THE RECTOR’S WELCOME ADDRESS FOR 2019/2020 INAUGURAL MASS

THE RECTOR’S WELCOME ADDRESS FOR 2019/2020 INAUGURAL MASS

VERY REV FR. HABILA DABOH

Your grace, the Metropolitan archbishop of Kaduna and the chairman of the seminary Board, Most Revd Matthew M. Ndagoso, the team of formators, lecturers here present, my dear seminarians, I welcome you all to the inaugural Mass of the 2019/2020 session of Good Shepherd Major Seminary, Kaduna.  During this Mass of the Holy Spirit, the formators and lecturers shall make their profession of faith and take the Oath of Fidelity.  Some seminarians will have their investiture.  New functionaries shall be commissioned; our vision statement for the year shall be presented. 

This Eucharistic celebration marks the official opening of the 2019/2020 academic year.  I am more than happy to say that our seminary is now full fledged because the four arms of both philosophy and theology are complete.  We also have with us the Missionaries of Mother Teresa of Calcutta and international seminarians from Benin Republic.  In my opinion, we are complete and we have no reason not to be like other seminaries that have existed many decades.  I am also proud of the quality of formators that we have assembled in the seminary.  Our visiting lecturers are simply second to none.  The Philosophy and theology departments are solid.  We shall do our best to continue to make this seminary the cradle of spiritual and academic excellence.

We all know that there is a dearth of honesty in our society today. It is important to remind ourselves that honesty goes beyond mere telling the truth. It has to do with the individual being real to himself and others. Being truthful and honest is most needed in a community such as ours. As formators and lecturers, we cannot but be honest, opened and sincere to those we are forming and lecturing. This honesty should be demonstrated in everything we do, especially in relationship with our seminarians. Seminarians must also imbibe the attitude and culture of profound openness, sincerity and honesty in order to give their formators the enabling confidence to form and educate them according to the mind and heart of the Church. If formation is built on the foundation of dishonesty, fear and lack of openness, we can be sure of a corrupt, dishonest and a failed generation of priesthood in the near future. Pope Francis, talking on vocation and discernment in his post synodal Apostolic Exhortation Christus vivit to young people said youths (seminarians) must develop the ability to listen to their helper. The helper he said could be a priest, religious, layperson or even another young person. He went further to say they must listen to their helper unconditionally without being offended or shocked, tired or bored. Therefore, the formandee must listen and be opened to the formators in order to learn from them. If you fail to be opened and sincere to your formators, as I said last year, then we can be sure of no quality harvest in the Catholic priesthood.

May the grace of God, through the sanctifying power of this Mass and the intercession of our Lady support us through this academic year and journey of faith Amen. May I humbly invite the bishop to please continue with the Mass.

LOVE THE PERSON (BY: MATTHEW STEPHEN KABIRAT)

LOVE THE PERSON
(BY: MATTHEW STEPHEN KABIRAT)

The philosophy of belonginess is that of existence. For we practically if not genuinely, see why we have to exist when we all belong, since the "I and thou" habitually interact for mutual upbringing. This philosophy explains why humans relate and characteristically share some certain traits and benefits. Summarily, it is a philosophy of affiliation and identification.

Belonginess builds relationships and brotherhood. And good relationships are however, definitively tied on family, tribal, national and religious recognition (not limited to these). This is why one often hears that "your family is your family come what may."

Belonginness has made people of different backgrounds create familial, tribal, national and religious associations in the various environments they find themselves. And geographical proximity is perpetually enjoyed among people who come from like environment.

People call themselves brothers or sisters only when they belong and profess one creed. The Igbo man for example sees his fellow Igbo man "more brotherly" than any other person. The Hausa man sees his fellow Hausa man "more brotherly" than any other person who's not Hausa. The Bajju man sees his fellow Bajju man "more brotherly" than any other person who's not Bajju. And so with the rest tribes.

No doubt that the creation of family, religions and tribes are a blessing to humanity. They are to make us belong to one group or the other. However, man's extreme and selfish operation of these institutions initiate a brotherhood that seems "more brotherly" than the human brotherhood. For the human person when in need is only loved "the more" if he 'belongs'. Hand of Charity is extended the more to one who's of same religious or tribal group. Employments and appointments are given based on regional, tribal or religious affiliation.

When one heeds to the regulations of his association, he enjoys its benefits and when he doesn't, he's barred from any benefit. Even if he's under pain or death, conscious negligence is shown him. Brothehood here is built on accidental belonginess than on substantial belonginess instead. For one is only called a brother when he belongs. A traitor or infidel when he abandons his group. A good example here is when one changes his religion to another. This person is no longer loved by his former religious group. But wait a minute, were we first of all humans or religious beings? of course "We were first of all humans not until religion, tribe and politics separated us."

