Rev. Fr. Bernard Appiah Adjei, SVD, Cathedral Administrator of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Cathedral Donkorkrom in the Kwahu Afram Plains North District in Ghana’s Eastern Region has charged the pupils of Holy Rosary School, Asikasu – Donkorkrom to be inquisitive for the purpose of knowledge acquisition.
He made this passionate appeal during a solemn Holy Mass organized by the School Management for the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) Candidates, in the School’s Assembly Hall on July 3rd, 2024.
Drawing inspiration from the Feast of the day, which happened to be St. Thomas, the Apostle, he encouraged the Candidates in a homily, to form the habit of asking questions, in order to learn and know more just like Thomas who was fond of asking questions in his quest to know and understand. He said:
“A good student is the one who asks questions,” “if you don’t ask questions, you will not know,” he added.
The Preacher went on to quote John 14:5 where Thomas posed a question to Jesus after he had told them that they know the way to the place where he was going: “Lord, we do not know where you are going, so how can we know the way”? to whom Jesus gave a very reassuring and satisfactory response, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one can come to the Father except through me”.
Alluding to the response of Jesus to Thomas in the Scriptures, the priest underlined the fact that the pupils are supposed to look up to their teachers as the Way, that would teach them and lead them to succeed in their exams if only they can listen to and obey them; the Truth, because they have learnt, experienced and they know it, reason why they are able to hand down the knowledge to the learners, who are in turn expected to study and pass their exams, and when they do pass, he added, there is Life, as everyone will become happy and celebrate their success.
Fr. Bernard however charged the candidates not to be like the Biblical Thomas who failed because he doubted what the other Apostles had told him concerning Christ’s Resurrection, but to believe, and the total submission of Thomas when he finally recognized the Risen Jesus through his wounds, acclaiming: “My Lord and my God”, should serve as an encouragement to the learners, that even when they make mistakes, they should be able to learn from them and do better, just like Thomas finally realized his failing and proclaimed Jesus as Lord.
The Priest further enjoined the rest of the school community to each recite one ‘Hail Mary’ on each of the days that the candidates will be writing their exams so that they would pass, and being the First Batch of the school, bring life to all. And to the parents that were present for the Mass, he urged them to continue to be the pillars in the lives of the children, giving them the necessary support.
The Candidates were charged to obey exam rules as much as possible, including: punctuality into the exam hall, carrying no foreign materials into the exams, no ‘giraffing’, among others. Failure to abide by these rules, the Priest said, would hamper on their success.
Sr. Stella Nwosu, MSHR, the Headmistress Holy Rosary School appreciated the parents who showed up for the Mass and entreated the Candidates to do their best in the exams to make their parents and the Institution proud.
Rev. Fr. Bernard, who also happens to be an educationist, specialized in English Language and History gave the Candidates some tutorials after the Mass as they prepare to embark on the Exams coming up in a few days.
