NFCS PRESIDENT'S WELCOME SPEECH TO YEAR ONE STUDENTS
NIGERIA FEDERATION OF CATHOLIC STUDENTS (NFCS)
OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
WELCOME SPEECH DELIVERED AT THE OCCASION OF WELCOME CEREMONY OF NEW STUDENTS FOR 2019/2020 ACADEMIC SESSION (16.02.2020)
Protocols
Beloved brothers and sisters, I stand before you this evening as a brother to congratulate and welcome you officially into All Saints Catholic Chaplaincy, and into the NFCS family.
May I begin by saying that it is a wonderful thing to be here, this is where men and women are made. All Saints Catholic Chaplaincy is known for the culture of producing excellent students, we have had in the yesteryears and even in most recent past, our brethren who have emerged top of their classes and this is the big challenge I put before all of you - to be the best you can be and make this family proud.
The University I must say is a world full of freedom. Many of you have never had this freedom, some have it but never got the opportunity to explore, now the opportunity comes for you to. I may now ask how do you want to enjoy your freedom? Our amiable Chaplain today during his homily threw a choice from the Divine statement of the holy scripture "I put before you good and evil, which shall you choose?" Regardless of how rhetoric this question may sound but it begs for an answer that you all must provide. You are free to be wherever you decide to be at every given time, do what as it pleases you, to be with whoever you want to be with and do whatever you want to with little or no supervision from anyone.
How we live in our free world also transcends to how we relate with people. Many girls have come to the university as virgins but never left the same same with boys who had wonderful goals set for themselves before coming to the university but got carried away by the euphoria and ephemeral joy that comes from smoking alcoholism and hooliganism. There's no point lying to you brethren, no one here cares about what you decide to do with your life, we can only do our to advise but won't push you against your choice but I charge you this evening: before you make any choice, take a personal feasibility studies asking yourself such questions as 'will Jesus be happy?' 'Would my parents/ Guardians be happy to hear this?', 'Where would this choice leave me in the next 5 or 10 years?'. Brethren, I have not come with sugarcoated tongue to deceive you but with an honest intention and good wishes, I do not think that anyone in his first year of study has need for a boyfriend or girlfriend, forget the sweet words, the care, the materials gifts bacause they all will be yours if you dedicate yourself to hardwork and a chaste life.
You must watch out for those who do not want you to remain focused to your dreams. They include those chewing boys who call you out in the middle of the night to discuss rubbish, those senior colleagues who tell you how difficult it is to pass certain courses (the truth is that no course is too difficult to be passed and no lecturer is as wicked as they project to you), most of them have failed and think every other person too might fail. Also be weary of those who organise tutorials in some ungodly places, know when tutorial sessions begin to turn to something else. Remember also that there are brother and sisters (yes people you find in the Church, very pious, very God-fearing) who most times becomes tools the devil uses to destroy young people, our Chaplain is here for counselling and I'm not sure if there is anything you'll go through that our Chaplain cannot advise you what to do. I recall the famous saying of our former Chaplain Rev. Fr. Jacob Iranda that: "The Church is a hospital, many sick people come here". In that light, don't think everyone you meet in Church is a saint.
Being a student is a very simple thing but being a student and a Christian at the same time can be very challenging as you strive to balance up your spiritual and academic life, this is where many lose the mark. While some decide to abandon God because they need to focus on their studies (forgetting that God is the God of everything) others hold unto God too tight that they forget their academics (forgetting God's instructions in 2Tim 2:15: "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness".). We must then do our best not to abandon God because of our academics or depend so much on God and leave our academics - I encourage you to join one or two societies in the Church but not all. In fact there is no special reward for being member of all societies in the Church.
NFCS is one big family united in Christ where everyone is valued and appreciated. Feel free to be part of this family and let nothing deter you from participating in the activities of the Church and NFCS. We are here for one another. Be at your best at all times and God will see you through. Amen.
Emmanuel Ekenedilichukwu Onyekwere.
