School Album

Seminary Formation Seminar: Friday 28 July 2023

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Holy Saturday

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Good Friday

CHEIF CELEBRANT: REV FR. ONUIGBO KENNEDY

Good Friday is a day we mourn due to the painful crucifixion and agonizing death of our Lord. Many of the names given to it in the course of history draw attention to this mournful aspect. The official name of Good Friday is the “Friday of the Passion and Death of the Lord”. Before then it was “Friday of Preparation for the Pasch”. However St. Ambrose described it as a “Day of Bitterness”.

THE LITURGY OF THE WORD

FIRST READING: ISAIAH [52:13 – 53:12]

The prophet Isaiah prefigures Christ’s suffering and death, whom through his solidarity with the sinful humanity, became the source of our eternal salvation.

SECOND READING: HEBREWS [4:14-16; 5:7-9]

In this reading we are assured a Mediator who will locate humanity in our present concrete life’s situation. Hence we are encouraged to look up to Him for Grace and Mercy.

THE GOSPEL: JOHN [18:1-19:42]: ST JOHN the evangelist captures the passion of Jesus as truly an hour of exaltation and his trial as an assertion of his Kingship. Hence by bearing his cross, He is indeed the Passover as well as the Paschal.

THE VENERATION OF THE CROSS The crucifix during this day was carried by the chief celebrant; Rev Fr. Kennedy Onuigbo from the back of the church to the front of the altar singing ECCE LIGNUM CRUCIS meaning (Behold the wood of the cross on which hung the Savior of the world) and we all responded “VENITE ADOREMUS” (Come, let us worship). At this we all knelt down and venerated the cross briefly in silence.

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Holy Thursday, 2022

CHIEF CELEBRANT:REV FR. STANISLAUS ONODUGO

(COMMENTARY)

The Holy Thursday as its name implies is also known as Maundy Thursday. This is also the day the Lord Jesus Christ instituted the Sacrament of Holy Eucharist and that of Holy Orders in which the clergies are ordained. Today too, he shows his love for his disciples by washing their feet. Although, it is said that the one who precedes his maker, would run himself out.

In today’s event we all expected to be at rest, for the past five weeks we have been in a time of suffering, sorrow, and waiting for the time when our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified for our sins. In spite of being God, he did this to cleanse us from sin and to remind us that the harvester does not leave his field because of the weed.

READINGS

FIRST READING: Exodus. 12: 1-8, 11-14

In this reading, God told Moses and Aaron that they would bring the Israelites out of Egypt and bring them into the land He had promised them. Moreover, today will be a feast day for them in the name of the Lord, because only those who cry out in righteousness will go up to the mountain of the Lord.

SECOND READING: 1Cor. 11: 23-26

In this passage, St. Paul tells us how Jesus Christ fed His people with His body and blood and commanded them to do so in remembrance of Him; for children are often blamed for their own failures.

THE GOSPEL: JN. 13: 1-15

In this Gospel, St. John tells us how Jesus Christ showed His disciples and the Master among them to be other servants. He did this by taking off his clothes, washing them with water and washing their feet.

WASHING OF THE FEET

With humility the celebrant washes the feet of the participants showing to us an example exhibited by Christ. The chief celebrant; Rev Fr. Stanislaus Onodugo as stipulated by the church washed the feet of the seminarians and workers.

Seminary Holy Thursday Supper

After the mass, the seminarians proceeded to the Refectory for supper. To show the love, care
and humility towards the student, the formators served the seminarians. This is attested to the
teachings of Christ about the master being the servant. This simple act of love by the
formators towards the seminarians teaches a great lesson humility to all. They also sat and ate
with the seminarians. Also, those in SS3 class shared the food for their table mates to also
show the sign of humility.

