With deep respect and immense joy, on behalf of our class, I thank you, Bishop Cantú and Bishop Ligot, for joining us on this very special day and for all your support of the Institute. To our pastors, priests, religious sisters, and teachers: we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. With such dedication and commitment, you invested not only your time but also your knowledge. Through every module, conversation, anecdote, and lesson, you shared God’s love with us in a living, tangible way. Thank you for your patience, and for not only teaching us but walking alongside us these past three years.

To the entire staff—Ms. Irma, Sarahi, Margarita, Yoshi, Rosita, and Alde—thank you each for the vital role you played in our formation. I have no doubt that if you have any extra gray hairs or laugh lines, it is because of me; I take full responsibility for that. In all seriousness, you are God’s instruments in handling the administration and organizing our breaks. You do everything possible to ensure things run smoothly, and for your effort and love of service: thank you!

To our family and friends: welcome, and thank you. You witnessed each of our journeys. You saw the long nights, the moments of stress, and even the doubts that may have arisen; yet, you never stopped believing in us. Your prayers sustained us, your encouragement drove us to keep going, and your sacrifices did not go unnoticed.

And now, to my fellow classmates of the Class of 2026! Today, we are not closing this chapter at the Institute; rather, we are beginning a new one. Our formation does not end here—it continues. Everything we learned—all the knowledge revealed to us through the teachings of our instructors and our books—we now bring to our families, our parishes, and our communities, for we are bearers of the light of faith.

At the start of this journey, we were told we were the largest class they had ever seen; and for reasons known only to God, twenty-eight of us from the Spanish-language class are graduating today. Each of us received God’s call to be here, and each of us answered that call. I am incredibly proud of every one of us, knowing that reaching this day was not easy; it was our perseverance, effort, sacrifice, and commitment to learning more about God that drove us forward.

Every lesson has borne fruit in our lives and in our leadership. Yet, ILM has given us more than just a wealth of knowledge; it has also blessed us with friendships—people we can count on as we continue to serve with love. The bond we have formed as a class will extend beyond the four walls of our classroom and our parishes, reaching out across the entire Diocese of San José.

After three years of discipleship, we are called to be apostles of Christ within our community and to joyfully proclaim that God lives within each of us—not merely through words, but through the witness of our lives. These have been three years of sacrifice and immense learning—of reading, completing assignments, and sharing our experiences—three years of perseverance and abundant blessings for us all.

Finally, remember that in Matthew 5:13–16, Jesus tells us, "You are the salt of the earth and the light of the world." We have a commitment to God and a mission to be apostles of Christ, bringing flavor to our community. May God bless us all—congratulations!