INAUGURAL MASS/ACADEMIC AWARD CEREMONY BY HIS EXCELLENCY, MOST. REVD. HYACINTH OROKO EGBEBO, THE CATHOLIC BISHOP OF BOMADI
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, priests, formators, and beloved seminarians,
Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ! As we gather today to inaugurate this new academic and formative year of 2025, let us pause to reflect on the profound call that brings us here.
In a world that often prizes power and self-promotion, the Church invites us to rediscover the heart of our vocation: humility and service. These are not mere ideals but the very essence of Christ’s priesthood, which we are all called to emulate.
Consider the words of our Lord in the Gospel: “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mk 10:45).1 This truth echoes through the ages, as Pope John Paul II reminded us during seminary inaugurations, urging priests and seminarians to embrace a life of self-emptying, patterned on Christ the Servant. Humility is the soil in which service flourishes—it strips away pride, allowing God’s grace to work through us. Without it, our ministry risks becoming self-serving, distant from the flock we are meant to shepherd.
My dear seminarians and priests, let this year be a pilgrimage of hope, as we approach the Jubilee of 2025. We are called to be Christians after the heart of Christ. Many priests are priest without first of all being Christians. Seminarians of today are becoming less Christians than they were before entering the seminary. We must first be Christians before being seminarians and priests. Commit to daily prayer, spiritual direction, and acts of charity. In humility, you will find joy; in service, the fulfillment of your calling.
THE PRESENTATION OF ACADEMIC AWARD TO THE DESERVING STUDENTS OF THE 2024/2025 SESSION
The Bishop started with the awards for the Philosophy Department headed by Rev. Fr. Dr. Bartholomew Akpan.
After the presentation of the philosophy awardees, the comes the theology giants to be given their award.
The Head of the Department of Theology Rev. Fr. Dr. Sixtus Chikwe assisting the bishop to present the award to the deserving students of the department of Theology starting from the descending order:
THE UNVEILING OF THE SEMINARY KALENDARIUM AMNI ACADEMICI 2025/2026 BY THE LORD BISHOP