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Udi Cathedraticum, April 2022

Once in a year the Catholic faithful come together as one family to show gratitude to the head of their diocese. This gratitude is concretized with gifts, money, and other food items to be presented to the Bishop of the diocese. This is done to support the bishop in the over-loaded pastoral assignments which he has in the diocese and to showcase their faithfulness, obedience and reaffirm their humble commitment to the teaching authority and leadership of the bishop. This is what we know as “Cathedraticum.” Etymologically, the term ‘Cathedraticum’ is derived from the Latin word “cathedra” meaning Episcopal Seat or Throne or Chair of the Bishop as the teacher and leader of the Diocese.

This practice dates back to the second Council of Braga in 572, but it was not until Pope Honorius III (1216-1227) that it became universal in the Western church. At that time, this tax was paid at the time of the bishop’s annual visit to a parish but in our time today it is being done at different times according to Diocesan stipulations. The seminary family, in line with the teachings and tradition of the church, came with some of her farm products to appreciate the Bishop of Enugu diocese. In the pictures below one will see the formatted and students dancing to the altar with some gifts to be presented to the Bishop of the diocese.

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Palm Sunday 2022

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School Cultural Fiesta

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Visit of the bishop and our golden Jubilee kickoff celebration

Sacred Heart Seminary at 50
In 1972, when most Reverend Godfrey Mary-Paul Okoye, the then Bishop of catholic diocese of Enugu, decided to build a house of formation, where priests would be formed, and through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he went out to Udi in Enugu state, and luckily arrived at Nsude, where the people of Ezinato in Nsude gave him about 40 acres of land which they regarded as an evil forest.

The bishop accepted their offer, and immediately made plans for the clearing of the forest. Without wasting much time, having gathered some funds, the bishop erected some small buildings in the already cleared ground, and called on the then Father Augustine Akubue, to become the Rector of the dreamed seminary. With this, Sacred Heart Seminary Nsude was established.

The seminary went through alot of challenges such as; security challenges, shelter, feeding, and so on. As of then, the seminary had only the Rector as the only formator, and he lived with the students in the same hostel. The pioneer Rector of the seminary, catered for the needs of the seminary for a year. In 1973, Father Stan Ani was made the Rector of the seminary. He led the school to the next level with the construction of some other buildings. Father Paul Chinawa replaced him in 1974, and was the Rector up until 1979, when Very Rev Father Tobias Anichebe was made the Rector. With the change of the Rectors, the seminary grew in strength. In 1982, Rev. Fr. Christopher Offordile was appointed to replace Fr. Tobias, who was also replaced by Father Casmir Maduakor in 1986.

It was in 1999 that Very Rev. Fr. Anthony Egbo was made the Rector to continue in the good work of Fr. Casmir. In 1994, Fr. Ambrose Agu was appointed to replace Fr. Anthony, he enforced discipline and strict adherence to the seminary rules and regulation. In 1996, Fr. Micheal Okor was made the Rector and he improved the musical structure of the seminary. He compiled a hymnal and named it after the seminary. In 1998, Fr. Victor Eze was made the Rector, he served for five years, father Paul Chinawa was re-appointed the Rector in 2003, and was replaced by Fr. Gerald Eze in 2005. Father Gerald was a Vibrant young priest who started a great infrastructural changes. In 2010, he started the construction of the new ultra-modern hostel for the students. Father Williams Eze was made an interim Rector for a year. And Fr. Humphrey Ude was appointed in 2012. He continued in the infrastructural work, he completed the construction of the ultra-modern hostel started by his predecessor, he also constructed a new ultra-modern chapel, and an ultra-modern refectory, he also furnished an ultra-modern ICT lab.

He was replaced by Father Stanislaus Onodugo the current Rector, in 2018. Father Stan never stopped working. He did a thorough and expensive toilet rehabilitation, he equally constructed an ultra-modern football pitch and many other game facilities, and at the moment, he is constructing an ultra-modern classroom block, interested in music and liturgy, he gave music and liturgy a new face, he provided a lathe machine for technical classes etc. Currently, the seminary has about five priests and eleven seminarians on apostolic work, and about four hundred and fifty young seminarians on formation.

