A Song For Mary

Among 8 high school friends, there were only 3 of us who decided to break away from the pack. That is, to haul off our arses and head to sinful and smog-filled Manila from Cebu. Our 5 friends stayed and went on to graduate as super-duper loyalty awardees in the same school that we went to ever since we were still kiddies.

So, when talk goes back to our college days, I would be one of three who would sort of be "different" from them. So when I am asked, "what is your college's anthem/hymn?" I would get suprised faces when I tell them it's "A Song For Mary." School hymns usually sound something like, "O Primus University Love Kita" or something to that effect he, he.

When the fire razed the Padre Faura campus of the Ateneo in the 50s, the Jesuits moved the school to Loyola Heights. The hymn was "Hail, Ateneo, Hail" at the time. Perhaps the move was also an end of an era of sorts and this prompted Fr. James Reuter to write "A Song For Mary." So now you know why some sports journalists refer to the Ateneo team as the Hail Mary squad.

A Canadian-born and bred Pinoy friend exclaimed when we first heard the song, "heck, it's like I'm back home!." You see, the music was adapted from the hymn, "O Canada" which was composed in 1880.

However, Canada only adopted "O Canada" as its national anthem in 1980 while the Ateneo adopted its alma mater song 30 years earlier.

The song is fraught with symbolism, poignant (especially to us who have graduated), sometimes even borders on foolish idealism for some.. It is also a prayer, a promise, a leap of faith, a battle song, an affirmation of our loyalties: Win or lose, it's the school we choose.

We stand on a hill between the earth and sky. Now all is still where Loyola’s colors fly. Our course is run and the setting sun ends Ateneo’s day. Eyes are dry at the last goodbye; this is the Ateneo way.

Mary for you! For your white and blue! We pray you’ll keep us, Mary, constantly true! We pray you’ll keep us, Mary, faithful to you!

Down from the hill, down to the world go I; rememb’ring still, how the bright Blue Eagles fly. Through joys and tears, through the laughing years, we sing our battle song: Win or lose, it’s the school we choose; this is the place where we belong!

Mary for you! For your white and blue! We pray you’ll keep us, Mary, constantly true! We pray you’ll keep us, Mary, faithful to you!