On the 31st of December, the last day of the year, Pope Francis presided over the solemn vespers with the Te Deum in St. Peter's Basilica. The Te Deum is a traditional prayer of the Church laden with special thanksgiving to God. It is normally recited or sung during the end of the year. The Pope in his profound homily during the liturgical ceremony called on all to recognize that all we have, come as a gift from God. Likewise, he called for the good care of the old people in the society, while at the same time calling for utmost care on the part of the parents, teachers and all that have to do with the formation of children.
That having been said, it’s the dream of us seminarians to have a moment with the Pope before going back to our various countries. The nearness increases our love for the church and aids the commendation of our nations, dioceses, families, friends and well-wishers to the hands of God through the prayers of the Holy Father.
As such, some of our seminarians had the opportunity of having some personal moments with the Holy Father. They served the Holy Father on the concluding liturgical ceremony of the year 2017. Thus, in a general sense, they ended the year in a special year with the Pope as some of them march into their last year of studies in Rome to be followed by a return to their various countries of origin to continue their humble service to the church and humanity. We thank God for his grace and blessings and pray that his grace will be sufficient for us in this new year, Amen.