Let humanity be our ideal bond of brotherhood. Love the person irrespective of his tribe, religion, nation and race. Don't wait for that your neighbor be converted to your religion before you help him. Don't also wait for him to speak your dialect before you consider helping him. Don't always extend a helping hand to a friend just because he's your fellow Christian or Muslim brother. Love the human person because it is God that you're loving.

Imagine how beautiful our community would be when persons are loved because they are fisrt of all considered humans. Imagine how wonderful our society would be when people are treated humanly, not on tribal or religious sentiments. Love the person for being a human like you. And for being created in the image and likeness of God. St. Augustine once wrote: "If we discover love, our conduct in relation to good and evil will be different."

THE RECTOR'S MESSAGE TO THE GRADUATING STUDENTS

8TH JUNE, 2019

AN IGNORANT CATHOLIC SEMINARIAN IS A FUTURE PENTECOSTAL PASTOR.

VERY REV FR. HABILA DADOH

I sincerely thank God for sparing us to this day in which our theology four students are graduating. I thank all the bishops of the province and the administrator of Kafanchan for looking after you from the first day of your seminary training today. I also want to thank Propaganda Fidei, POSPA, MISSIO AND AID TO THE CHURCH IN NEED for their support in training you and providing facilities for your formation. There are other benefactors that I cannot mention here, I thank them too. To the parents of our graduating students, thank you for your guidance and support. To the friends of our graduating students, thanks to you all.

I thank the formators for their inexorable sacrifices. They have been simply awesome in exercising their responsibilities. They have disseminated their knowledge, they have shown you their spirituality, and they have always made themselves available to you and for you. All these were meant to prepare you for an exceptional pastoral outing after your formation. The visiting lecturers have also been outstanding; thank you and God bless you for the unalloyed services.

Let me congratulate those who are the reason of our presence here. It is simply not easy. You have made it to the end here. It started just like yesterday and today it’s ending. Forget all the obstacles that were on the way; forgive those who didn’t want you to make it; forget the ugly ups and the dreadful downs you passed through, enjoy the pleasant memories you passed through; it is the Lord’s doing, it is marvelous in our eyes. I am very privileged to be part of the team to graduate you from this noble institution. But remember that this is not really the end, but the beginning of another herculean responsibility of being another Christ. In all these, Congratulations!  

It is important you know that any seminarian that does not align himself, does not propagate, live and where possible, practice what the Catholic Church teaches, if eventually he becomes a priest, he will only live his kind of life and not the one desired by the Holy Mother Church. An ignorant Catholic seminarian is a future Pentecostal Pastor. You may graduate from the seminary with first class honours or whatever degree, if you, in your pastoral engagements, step out of the teaching of the Church, if you sermonise outside what the Church teaches, if you live a flamboyant life, if you carry out spiritual practices that are contrary to what the church teaches, then you are in my judgement, an ignorant seminarian who became a full blown Pentecostal pastor living and operating in the Catholic church.

I am genuinely proud to say that in our seminary, we teach what the Church mandates. We go to the extent of encouraging you on how to dress respectfully and to keep yourselves decent as potential Catholic priests; but you are at liberty to practice what you want when you graduate from the seminary. It is at this point that it becomes apparent whether or not formation passed through you or you passed through formation. As I mentioned last year, that whatever you do outside what we have taught you, then remember that you are a near pretender. If after being taught how to compose and comport yourself when giving a homily, you start jumping from one spot of the church to another in the name of preaching, then know that we did not teach you that. When you dress contrary to the way you do in the seminary, know that formation did not take place in you; when you use sandals or anyhow shoes on the altar of sacrifice, know that you only pass through formation. By the time you refuse to give a listening ear to parishioners, or you refuse to hear their confessions or you go into excessive drinking of alcohol, and by the time you start looking down on parishioners, or disobedient to your elders, and by the time you begin to choose which Mass to celebrate, which parish you will prefer to work, or begin to change cars arbitrarily, kindly remember that no formator in our seminary, gave you lecture or seminar on how to do that. 

St. Polycarp (ca. 69-155) who was deeply concerned how priest live their lives said, “The presbyters should also be compassionate, merciful to all, turning back those who have gone astray, caring for all who are sick, not neglecting the widow, the orphan, or the poor, but always taking thought of what is good before both God and others, abstaining from all anger, prejudice, and unfair judgment, avoiding all love of money, not quick to believe a rumor against anyone, not severe in judgment, knowing that we are all in debt because of sin”. (Ignatius of Antioch.  “Letter to the Ephesians”.  Ed and trans. Bart D. Ehrman. Loeb Classic Library.  In The Apostolic Fathers I (LCL 24). Cambridge MA.:  Harvard University Press, par. 17, pg. 237).

