…as Fides School of Theology & Evangelization, Marks 3rd Matriculation/Graduation Ceremony
By Michael Nnebife
The Catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese, Most Rev Paulinus Ezeokafor, has charged new graduates and newly commissioned evangelizers of Fides School of Theology and Evangelization, Awka, to move with zeal into larger society to make people know more about Jesus Christ and deepen their understanding of Christianity, love of God, and that of neighbour.
The Bishop, who gave the charge during the 3rd Matriculation/Graduation Ceremony of the School held on Saturday, April 18, 2026, emphasized the importance of evangelization, noting that Christ had come to the world but many had no deeper understanding of Him.
While commissioning the new evangelizers during a Pontifical Mass heralding the ceremony, Bishop Ezeokafor urged them to be authentic witnesses to the Gospel of Christ so that through them the Gospel might reach every end of the world.
The Prelate also admonished the matriculating students to take their studies seriously for them to learn the teachings of the Church and impart the same to others for them to know the right things and live rightly.
The ceremony, which took place at St Patrick’s Cathedral, Awka, in its CWO Hall, also featured Premier New Evangelization Awards, the first of its kind in the School.
The quadruple ceremony attracted the Vice-Chancellor, Godfrey Okoye University, Enugu, Enugu State, Rev Fr Prof Christian Anieke, represented by the Director, New Evangelization Research and Ministry, Enugu, Rev Fr Dr Callistus Anieke; the Administrator, St Patrick’s Cathedral, Awka, Rev Fr Anthony Nwafor; and the Bursar, Catholic Diocese of Awka, Rev Fr Nicodemus Izuchukwu.
Others included Prof Emma Anakwuba of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka; Prof Mrs Purity Ndubuisi-Okolo also of Nnamdi Azikiwe University; Associate Prof Anthonia Okoye of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Igbariam; among others who were honoured with the Premier New Evangelization Awards of Excellence.
According to the Director of the School, Rev Fr Dr Celestine Muonwe, the awards were to ensure that Catholics who rendered selfless and noteworthy services to God, the Church, and larger society in their parishes and professions, were not forgotten.
In his remarks, Fr Muonwe expressed joy that the School had been growing from strength to strength and thanked the Proprietor, Bishop Ezeokafor, for his fatherly support; the Vice-Chancellor, Godfrey Okoye University, for accepting the affiliation and relationship between the University and the School; as well as the staff members, among others, for their commitment and sacrifices.
Presenting an address of welcome during the second part of the ceremony, Muonwe said the high rate of corruption and other vices in Nigeria suggested that there was not yet meaningful development in the social indices of Nigerian society.
This, according to him, brought to the fore, the need for a rebirth of culture through planting Gospel values of truth and love in all the strata of culture, such as politics, education, science and technology, entertainment, among others, with a view to bringing about a social kingship of Christ for holistic and integral development.
’This is the primary vision of our School,’ Fr Muonwe said, adding that the mission of the School was to look for creative ways of deepening faith by bridging the gap between faith and culture through dialogue and prayer, with hope that faith would lead and guide culture.
Muonwe advised the graduands to deploy the knowledge they had acquired to become worthy ambassadors of Christ and the School.
He urged the matriculating students to be committed to their studies for them to succeed.
’You are to make earnest sacrifices to be in school and in time for lectures. You are to pay your token school fees, do you assignments at home, purchase handouts and other materials necessary for your academic formation,’ he advised.
In an interview, some of the newly commissioned evangelizers, the graduands and the matriculating students, who included Mrs Ngozi Agusiobo, and Evangelizer Uchenna Ogaga, said Theological Studies in the School had transformed their cultural and religious perceptions entirely.
’I’m a Charismatic, and after passing through studies here, in fact, my prayer style changed. I used to preach out of anger. Currently, I observed that there was no love in my preachings before,’ Evangelizer Ogaga said.
Also some of the new evangelization award recipients, Prof Anakwuba and Prof Ndubuisi-Okolo, described the honour bestowed upon them as not just awards but also a special task to be shining lights and salt to the world.
They thanked the School for the awards, expressing readiness to relating closer with it with a view to partnering with it in witnessing for Christ.
Conferment of Diploma Certificates in Theology on the graduands, and signing of matricula by the matriculating students, were among the major highlights of the ceremony.