On August 5, 2025, Diocese of San Pablo Bishop His Excellency Most Rev. Marcelino Antonio M. Maralit, Jr. D.D., led the Misa de Apertura (Opening Mass), offered as the Mass of the Holy Spirit, at the Santisimo Rosario Parish.
A space of learning
Bishop Maralit pointed out that despite the advantages of technology, people still find themselves in a quandary, challenging absolute truths through the lenses of their subjective caprices. As such, for the Bishop, the irony lies in problems arising more than technology’s supposed ease and convenience. In this context, Bishop Maralit underscored that UST must remain a space for learning and meaning. “I would like to remind your august institution of your mission, because your mission takes on renewed urgency. Our petition during this celebration to God for him to send us His Spirit is a very clear reminder to you that UST must remain to be a space not just for learning but also for meaning,” he said.



Pursuit of Happiness
Harking back to St. Thomas Aquinas’s commentary on metaphysics, Bishop Maralit mentioned that all the sciences and arts point to a happiness, a necessary ingredient for man’s perfection. Bridging this context to the invocation of the Holy Spirit, he mentioned that the Spirit’s gifts, namely, wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord, are not just abstract values but serve as academic tools and moral compasses that will lead the educators. “When we ask the Holy Spirit to come, it is because we believe that what the Spirit provides is what we need when we teach,” he said.
Standing for the truth
For the San Pablo prelate, the educators’ collective vocation was to form the minds and hearts of their students in the light of truth, which is ultimately Christ. “If we want to truly be a Catholic university, then we really need to stand for the truth–truth in charity–a truth that is objective, universal, and divine,” he said. He also underscored that the teaching ministry’s competence must lead to contemplation, allowing one to see God in everything. He also reminded the students that they are not mere consumers of education, but also seekers of life’s meaning in their own purpose in this world. “Your time in UST must not just be a preparation for you to find a good job in the end. Rather, it should become a preparation for life, a life of meaning because you know your mission,” he said. “I hope your studies here will become a way for you to love God more with all your mind.” he said.
The mass was followed by Discurso de Apertura (Opening Lecture) by UST-Alfredo M. Velayo College of Accountancy Dean Prof. Patricia M. Empleo, PhD.