Muni-University Confirmation- Arua Diocese

Pictoral: Celebration of the first pastoral visit of Rt. Rev. Sabino Ocan Odoki, the Ordinary of Arua Diocese to St. Mary's Caplaincy-Muni University.

Bishop Sabino has called upon universities to play back their role in improving the livelihood of Society. This was during the celebration of his first pastoral visit to St. Mary's Chaplaincy, Muni University , Arua City where he confirmed the university students and blessed the outgoing and incoming student leaders of the chaplaincy.

Bishop reminded the candidates for confirmation of the special atmosphere in which they were being confirmed at. "You are being confirmed in a very special atmosphere, that is the university campus.This should tell you a lot, the university began with the church. Some people don't know this. After the apostles, came the apostolic fathers. They are the ones who started catechetical schools. In every parish center, there was a catechetical school. And that was the beginning of formal education. And then the Monks came and picked it up around the third century. These catechetical schools are what became universities. If you go to Europe, you will find that all ancient universities are near churches, why? because they were the first to initiate education. And the monks took this up seriously. They were doing a lot of studies, writing books, doing research everywhere. So let us appreciate all the initiators of universities." Said the Bishop.

He mentioned that from his recent visit to the United States, he visited three major universities; Walts Universities, Kensas State University and the University of Central Florida and interacted with the presidents of these Universities. "I bring you greetings from the universities I visited from the USA, everywhere I go, I always first connect with the diocese where I am going to stay at , or the parish, and if there is a university around , I always wish to visit universities. In my recent journey, i visited three big universities and you are the forth one. I was at Walts University where i used to send students to study. I visited Kensas University, Benedictin college, who offered some scholarships for some priests. And then i visited the University of Central Florida. I interacted with the University presidents of these universities just like here. I do this because i know the importance of education, i know the importance of University Education . So you who are here are very blessed to be in a place where after you will serve humanity not only at a local level but at a global level. If you serve only at a local level then you have not been at the university. You must go beyond the local level in knowledge, experience and otherwise ."

"That's why the church embraces the entire universe, the entire world. That's why we are catholics. Catholic means universal. So when we profess the Creed, we say one holy catholic and apostolic church. That means , one holy catholic and universal church . So we have a responsibility to serve the whole world, and these candidates of confirmation are going to embrace that responsibility. When you receive the Holy Spirit , You are given a mission. That's what we heard from the gospel of today. The gospel according to St.Luke. When we are anointed, proclamation of the gospel becomes our mission, the mission of Jesus Christ becomes ours. The spirit we receive, the spirit of Christ should assist us in doing the work of God. When Jesus ascended to heaven , he told the disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit, and that's why they were gathered in the Synagogue as we are doing now, to wait for the Holy Spirit. And they were together with mother Mary. On the day of Pentacoast the Holy Spirit came upon them and from that moment they left the house and went to proclaim the good news, this is what is happening today. Our young brothers and Sisters are receiving their gift of the Holy Spirit. From now on, wherever they go, they will be witnesses of Jesus Christ. Whenever there is need for some body to serve, they will be there. Whenever there is a need for somebody to lead prayer or a reader , they will be there to read and lead because they have received the Holy Spirit. Ofcause it will not just come automatically, they will have to learn, that is why education is important. They will have to learn to do the work of God. I will give them some books, The catholic catechism so that you learn on what to begin doing to impart faith , hope, bringing people together in the name of God so that they are united and spreading love amongst the people. To all of us the Lord is calling us to self renewal. We humans have our shortcomings for self renewal. "