UA&P Marks Founder's Week 2026 with Reflection on Faith, Work, and Everyday Life

The University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) celebrated Founder's Week 2026 from October 2 to 9, bringing the University community together to commemorate its beginnings and reflect on the legacy of St. Josemaría Escrivá, founder of Opus Dei. Guided by the theme “Formed to Make a Difference,” the celebration highlighted the role of faith, formation, and everyday life in shaping individuals who serve others with purpose.

A key event was the video screening and panel discussion held on October 7 at the Li Seng Giap Auditorium. The program featured recordings of St. Josemaría and Msgr. Fernando Ocáriz in conversations with students and professionals, followed by a discussion on the relevance of St. Josemaría's teachings to contemporary life.

Moderated by UA&P Law student Erika Jarder, the panel featured Fr. Raffy Quinto, UA&P alumna and young professional Sailah Guerra, Management student Carlo Quijano, and Political Economy student and Alab president Syamie Gambe. The panelists shared their perspectives on faith, personal formation, work, and the challenges young people encounter in their studies and daily lives. An open forum also invited participants to ask questions about faith, vocation, and Opus Dei.

The spiritual dimension of the celebration was marked by a Holy Mass on October 6 at the Sancta Maria Stella Orientis Oratory, commemorating the canonization of St. Josemaría on October 6, 2002, in Rome. The Mass offered the University community an opportunity to give thanks for his legacy and reflect on his message of seeking holiness through ordinary work, studies, family, friendships, and everyday circumstances.

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Other activities throughout the week included the Junior College parenting workshop “Wellbeing in a Wired World,” the Employees and Students Get-Together, and community prayer gatherings during the Month of the Holy Rosary.

The University also continued its Tree of Prayer initiative at the Shrine of Our Lady at the CAS Garden, inviting members of the community to offer personal intentions, hopes, and prayers of thanksgiving. Through the Donate a Rosary initiative, the community was encouraged to practice solidarity and charity by sharing new rosaries with the University's contracted employees, food concessionaires, and their families.

These activities reflected a central message of St. Josemaría's teachings: ordinary work, done well and offered with love, can become a path to holiness and a means of serving others.

As UA&P commemorates its beginnings, Founder's Week renews the University's commitment to forming individuals who live with purpose, serve their communities, and make a difference through the ordinary circumstances of everyday life.