21 Students Graduate Polokwane Diocese Bible Study

Polokwane Bible Graduation Ceremony

The Catholic Diocese of Polokwane held its annual Bible study graduation ceremony on November 9 at Mater Dei Pastoral Centre.

The Bible Study course was initiated by Fr Sunny John SVD, director of Mater Dei Pastoral Centre in 2008, with the first graduation ceremony held in 2010 and every year since except during the Covid-19 pandemic. This year marks the 14th graduation ceremony of the Bible Study course.

The ten-month study programme starts in January each year and ends in October, with an average of 35 to 40 students every year. Thus far, the Centre has conferred certificates to over 600 graduates with the latest course having 21 Graduates. The students also came from the dioceses of Pretoria and Johannesburg.

At the end of each course Bishop Jeremiah Masela of Polokwane awards completion certificates to the graduates preceded by Holy Mass.

Fr John Baptist Keraryo Opargiw (Provincial Superior of Comboni Missionaries: South Africa Province) was the keynote speaker of this year’s graduation ceremony. He spoke eloquently about the Word of God and the significance of reading the Bible.  He referred to the centrality of the word of God as being in the service of God by asking the following questions: Who, When, Why and How the word of God is proclaimed in the context characterised by today’s complex and fast-changing world.

Fr Opargiw encouraged graduates to live the word of God by reflecting on the words of St Paul to Timothy that he must “accept, proclaim, celebrate and meditate about the word of God”. He emphasised that graduates should do the same – they should live the word, read the bible, share, pray and show love to their fellow brothers and sisters.

The next Bible study registrations will resume on 24th November until 26th January 2025.