THE VINTAGE AND MODERN-DAY CATECHISM. Ateneo’s oldest organization, ACIL has been making Christ a living reality to its catechists and the people around them for 100 years now by providing opportunities to share the Word of God with others, especially the youth with inadequate religious instruction. Guided by the mandate of Ite et Docete, ACIL equips its members with holistic formation they need in their apostolate and daily undertakings.

Ateneo’s oldest organization, ACIL has been making Christ a living reality to its catechists and the people around them for 100 years now – and goes on to live out this vision. This is achieved by providing opportunities to share the Word of God with others, especially the youth with inadequate religious instruction.

ACIL first saw light in 1905, when, while taking his usual walk outside a church in Tondo, Rev. Fr. Francisco Xavier Rello, S.J. saw children playing along the streets. Suddenly, a realization dawned upon him: it was an irony that these roaming poor children were so near, yet still so far away, from God. He observed that these out-of-the-school kids never had the chance to learn about the Supreme Being whose house had watched over them as they frolic in the innocence and joyfulness of their youth with their fellows.

Thus, on November 17 of that year Fr. Rello S.J. and his student volunteers grouped themselves into the Catequistas del Ateneo. They helped Fr. Esteban, parish priest of the large district of Tondo, in ministering to his flock. To the bootblacks and newspaper vendors they conveyed the message of Christ. Fr. George Willman changed the name of the organization into its present name – Ateneo Catechetical Instruction League – in1924.

Guided by the mandate of Ite et Docete (coined by Rev. Fr. John F. Hurley, S.J. in 1922, which translates to "Go and teach" or "Humayo’t magturo" in Filipino), ACIL equips its members with the catechetical instruction, social awareness and spiritual formation they need in their apostolate and daily undertakings.

In 1949, Fr. Lino Banayad, S.J. became ACIL’s moderator, who later on organized ACIL’s 150 catechists into 7 centers. He was the one responsible for securing ACIL’s catechetical materials, thus making ACIL the home to the best catechetical library in the Philippines. He also introduced the kerygmatic approach to teaching catechism. He was ACIL moderator until 1966.

In 1953, ACIL acquired its famous and ubiquitous ACIL bus – a blue 1953-model Chevvie – through the generosity of Emerito Ramos, Sr. and wife. In 1958, Isidro "Mang Sid" Villanueva started driving the ACIL bus and continued year in and year out until he retired 2000 and was replaced by Leonardo "Mang Digs" Digo and a newbus courtesy of some generous ACIL alumni.

In 1956, the ACIL Hi-Council started going on its annual tour. They went to different provinces like Baguio, Vigan, Olongapo and Bicol to see the catechetical practices used in these places.

Through the years, ACIL catechists or ‘ACIListas’ have conducted then school-based teaching sessions in various centers ranging from Marikina to Bulacan, imparting the basics of the Catholic faith and Christian values to the children they teach.

Today, the ACIListas go to four apostolate areas namely Waterhole, Escopa, Constitution Hills, and San Mateo to share with the kids the joy and love of God. Aside from catechism, the organization also provides such spiritual and socially oriented programs as communion days, parenting seminars, rummage sales and other livelihood projects.

"ACIL has become God’s instrument to change my life. With it comes the responsibility for me to also become God’s instrument to change other people’s lives," says ACIL-student-scholar-turned-catechist Ana Maria Madlang-awa-Zarza, who keynoted the short program of the well-attended Centennial Day of the org last December. "I pray that I could live up to this responsibility."

Through ACIL's holistic formation, which is done by means of weekly formation sessions and monthly education sessions, the ACIListas are able to effectively live and share the Christian message and address the spiritual hunger of the people in the ACIL communities. It is also ACIL’s strength to have members whose relationships go beyond the org’s activities, reason why it has carried on its mission through the years.

"Wherever the road leads, one thing holds true. The organization will always go where it is needed most. It may be public schools, communities or parishes. ACIL will continue to go out and teach God’s word just as it did one hundred years ago," current ACIL president Patricia Mallare concludes.