By Chinenye Dike
The College of Immaculate Conception, Enugu, was the focal point today as Catholic schools across Enugu State convened for the closing ceremony of the 2023/2024 academic session. The event, presided over by Most Rev. Calistus Valentines Chukwuma Onaga, the Catholic Bishop of Enugu Diocese, began with a solemn holy mass.
In his homily, Bishop Onaga underscored the significance of the Feast of Ascension, a day marking Christ’s ascension into heaven. He spoke about the intrinsic connection between education and spirituality, highlighting that education is not only a fundamental right but also a spiritual matter. Reflecting on Christ’s post-resurrection appearances, Bishop Onaga emphasized Christ’s purpose of providing evidence of his resurrection to dispel doubts.
Discussing the historical context of the Ascension celebration, Bishop Onaga mentioned that, before the 4th century, Ascension was observed immediately after Christ’s resurrection. He noted that it was only Luke who provided an account of Christ’s Ascension and emphasized the importance of understanding such teachings to defend the Catholic faith.
In a joint declaration read by Bishop Onaga, the Catholic Bishops of Enugu State addressed irregularities in Catholic schools and outlined strict measures against offenders. They stressed that Catholic schools aim to produce outstanding students capable of positively impacting society. Thus, they declared zero tolerance for exam malpractice, stating that any student caught engaging in such practices would be dismissed from school. Parents were cautioned against sponsoring exam malpractice for their children, and any school caught in malpractice would have its results seized. Moreover, members of the clergy involved in malpractice would lose their faculty to operate as clergy or religious in their Dioceses.
Expressing gratitude, Bishop Onaga thanked God, parents, guardians, teachers, instructors, administrators, and organizers for their contributions to the 2023/2024 academic journey.
The ceremony concluded with an attendance march past by all participating schools.
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