HOMILY FOR THE OPENING MASS OF LABE COLLEGE OF NURSING SCIENCES, GBOKO ON THE SOLEMNITY OF OUR LADY QUEEN AND PATRONESS OF NIGERIA BY MOST REV. WILLIAM AVENYA.
My dear Sons and Daughters, today is a day of great joy and thanksgiving for our Diocese, for the Catholic Church in Nigeria, and indeed for our dear country, Nigeria.
We gather on a very significant day: the Solemnity of Our Lady, Queen and Patroness of Nigeria, and also the 66th anniversary of the independence of our nation. And providentially, on this same day, we witness the blessing of Labe College of Nursing Sciences, Gboko; the first post secondary institution of the Catholic Diocese of Gboko.
These three celebrations may appear different, but the Word of God gives us a beautiful thread that connects them: hope, service, peace and the building of a better future.
The First Reading from the Prophet Isaiah speaks of a shoot coming forth from the stump of Jesse. What a beautiful image for us today. A shoot is something small, but it carries the possibility of becoming something great.
Today, Labe College of Nursing Sciences is a new shoot. It is beginning its journey to become an institution that will contribute to the formation of healthcare professionals and to the wellbeing of our people.
Our Lady, Queen and Patroness of Nigeria
Today we honour the Blessed Virgin Mary as Our Lady, Queen and Patroness of Nigeria. Mary’s queenship is not of political power. It is of faith, motherhood and service. At the Annunciation, Mary did not ask what she would gain. She simply said: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.” That word — handmaid — is important for us today.
The nursing profession is fundamentally a profession of service.
- A nurse serves the sick.
- A nurse accompanies the suffering.
- A nurse cares for the vulnerable.
- A nurse gives hope to those who are afraid.
- A nurse sometimes becomes the human face of compassion when a patient is passing through the darkest moment of life.
Mary therefore provides a beautiful model of hope, dedication in service, sacrificial total abandonment to the will of God for everyone who will pass through this institution.
Nigeria at Independence
Today, as we celebrate our 66th independence Anniversary, we thank God for Nigeria. We celebrate our history, our diversity, our peoples and cultures, and the enormous potential that God has placed in this country. But we also recognize that the work of building the Nigeria we desire continues.
The responsorial Psalm speaks about justice, peace, concern for the poor and the protection of the vulnerable. These are not abstract ideas. They must become realities in our hospitals, schools, families, churches, communities and institutions. Every generation must contribute something to the building of Nigeria.
For us in the Catholic Diocese of Gboko, one important way of contributing to Nigeria’s development is through education and healthcare. This is why the opening of Labe College of Nursing Sciences today is significant. We are investing in young people. We are investing in healthcare. We are investing in families. We are investing in the future of Nigeria. We are investing in human capital.
St Paul tells us in the Second Reading: “Christ is our peace.”He speaks of Christ breaking down walls of hostility and bringing people together. He tells us that we are no longer strangers but members of one household.
We are a nation of many peoples, languages, cultures and traditions. Our diversity should not become a reason for division. Our differences should not become walls of hostility. Christ calls us to become one people. And institutions such as Labe College can become places where this unity is lived.
Here, young people from different communities can meet. They can learn together. They can work together. They can care for one another. And eventually, they will go out to serve people who may be completely different from them.
The Journey of Labe College of Nursing Sciences
My dear Sons and daughters, every meaningful institution has a story behind it. Labe College of Nursing Sciences did not simply appear overnight.
It began as an idea to honour the commitment and selflessness of one of our sons, the late Pharmacist Cletus Ternenge LABE, who was committed to offering quality healthcare services to and especially vulnerable people. His life was cut short by a senseless mindless bullet that was shot at him by especially senseless, mindless lunatics while he sat unarmed in his shop offering healthcare service here in Gboko at Bristow round about. May his soul rest with the Lord and his killers find their own peace. Good never dies. May Labe never die.
This vision gradually moved from the level of an idea towards planning, preparation, construction, equipping and the many processes required for an institution of this nature to become a reality.
The journey has involved consultations, documentation, inspections, assessments and compliance with the requirements of the relevant regulatory authorities.
There have been moments of encouragement, and certainly moments that required patience and perseverance. But today, by the grace of God, we have reached an important milestone: the institution has received the necessary approval to begin its academic journey.
This is not merely the opening of another school. It is the beginning of a new chapter in our commitment to education, healthcare, human dignity and service to society.
Education and the Mission of the Church
The Catholic Church has always understood education as part of her mission. She educates because she believes that every human person possesses dignity and potential. She educates because knowledge should be placed at the service of humanity. And she educates because society needs men and women who will use their knowledge not merely to make a living, but to make a difference.
Labe College of Nursing Sciences must therefore become a place where knowledge meets character, science meets compassion, and professional formation meets Christian values.
To the management and staff of this institution, I say: your responsibility is enormous. You are not simply preparing students for examinations. You are pace setters of this project and it is your responsibility to push our desire of making this college a world class institution. You are going to help form people who will hold human lives in their hands. Therefore, teach your students not only what to do, but also how to care.
For our prospective students, we would expect you to follow due process in all your interactions and observe the code of conduct of the College. Your coming to our institution will be to learn and save lives. This means you will have to pursue knowledge with discipline, integrity and humility. Let your training shape not only your minds and hands, but also your character in sacrificial charity.
A Word of Appreciation
Today is also a day to say thank you. No institution of this magnitude is built by one person. We therefore appreciate all those who, in one way or another, have contributed to the realization of Labe College of Nursing Sciences.
We thank all those who worked tirelessly behind the scenes — those involved in planning, administration, finance, construction, procurement, documentation, accreditation, inspection and technical preparations.
We thank the various regulatory and professional bodies; the Nursing and Midwifery council of Nigeria (NMCN) and the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) whose assessments, guidance and requirements have helped to ensure that the institution is prepared to begin on the required standard.
We thank the Benue State government for facilitating and giving assent to the Bill establishing Labe College of Nursing Sciences.
We are immensely grateful to Senator George Akume, Hon. Moses Ternenge, John Ngoigo to mention these few, for the support we received from them which has contributed hugely to the realization of our dream of establishing this College.
We thank benefactors, friends of the Diocese, professionals, consultants, contractors, artisans and workers who contributed their expertise and resources to this project.
We thank the priests, religious men and women and the lay faithful who supported this project in different ways.
- Some contributed money.
- Some contributed materials.
- Some contributed their expertise.
- Some offered prayers, and
- Some encouraged the project when it was still only a vision.
Whatever your contribution has been, God sees it, and the Diocese is grateful. As we begin this new journey, we place Labe College of Nursing Sciences under the maternal care of Mary, Queen and Patroness of Nigeria. Asking that, she may teach this institution humility, teach our lecturers patience, teach our students discipline, teach our nurses compassion, teach our administrators wisdom, and teach all of us that true greatness is found in sacrificial service.
May Labe College become a blessing to Gboko, a blessing to Benue State, a blessing to the Catholic Diocese of Gboko, and a blessing to Nigeria and may it become a place where young men and women are formed intellectually, professionally, morally and spiritually. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen