In a moving graduation ceremony, ten students received their diplomas from their alma mater—St. Paul Seminary, Foundation—in Silang, Cavite. The 58th commencement exercises, attended by the SSP formation community, seminary faculty, and communities, parents, and friends of the graduates, took place at the seminary chapel and later in the auditorium.
Of the ten graduates, three are aspirants of the Society of St. Paul and one is a temporary professed member of the Daughters of St. Paul; three belong to other religious congregations and three are extern lay students.
SSP Provincial Superior Mario Sobrejuanite was the main presider at the Eucharistic celebration. In his homily, he spoke of hope in the midst of the crises. He said that every crisis in a call to change. It is not so much what one is when he enters into crisis that matters, but what one becomes when he comes out of it. He then blessed the graduation sashes, diplomas, and medals to be given to the graduates.
The graduation rites, with the theme, “Strain Forward: Pilgrims of Hope,” were done inside the seminary auditorium. Fr. Norman Melchor Peña, Jr., Rector and Dean of Studies, gave the “state of the seminary school” address covering Academic Year 2023-2024. He then presented the graduating students to Fr. Mario Sobrejuanite, President of the Seminary School Board, who officially declared them graduates: four with the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, five with the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Communication, and one with a Certificate of Philosophical Studies.
The Graduation Speaker was Sr. Nimfa Ebora, PDDM, who took up Biblical studies in Jerusalem and now teaches Scriptures in Theology schools in Manila. Speaking on the theme, she shared that graduation is a milestone that marks only the end of a chapter in the graduates’ life and is just a prelude to the many chapters that are yet to come. This means that the call to grow is constant, and the call to strain forward lasts for a lifetime. While their diploma is a testament to their academic achievement, the growth and experiences gained along the way are what truly enrich them as persons.
Four graduates received Latin honors: Cum Laude (Maggiorino Vigoluno Awards) to Jude Lope (SSP), Sr. Kyla Ventura, FSP, and Sr. Rhea Anajao, FMSA. John Michael Calubag, an extern student, got Summa Cum Laude (Alberione Award), the first ever in St. Paul Seminary.
After taking their oath of allegiance to their alma mater, the graduates were accepted as members of the St. Paul Seminary Alumni Association, Inc.
After a series of photo-taking, the community gathered at the seminary gym for lunch and fellowship.