Dear graduates, as you leave us and eventually go into the priesthood, may I appeal to you to develop a strong love for Eucharistic adoration. Improve your love of the Rosary, your divine office and other spiritual devotions to keep you spiritually watchful. The Church needs prayerful priests; be among them. God has called you for a purpose; you cannot afford to disappoint Him. God wants to use you for his mission, give Him the opportunity. God wants to use your hands, keep them holy and unstained, God wants to use your lips/tongue, keep them uncontaminated; God wants to use your eyes, keep them focused on heavenly things; use your talents for the glory of God. Your prayer can change the world, your spiritual life can convert sinners; the way you celebrate the Eucharist can bring healing to an ailing generation. God can make impossible situations possible through you. You don’t have to shout, you don’t have to form prayer ministries, you don’t have to climb mountains, God can use you in your simple but inspiring life.

VALEDICTORY SPEECH BY THE STUDENTS’ AUXILIARY; REV. JAMES KALAT HENRY, AT THE GRADUATION OF THE 2018/2019 SET

The Rector, Very Rev. Fr. Habila T. Daboh, The Vice Rector who doubles as our Class Director; Very Rev. Fr. Julian Okafor, Our esteemed Team of Formators, Representatives of the GOSHEMSA here present, Rev. Frs and Srs., Our Administrative staff, Our hard working domestic staff, My dear fellow graduating Students (Reverends and Brothers) My dear wonderful brother Seminarians, Friends and Relations of our graduating Students, And indeed, everybody here present, good afternoon to you all.

The Psalmist says: “When the Lord delivered Zion from bondage, it seemed like a dream. Our mouths were filled with laughter, indeed we were glad” (Ps. 126:1). Like the Israelites, today, no doubt seem like a dream to my classmates and I standing before you. Today our mouths are filled with laughter, today we are all glad. But again, unlike the Israelites we are not being delivered from bondage. Rather, we are filled with laughter and gladness because today, our dreams, I would say are being fulfilled. For this, we give praise and thanks to Him of whom nothing greater than can be conceived.

Looking at the faces of my fellow classmates, I see smiles and expression of joy and happiness. But I bet you, when you look deep beyond this smiling faces, there you will discover scars of different kinds. This is because nothing comes easy in this journey of life. We all have passed through series of brokenness and mending until we are what we are today. What this means is that behind every success is a proportionate sacrifice.

Today, I am very happy leaving Good Shepherd Major Seminary. I am happy not because I am leaving not to return again as a student, but because I am leaving well-equipped, leaving with repertoire of experiences, in fact, I can say I am leaving fulfilled. Standing before you, I can recall with vividness, the series of admonitions we received from our formators and even external lecturers, right from our days in first year Theology up to this day. We sincerely cannot thank our formators enough for the sacrifices they have had to make, all to make us who we are today. Please, permit me to specially appreciate our amiable Rector, a man I prefer to call the ‘silent achiever.’ To say that we have learnt a lot from you through these years we spent together, it will be an understatement. But I think I can summarize it by saying you have taught us to believe in the reality of the priesthood, through our belongingness to this community, and today we are all gradually becoming that which you hope to see us become.

Fr., on 15^th October, 2018 when I and my other brothers were inaugurated as functionaries to pilot the affairs of the school, within the students’ level, for the 2018/2019 Academic year, you handed over to me a total number of 218 seminarians. Along the line, 9 out of these numbers fell out. These brothers of ours are no longer with us today not because they are the worst of sinners, nor is it the case that the rest of us are more perfect than they are. No! I see their exit as a fulfillment of Jesus’ saying, that: “Many are called, but few are chosen” (Mt. 22:14). At this point, we pray God to grant their hearts’ desire wherever they find themselves in this journey of life. Fr. I stand here with mixed feelings to say to you that out of the 209 left, today, 24 are bowing out for good. Frs. It is easier for me to say that I and my classmates are walking out or walking away. But that will of course defy the Igbo adage says: “No matter how tall an Okra tree grows, it cannot be taller than its owner.” Bearing this in mind, dear Frs., today we are bowing to you in appreciation for all you have done in our lives. Indeed, our four years on this compound was not all rosy, because you surely exercised to the fullest, the words of Proverbs 13:4. Today, we say thank you to you for not sparing the rod, thank you for not spoiling us. In return, we promise never to disappoint you and the Church at large.

