Fides Media Living the Faith
…Enroll your children in schools that build them Spiritually, Academically and Morally – Bishop Ezeokafor
By Alexander Johnson Adejoh
The newly admitted students of St. Patrick’s College, Awka, in Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State, were last Sunday, January 15, formally vested in the college at her annual investiture ceremony ritual.
The investiture ceremony which was accompanied by academic prize awards to best students masked the begining of new academic year, witnessed an episcopal Mass celebrated by the Catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese, His Lordship Most Rev. Paulinus C. Ezeokafor.
The investiture ceremony which started with a Holy Mass held at the old cathedral, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Awka, witnessed award presentations to students who distinguished themselves academically and in other categories set out by the School Management.
Addressing the students, Bishop Ezeokafor urged them to put into practice what they were taught while in the school, noting that the outside world was very challenging and required strong, disciplined persons to pull through. He said that students while in school enjoyed some level of protection, both from the parents and the school environment, noting that a greater sense of maturity was required by the students.
The Awka Diocesan shepherd charged them to maintain high hopes and trust in God, saying that without putting God first in their affairs, they were bound to fail. He said that virtues of diligence which they were inculcated with while in school should be sustained and urged them to work hard in wherever they found themselves in order to make it.
Earlier in his homily, he called on parents and guardians to be careful while enrolling their children/wards into any school, noting that schools were one of the substantial agents for transformation and change.
On the parts of teachers, the school proprietor, Bishop Ezeokafor, challenged them to serve as models for a disciplined life and formators in morals and character.
He said, ‘Teaching is a vocation and a responsibility entrusted to teachers. No student can grow beyond his/her teacher; therefore I encourage you teachers to do some further research and not depend on previous syllables.’
He concluded by charging the students to seek first the kingdom of good education and that every other thing would be added unto them.
Speaking to Fides, the School Manager, Rev. Fr. Paschal Udo, noted that the events which held concurrently were designed for the inauguration of the 2022/2023 academic session.
He disclosed that about 573 students were newly invested as students of the institution after excelling in the preliminary test which the school had put together to determine the classes where the students were to be placed in.
He congratulated the newly invested students and charged them to uphold the tempo of academic excellence by striving to develop their inherent potentials through the facilities that had been put in place by the School Management. He said it was important for the new students to understand the principles guiding the school and adhere strictly to its rules and regulations.
Fr Udo disclosed that the School Management had interest in the holistic formation of the students, saying that they paid attention to all areas needed to ensure effective and efficient functioning of future leaders.
‘What we do here is a holistic formation as we pay attention to all areas of formation, be it academic, infrastructure or spiritual formation. We carry along all these without neglecting any part,’ Fr Udo stated.
Highlights of the event were the unveiling of the 2022/2023 academic year, award presentations to various students who excelled in various subjects during the academic calendar, cultural displays, choral presentations, among others.
The event which was chaired by Dr Chibueze Ofobuike, Chairman, Aguata Local Government Area, had the Diocesan Education Secretary, Rev. Fr. Maximus Okonkwo; Assistant Manager, SPCA, Rev. Fr. Cosmos Emengini; the Cathedral Administrator, Rev. Fr. Anthony Nwafor; the P.T.A. Chairman, Mr Charles Anagor; the School External Management Team led by Sir Dr Samuel Eze; some priests of Awka Diocese; teachers of SPCA; and some parents, among other dignitaries who graced the occasion.