15 / 10 / 2011

The President of Divine Word University, Fr Jan Czuba was very honoured to once again welcome parents and invited guests to the annual Missioning Ceremony of final year degree students on Friday 14 October, 2011.

Fr Czuba said DWU students were now moving out from with the “banis” (care of the University) to face the world. He said they were well-equipped with the skills and knowledge from DWU that is based on strong Christian values and should keep them in good stead. The president was addressing the third annual ceremony.

Below is the rest of his speech:
“When you have a sense of your own identity and a vision of where you want to go in your life, you then have the basis for reaching out to the world and going after your dreams for a better life”.

- Stedman Graham -

Today, it is my privilege, on behalf of the Divine Word University's Community, to welcome to our campus our special guests: 

His Excellency, the Apostolic Nuncio Most Reverend Archbishop Francisco Padilia

His Excellency the Ambassador of the United States of America to Papua New Guinea, Mr Teddy B Taylor and His Grace, Grand Chief Archbishop Steven Reichert

Parents, Members of the University Council, distinguished guests, fellow staff members, students, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for accepting the invitation for this important occasion. I would like to sincerely welcome you all to the 3rd  Missioning celebration. Today, on behalf of the University Council and our Academic Community, with confidence I declare that those young people have passed the line between childhood to adulthood and they are ready to take responsibility for their own lives and lives of others. They were in the ‘banis’ for 4 years, they are wise, have academic qualification and sound philosophy of life. They are ready to take the responsibility for our future.

Our study programs are intended to develop within our students a clear sense of identity as citizens of Papua New Guinea. They are encouraged to recognize their personal beliefs, and national ethos, as part of their unique cultural reality. Our intention is that they should develop a deep understanding of the roots of this reality, in the political, socio-economic, judicial, and religious traditions of the many communities that make up Papua New Guinea Society.

We believe that what makes Divine Word University special, even unique, is that our search for academic and professional excellence is accompanied by a strong emphasis on Christian teaching. Consequently, all our graduates leave here with a commitment to a high standard of professional ethics, which we hope they will live by throughout their working lives.

Dear students, here at DWU you learned the Art of Life. You know that love gives meaning to our lives – as do friendship, or art or faith in God. These are factors of true happiness, of inner peace, of feelings of harmony, allowing meaning to our existence.

But there is the other side of Life. There is the challengein life, the pain, the evil, not to talk of death. They are the hidden tigers, ambushed and ready to attack the unwise. 

Life is between these powers - the positive, the one that gives happiness and meaning, and the negative - that our lives are lived. And when we deliberate about all that, we can arrive at a diverse and conflicting set of thoughts about the meaning and purpose of life. However, you the student at DWU developed through these years a sense of your own identity and a vision of where you want to go in your life. You have developed a sound philosophy of life based on Christian principles thus you have the basis for reaching out to the world and going after your dreams for a better life asClement Stone said:”When you discover your mission, you will feel its demand. It will fill you with enthusiasm and a burning desire to get to work on it”.
What is the Art of Life? What do we mean when we say these words? I think the answer to this question has wide-reaching implications and is very complex. Today, we live in a world where we can always achieve new and greater things. There is no end to the possibilities we have ahead of us.Although, Life is not just the things you accomplish. It is not having a lot of goods, or having accomplished a lot. It very much depends on how you gained those goods, and how you achieved it. It is not the money in your wallet, but how you got the money. Did you earn it? Did you steal it?

At DWU you learned a view of life, where values are important, but for a different reason. They are not there to simply make life easy. They are there to improve your ability to live the life of quality and to ensure that your vision in life is going the right direction.

Some day in the future you may be doing business and be very glad to find someone who understands what you are thinking simply because you shared a common education, a common ethos. I hope you will always be proud to say "I attended "Divine Word University".

All of us have different ideas and sound philosophy of life. Always try to live up to the moral standards and try to develop your ideas. Life is very often exactly what you make it. I hope for all of you that it will be as exciting and as action packed as your University years have been. I hope too that one day you will be delighted to be described as a person of vision and values and please remember: God has entrusted you with yourself.

The education you received at DWU focused on values, skills and disciplines. If your future success is to be a moral force, that gives you meaning and status in a world defined by inconsistency and tension, it must be driven by values. DWU believes that the education based on Christian values is the keeper of morality, values - leading to your success. You have gained here an understanding of the nature of human existence, thus use it to develop people in organizations where you will work at the same time reducing the potential for abuse of power, and understand the role that ethically governed organizations play in society. Driven by a sense of morality and an obligation to a greater good, ethically oriented lives recognize that, while human beings are by nature imperfect, their organizations must strive to create a hopeful and peaceful society. This is your mission, this is your task and we believe you are ready to do it.

Let me conclude my welcome address with words from Erma Bombeck which I want to share with youstudents:”When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, "I used everything you gave me."  Thus, enjoy the little things in life, use all of your talents, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things in your life and this is the Art of Life.

Thank you & God bless you all.