To you my classmates, permit me to begin by reminding us of that first pull, I mean that first voice we individually heard, to which we responded, and today we are here. I ask; do we still listen to that voice in the midst of this noisy world, characterized by so many strange voices that keep calling out to us? I beg of you brothers, as we go out, kindly be careful so as not to make mistakes that we will spend the entirety of our priesthood trying to correct. Brothers, we no doubt have had series of histories together; the sweet, the sour, the bitter, in fact, the litany is endless. I beg you to see all these as the ingredients that spice up human life.

Dear Reverends and brothers, today is unarguably one of the best days of our lives, in fact, I will not be surprised if some of us nick-name it ‘world freedom day.’ As a matter of fact, by way of true confession, myself I sincerely can’t recall the number of times I longed to see this day, especially those moments I will jump out of bed in the middle of the night, rushing to go and see Fr. Agba, only to realize it was in a dream that he called me. Be it as it may, permit me to tell you this bitter truth; as we are all joyfully packing and checking out of the Seminary today, we shall one day long to come back here, and this is not magic, but simply because “No place like home!” when we go out there and discover how noisy the world is, we shall long to come back home! When the demands of the ministry gets high out there, Reverends, I bet you, we shall long to come back home! But you know what, brothers? When these feelings begin to becloud us, our only source of solace will be the Blessed Sacrament. And so, we pray God to be the focus of all our actions, through Christ our Lord.

To you my dear and wonderful brother seminarians, standing before you this afternoon, I must admit that I am bleeding deep within me, especially looking at you my dear brothers, and knowing that this is my last address to you both as your leader and as one of you. In truth, dear brothers, I will miss you, but I promise to always remember you in my prayers. Leading you through these moments has taught me a lot on leadership and community living.  I cannot thank you enough for the moments we shared together, and as I leave you, my last words to you are: “To succeed in this formation, make yours the habit of doing the right thing at the right time. If it is time for you to pray, pray and don’t do any other thing! If it is time for you to read, read and don’t do any other thing! If it is time for you to play, play and don’t do any other thing! If it is time for you to eat, eat and don’t do any other thing!” He who has called you, will surely do it for you because he is faithful (1Thes. 5:24). A special thanks to my dear brothers who assisted me in this office; Reuben Shaba and Danbako Zakaria. I sincerely appreciate your love and friendship.

To the representatives of the ALUMNI here present, thank you for finding us worthy enough to be initiated into the rank of the elders of this noble institution, and thank you also for this initiative, and for choosing to begin with the class of 2019, for it will go a long way to inspire our younger brothers to want to be alumni, someday like us.

To our parents, relations, friends and the members of our worshiping community here present, who have come to share in our joy, as we thank you for all you have been to us, and the various roles you have played in our formation through these years, we pray God who knows your needs to graciously grant them, through Christ our Lord. Allah ya taimake mu!!!

With this speech, I Reverend James Kalat Henry, on this day 8^th June, 2019, cease to be the 1^st student auxiliary of Good Shepherd Major Seminary, Kaduna. I now invite Reuben Shaba to come take the mantle of leadership from me, to serve in this capacity until a new auxiliary emerges, while Danbako Zakaria assumes the position of the second auxiliary.

CONFERMENT OF MINOR ORDERS

On the 23^rd of May, 2019 was a remarkable day in Good Shepherd Major seminary Kaduna, because the conferment of Minor Orders is a ceremony every seminarian always look up to. The ceremony signifies one of the customary steps on the path toward ordination. While the lectors are saddled with the responsibility of proclaiming the Word of God, the acolytes are to be uniquely tasked with the mission of serving.

In his homily during the Mass in which the institution of the lectors and acolytes took place, Most Rev. Dr. George Dodo, the Bishop of Zaria diocese spoke of the “real presence” of the Lord in the Eucharist. He admonished seminarians who were to receive the minor orders that, with the reception of this ministries they are being reminded that as ordained priests they will minister the mysteries of the faith from the altar. “You will become engaged in making real and present the saving mystery of the death and resurrection of the Lord.” He reminded the seminarians of the honor of their role as lectors and acolytes. “It is a great privilege to distribute the holy Eucharist, the new manna, to the faithful.” “As you know, as acolytes, you must show the greatest reverence for the most holy Eucharist with your behavior, your attire and the way you handle the body and blood of Christ.” Turning to the lectors he said “to you is also given the privilege of proclaiming the Word of God, make sure the Word you proclaim reflect in your lives.”