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A Family Holy Mass with Father Leonard Ozougwu

HOMILY BY FATHER FATHER LEONARD OZOUGWU {Genesis 15:1-12,17-18, Mathew 7:15-20}

TOPIC: WHAT YOU FEED GROWS

A good tree produces good fruit, a bad tree produces bad fruit. The tree being talked about is human beings. Good humans produces good behaviours and bad humans produces bad characters. A bad seminarians produces fruits like; leaving the compound without permission, stealing, lies, bullying, etc. While a good seminarian produces fruits like; love, punctuality, obedience to the rules and regulations, truthfulness, honesty, discipline and self control, cuttting across the four pillars of seminary formation, human, pastoral, academic, and spiritual formations.

Good plants requires good manure, and a plant that is well manured and feed will grow. Whatever we manure in our lives, whatever we feed grows. The manure like daily meditation, prayers etc, intensify our communication with God. weeding is like removing things that are not good in us, especially through the sacrament of reconciliation and particular examine. Taking care of a makes it grow, so we should take care of our daily life so as to yield good fruit, ‘cut off from me, you can do nothing’ John 15:5.

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Visit of the members of the Knight of saint John international to our seminary

THE KNIGHTS OF ST JOHN INTERNATIONAL (COMMANDERY 584 UDI AND LAUX 597) VISIT OUR SEMINARY ON THE 26TH 0F JUNE, 2021

The Rector Sacred Heart Seminary Nsude and the Chaplain of Knights of St John International(Commandery 584 and Laux 597 Udi), Rev. Fr. Stanislaus Onodugo, and the entire Seminary Community welcome the members of this group to our noble seminary.

The knights of St John International is an International Catholic fraternal service organization. Incorporated in 1886, the organization’s members commit themselves to service to the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic church, their communities and fraternal brotherhood with individual units or commanderies, established within a parish. The regimented organization pledges fealty to their King-Jesus Christ, who strengthens and prepares them to complete his earthly mission through acts of charity and fraternity. They pledge on their honour, and live to manifest his word and truth through their actions and examples a Roman Catholic gentlemen and Ladies.

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Our Rector’s birthday.

A VOTE OF THANKS BY REV. FATHER VICTOR ANIKPUTA ON THE BIRTHDAY OF OUR BELOVED FATHER RECTOR, REV FATHER STANISLAUS ONODUGO

The man we celebrate today is a man whose humility is captivating, inviting and challenging. A man of goodwill and good heart, a friend and a brother, dedicated and examplary. Coincidentally, we celebrate the birthday of saint John the baptised. There is an obvious similarities between the two persons we are celebrating. John in his life time suffered a red martdom while our dereast father Rector suffers white martydom on a daily basis. He accepts insults and belittlement by different parents yet he bears all with fillial tenderness. John was a man of prayers and we all can testify that its the same with our father Rector. We appreciate him and we ask God to grant him many more happy years ahead

IN ADDENDUM; We also celebrate one of our students who is also celebrating his birthday today by name; Eze Uriel, we pray that God also give him fruitful years ahead.

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The Seminary on 9th day of June, 2021, received an August visitor in the person of Rev Fr. Leonard Ozougwu a.k.a. Fr. Tiko, From Schwertberg Parish, dioceses of Linz Austria (Engel Tech Company Austria). He gifted us some computer gadgets for our ICT office. A gift the Seminary represented by the Rector, Rev Fr. Stanislaus Onodugo and Fr. Dean of student affairs, Fr. Kennedy Onuigbo with few teachers and students, heartily received.

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The mothers of St Mark’s Catholic Parish, Nsude, came to celebrate with our Seminarians on the mothering Sunday, 18th April, 2021. The Rector, V Rev. Fr. Stanislaus Onodugo and the entire Seminary family wish to appreciate them, and to encourage others to emulate them.

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Palm Sunday 2021

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Cathedraticum 2021

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Behold our new formator: He is our music director 1.

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The Seminary celebrates the fifth Sunday of Lent.

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The Seminary animal farms: piggery and poultry.