducted in, Loyola, the birthplace and hometown of Iñigo Lopez de Loyola who would later become San Ignacio de Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus.

    After an hour-long bus trip on ascending and meandering roads that sliced through peaceful country landscapes and lush woodlands, we arrived at Loyola in the Basque Country municipality of Azpeitia and were immediately greeted by the imposing sight of the Sanctuary of Loiola Shrine and Basilica.

    The Shrine and Basilica was erected adjacent to the house where Iñigo was born in 1491.  The house is not a small one.  In fact, it exuded an aura of privilege ,testifying to Iñigo’s having been born into relative affluence and ascendant social status that ought to engender an even greater appreciation of the significance of his eventual decision to take the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.
    Our tour guide, a rather rotund Jesuit priest, Father Pello Azpitarte Iribar, S.J., welcomed us into St. Ignatius’s multi-tiered house and dutifully idenitfied the various features and sections of the house.  More importantly, however, he brought us through the highlights of St. Ignatius’s life—his youth, his education,  his recuperation, his religious awakening and response to God’s call, his mission and his resolve to serve.

    Our group of law school academics and administrators was subsequentlty shepered into the nearby modest home of Francisco Garate S.J., a beatified Jesuit brother of humble demeanor and steadfast devotion to the Lord who had served many dedicated years at Deusto University as a gatekeeper.

    The terminus of our walking tour was the inside of the Sanctuary of Loiola Shrine and Basilica.  Ornate and cavernous, the Basilica radiated an  aura of spiritual serenity, the type that can effortlessly cause one to lapse into a mood for introspection and reflelction.

    After the guided tour, it was of course time to attend to the business at hand, to listen to various presentations at panel sessions kicked off by the afternoon’s plenary keynote speaker, Dean Sedfrey Candelaria and thus to further learn more about the laws of other jurisdictions.

    By the late afternoon, with the panel sessions having ended, it was time to return to Bilbao.

    As the bus eventually departed from Loyola, many of us in the Ateneo Law School’s delegation could not help but feel ourselves moved by this privileged visit to the birthplace of St. Ignatius and where he ultimately responded to the Lord’s call as he healed physically and spiritually.  It was indeed a unique honor to be able to attend to matters affecting our lawyerly and scholarly vocation in such a hallowed place.
     
    And for us, Ateneans privileged to have been part of the group that day, having seen and encountered first-hand the place where the person responsible for the cherished academic institution that we have today had his formative years, Loyola will resonate with us more profoundly. 
     
    Ad maiorem Dei gloriam.
     

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