Fides Media Living the Faith
…Bishop Ezeokafor Lauds Formators, Congratulates Graduands
The 25th day of March, 2023 was both the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord and the 19th Convocation Ceremony of Blessed Iwene Tansi Major Seminary, Onitsha, for their 2021/2022 Theology graduands. This years’ annual celebration was presided over by His Lordship, Most Rev Paulinus C. Ezeokafor, reports Constantine Echichechi Okoli (Rev. Fr.)
The event started with a Holy Mass with the Bishop as the Chief Celebrant.
In his homily, the Convocation Prelate, Most Rev. Ezeokafor, while highlighting the significant role played by the Blessed Virgin Mary in the history of salvation, exhorted seminarians to be docile to formation and to start early to learn the basic quality of every good leader – serving.
On another note, the Bishop emphasized that the primary aim of formation, especially seminary formation, was to make one to love doing God’s will and to cooperate with God in transforming and liberating the world from ignorance of any kind.
For his own part, the Rector of the seminary, Very Rev. Fr. Fabian Obi, while presenting his address, thanked and welcomed all who graced the occasion and enjoined the graduands to allow their lives to be guided by principles that would help them navigate the current challenges posed to priestly life by science and technology.
In a similar note, Rev Fr. Prof. Ikenga K. E. Oraegbunam, who was the convocation lecturer, in his paper titled, “Pentecostalism and its Challenges in the Seminary Training”, x-rayed the history of Pentecostalism and insisted that its study was highly important for would-be priests since they were to teach the people the truth.
The Head of Department, Rev. Fr. Dr. Gregory Nwachukwu, made the presentation of the results and the 46 graduands
Nine of them got 2nd Class Lower Division, 32 got 2nd Class Upper Division, while 5 persons got 1st Class.
The best graduating student and Valedictorian was Mr. valentine Chidera Ikeh-Mapel of the Catholic Diocese of Enugu. The Convocation prelate, Bishop Ezeokafor, who represented the Bishops of Onitsha Ecclesiastical Province, awarded the degree of Bachelor of Theology on the graduands on behalf of the Urbanian University, Rome.
The event featured such other highlights as the donation made by the Bishop; the interaction of the graduands with their formators, the seminarians, the Bishop, their friends and families; the reception of the graduands and many others.