NFCS President.
OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
WELCOME SPEECH DELIVERED AT THE OCCASION OF WELCOME CEREMONY OF NEW STUDENTS FOR 2019/2020 ACADEMIC SESSION (16.02.2020)
 |
| PART ONE STUDENTS |
Protocols
Beloved brothers and sisters, I stand before you this evening as a brother to congratulate and welcome you officially into All Saints Catholic Chaplaincy, and into the NFCS family.
May I begin by saying that it is a wonderful thing to be here, this is where men and women are made. All Saints Catholic Chaplaincy is known for the culture of producing excellent students, we have had in the yesteryears and even in most recent past, our brethren who have emerged top of their classes and this is the big challenge I put before all of you - to be the best you can be and make this family proud.
The University I must say is a world full of freedom. Many of you have never had this freedom, some have it but never got the opportunity to explore, now the opportunity comes for you to. I may now ask how do you want to enjoy your freedom? Our amiable Chaplain today during his homily threw a choice from the Divine statement of the holy scripture "I put before you good and evil, which shall you choose?" Regardless of how rhetoric this question may sound but it begs for an answer that you all must provide. You are free to be wherever you decide to be at every given time, do what as it pleases you, to be with whoever you want to be with and do whatever you want to with little or no supervision from anyone.
How we live in our free world also transcends to how we relate with people. Many girls have come to the university as virgins but never left the same same with boys who had wonderful goals set for themselves before coming to the university but got carried away by the euphoria and ephemeral joy that comes from smoking alcoholism and hooliganism. There's no point lying to you brethren, no one here cares about what you decide to do with your life, we can only do our to advise but won't push you against your choice but I charge you this evening: before you make any choice, take a personal feasibility studies asking yourself such questions as 'will Jesus be happy?' 'Would my parents/ Guardians be happy to hear this?', 'Where would this choice leave me in the next 5 or 10 years?'. Brethren, I have not come with sugarcoated tongue to deceive you but with an honest intention and good wishes, I do not think that anyone in his first year of study has need for a boyfriend or girlfriend, forget the sweet words, the care, the materials gifts bacause they all will be yours if you dedicate yourself to hardwork and a chaste life.
You must watch out for those who do not want you to remain focused to your dreams. They include those chewing boys who call you out in the middle of the night to discuss rubbish, those senior colleagues who tell you how difficult it is to pass certain courses (the truth is that no course is too difficult to be passed and no lecturer is as wicked as they project to you), most of them have failed and think every other person too might fail. Also be weary of those who organise tutorials in some ungodly places, know when tutorial sessions begin to turn to something else. Remember also that there are brother and sisters (yes people you find in the Church, very pious, very God-fearing) who most times becomes tools the devil uses to destroy young people, our Chaplain is here for counselling and I'm not sure if there is anything you'll go through that our Chaplain cannot advise you what to do. I recall the famous saying of our former Chaplain Rev. Fr. Jacob Iranda that: "The Church is a hospital, many sick people come here". In that light, don't think everyone you meet in Church is a saint.
Being a student is a very simple thing but being a student and a Christian at the same time can be very challenging as you strive to balance up your spiritual and academic life, this is where many lose the mark. While some decide to abandon God because they need to focus on their studies (forgetting that God is the God of everything) others hold unto God too tight that they forget their academics (forgetting God's instructions in 2Tim 2:15: "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness".). We must then do our best not to abandon God because of our academics or depend so much on God and leave our academics - I encourage you to join one or two societies in the Church but not all. In fact there is no special reward for being member of all societies in the Church.
NFCS is one big family united in Christ where everyone is valued and appreciated. Feel free to be part of this family and let nothing deter you from participating in the activities of the Church and NFCS. We are here for one another. Be at your best at all times and God will see you through. Amen.
Emmanuel Ekenedilichukwu Onyekwere.
NFCS President.
A wonder speech president ,,, I learnt alot from this ... More grace
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