Seminarians, who after the Mass could not hide their joy affirmed that the event was an exciting and significant step in the journey to the priesthood. One needed to see how the younger students felt a moment of expectation and admiration. However, one of the newly lectors who could not hide his excitement acknowledged that “the event is essential because it tells us of the coming of something greater than this.”  While one of the newly acolytes affirmed that “becoming an acolyte is a step we have always looked up to, since it is a step to diaconate ordination.” “We feel like things are happening and we are almost there,” he said. The event came to a close at the school Terbena (canteen) where newly acolytes and lectors were celebrated by their friends. It was indeed an awesome event and we pray that the steps our brothers have taken in entering into the ministries of lector and acolyte be a moment of grace to prepare their hearts and lives for the service of God and the people in the future as priests (Amen).

YOUTH IN THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH

THE ANNUAL PUBLICATION OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD MAJOR SEMINARY  MAGAZINE

OUT NOW!!! AND AVAILABLE!!!

EDITOR'S NOTE 

A prevailing notion today is that the youth of this generation are not interested in Church or the of God. Of course, they are desperate for an exquisite and grand story to make sense of the world around them. They want meaning out of everything base on their inclinations and are desperate for a true hope. Many parents have put their hope in the economy, the government, and the military strength of the nation. Their children, however, see a continuous failing economy with high political unrest, and an ongoing terrorist threat which seems to be fueling up on a daily basis. The future doesn’t seem that rosy. So what’s left for them to hope in if they don’t have the future? The moment is what we can invariably say they have, and their happiness is what they pursue. Youth pursue happiness, but the means given by the world; shopping, entertainment, sex, social media, cultism and other enticements of this age and time undermine their very endeavor. This Pleasure is fleeting. Relations, often only surface deep but get messy quickly. Entertainment can’t provide lasting satisfaction. In the end, happiness for them is little more than momentary escape from the realities of the world. 

Given the circumstances, it’s no surprise that many youth are restless, insecure, jaded, and desperately searching for meaning to explain all the hurt and suffering which they experience and see around them, and also the meaning to their very existence. Sadly, many within the church offer nothing more substantive than the vaporous teachings of the world. In some churches, “youth group” have become synonymous with fun gathering, entertainment, and shallow teaching. 

It is important therefore, for the truth to be passed down from generation to generation, in order to grow the Church (the body of Christ). Ultimately, helping youth to grow spiritually, morally, economically, socially, etcetera, in their formative years will equip them to make an impact for Christ, both now and in the future. If the youth are the Church of tomorrow, then they need to be a priority in the church today, hence the theme of this Edition: Youth in the Life of the Church is indeed apt, geared towards addressing the challenges of the youth both within and without the Church. 

This Unique edition of the Good Shepherd Magazine, espouses on the fact that; the problem of the youth is also the problem and indeed the concern of the Church. This edition tells us about the necessity of pursuing righteousness and its allied virtues through character formation. Our Guest Writer Prof. (Mrs) Rose Ayaka Nkom, brings home the fact that; commitment to the Church is a Challenge to the youths, and re-echoes the fact that they are the hope of the Church and proffer’s ways through which they can be committed. Furthermore, this edition brings out the missing link, in contemporary practice and instances where youths worship just for fun. In a generation when so many detest old age, some of our writers came to the rescue by assuring us that old age is not a loss of youth, but a new stage of opportunity and strength. Concerted effort is made also in this publication which you read now to establish a stand on the fact that youths are theological Pillars of pastoral ministry, and so the Sacred Scripture is a formidable guide for their formation. More so, in this edition, a reflection on the crazy fashion trends as devaluing our valued assets is critically presented thereby encouraging Parents to play their active role in educating youths and generally teenagers especially as regards sex. Some of our well-regarded contributors also give a vivid explanation on the point that the Church, family and the society are agents of evangelizing the youths, and so must brace up to the responsibility. With the high rate of divorce and broken homes; living the children to face the consequences of such actions, we also strain to accentuate the fact that true Joy in marital relationship is a product of long and deep commitment. Being in a highly technological age, precautions on not losing the meaningfulness of life on the altar of technological advancement is also offered. Succinctly, an outline on the ways through which the youth can engage actively in evangelization is distinctly spelt out. 

Our alluring cover Stories, exotic Opinion Polls and other intriguing Interviews with men and women of great value, make this edition unique and phenomenal. With all that is contained therein, read through and you will not regret having a copy of this magazine. I do wish you a happy reading as you sail through the pages of this magazine.

JOHN KELVIN MAKAMA

Editor-in-Chief
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