Niña Maria Learning Center Deepens Faith Formation Through Recollections and Parent Involvement




Guided by the educational principle of the Order of the Company of Mary Our Lady (ODN) — “we evangelize by educating” — Niña Maria Learning Center continues to nurture the hearts and souls of its students through its robust pastoral formation programs.

At the core of this mission is the Niña Maria Pastoral Office, which takes the lead in ensuring the spiritual formation of students as an essential part of their holistic growth. This school year, a series of half-day Lenten recollections was thoughtfully conducted for Grades 4 and 5, as well as Grade 6 candidates for the Sacrament of Confirmation, held at the Lestonnac Youth Center. These recollections offered students moments of reflection, prayer, and faith sharing — deepening their relationship with self, others, and God.

Parents of First Communicants on the day of the Recollection
Recognizing that the journey of faith is not walked alone, the school also extends its formation efforts to families. As part of the preparation of Catholic pupils for the First Communion (Grade 3) and Confirmation (Grade 6), an interactive half-day faith formation session was respectively organized for parents and guardians. The session aimed to enhance their understanding of Catholic doctrine, deepen their appreciation of the Sacraments, and reflect on their vital role as the “first catechists” and pillars of the domestic Church — the family.

Upper Left to Right: Conversation of Confirmation candidates with their parents and godparents.
Lower Left to Right: Sacrament of Reconciliation at San Agustin Cathedral and Confirmation at San Antonio de Padua Parish in Nazareth
The highlight of the year’s formation efforts was the overnight recollection for all Grade 6 students — the first-ever graduating batch of NMLC.
The overnight experience allowed the students to:
- Recall and celebrate meaningful moments of their elementary journey
- Recognize the people, events, and challenges that shaped their growth
- Deepen their awareness of God's presence and blessings
- Experience quiet, personal prayer, and listen to God in stillness
- Express and acknowledge gratitude as a foundation for a hopeful future

Ms. Althea Basañes, member of Lestonnac Flame Circle-Indahag, and Mr. Joshua Malalis, Xavier University Campus Minister, helped Sr. Ranette Angot, ODN in facilitating the whole activity.

This milestone recollection served not only as a capstone of their elementary education but also as a sacred pause to reflect on their identity and calling as young men and women formed by the values espoused in Niña Maria Learning Center.

It is the school community’s hope that as pioneering elementary graduates, these young individuals carry with them the light and life lessons they have received — becoming torchbearers of faith, gratitude, and hope in the next chapter of their lives.


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