The Nazareth School Batch ’64 celebrated the 60th year of our high school graduation on that bright Sunday, February 25th at Tahanan Madre Candida Maria de Jesus, Manresa. Sr. Florencia Constantino and the sisters of the Manresa compound welcomed our group. The festive event commenced with a Eucharistic Celebration presided by Fr. Lino Nicasio, S.V.D. who incidentally was a high school graduate of 1964 at the Divine Word Seminary. Father’s humor and wit during his homily were iconic and penetrated the conditions of those present as everyone in his senior years like him.

A fraternal and sumptuous lunch followed in the Tahanan refectory where we enjoyed the menus offered and served by the Kitchen Treasure Restaurant’s caterers. All the meal tables were covered with colorful and glittering confetti of “Class ’64” and “60 Years.” Thereafter we were soon gathered in the Tahanan hall where we had games, prizes, photo viewing of our class activities in high school, and the reunions that took place within 60 years. Exchanges of pleasantries dominated the nostalgic moment of the group. Visiting and greeting our bedridden F.I. former mentors enhanced the significance of our day.

The second half of our celebration took place the following day, when we had a tour of our Alma Mater, Nazareth School, now National University Nazareth School. Sr. Normida Marquez, F.I., the directress, the sisters, and faculty members welcomed and ushered us to visit and retrace our good old days. We passed through the old building and reminisced about the rich past of our classrooms, and our subject teachers including those of our school bus driver, Mateo, Teofilo, the janitor, and other maintenance personnel of the school sixty years ago.

The original twenty-nine graduates of Nazareth School who marched in 1964 were not all present in this reunion but celebrating the Diamond Jubilee of Batch ’64 with just a handful of us representing everyone is an expression of gratitude thanking the Lord that speaks of our resilience and strong determination to reach such a milestone. It is a noteworthy revelation of the achievement that serves as a testament to our enduring dedication, selfless commitment, and unfading relationship all these years.

To our seven classmates who have gone to the Father ahead of us, we continuously pray that you may enjoy God’s company forever.  To some of our batch mates who could not make it due to the demands of sickness and unavoidable family schedules and circumstances, we are still one and gratefully united in this celebration.  May this memorable event be for us a providential avenue to live the values imparted to us with greater dynamism so that they will yield abundant fruits and enliven our faith.

As our Mother Foundress, St. Candida Ma. de Jesus would always say, we too express this sentiment, “Blessed be God who loves us so dearly.”

• Ma. Rosario P. Remigio, F.I.