Manila (AsiaNews) - The mission of the Church in Manila campuses turns 30. To celebrate the anniversary, Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales, Archbishop of the Philippine capital, visited a number of colleges and universities, public and private, where priests, religious and laity share the days of study with students accompanying them in their education and faith formation.

Monsignor Vicente D. Bauson, director of the university apostolate for the diocese of Manila, tells AsiaNews about the task entrusted to the thousands of people involved in youth apostolate. "We want to nurture children who are witnesses of the Gospel and a community of believers of future leaders who are entrusted with a prophetic mandate at the service of society."

There are also many lay people among those involved in the mission among young university students. Erick Sta Maria works full time at the Vincentian Adamson Catholic University and says that “it is a great challenge to commit oneself to the task of living out and facilitating an integral faith formation on and out of-campus for the transformation of society”.

About 2000 people comprising priests, nuns, collaborators, college-university student volunteers, teachers attended the visit by Card. Rosales, who reminded them of their specific call to be “pillars of the faith”.  He renewed the call for priests, nuns, religious and laity to be true educators capable of accompanying the students and form them in "an intimate relationship with Christ." Is it from this, Card. Rosales said, that the “solid religious values of the Gospel which students need to meet the challenges of technology and modern society” stems.