From Saturday, 26th May to Monday, 28th May, 2018, Bigard Memorial Seminary, Enugu received and played host to a delegate from the Pontifical Urban University, Rome; a university to which the Seminary is affiliated for over many decades. This courtesy visit from the mother university is an age long tradition of the university, where delegates are occasionally sent to all the institutions affiliated to them for proper review of the holistic activities of the institutions.
Rev. Fr. Prof. Peter Paul Saldanha of the Pontifical Urban University, Rome in arrived in Bigard on Saturday, 26th May 2018. The delegate was sent to supervise both the academic and formation systems of the Seminary to ensure that she acts according to the directives of the Congregation of Catholic Education and Evangelization. His visit to the Seminary was a successful encounter. Fr. Peter Paul Saldanha is an Indian and a professor of Christology in the prestigious Pontifical Urban University Rome, as well as a Member of the congregation pointed above. He is also a world acclaimed writer especially in Catholic theology. On Sunday, 27th May 2018, Mother Bigard warmly welcomed him within the context of the Eucharistic celebration of the Most Holy Trinity presided over by Rev. Fr. Osita Asogwa. His visit also was coloured with a football match in the evening and a social reception at night.
On the 28th, he celebrated a Holy Mass with and for the Seminary. He seized the opportunity after the Mass to visit various academic structures in Bigard, such as the Seminary library, departmental offices, and every classroom in the seminary. He had brief interaction with the students according to their classes, while in the evening; he had a general conference with all the students. It was an opportunity for a more direct encounter with the delegate and a forum for clarifications with regard to the nature of our affiliation with the Pontifical Urban University, Rome. The visit also aided the improvement and development of academics and formation in the seminary. He finally expressed with sympathy the greetings of his colleague who could not come due to ill-health, and warm greetings of the head of the Congregation. Fr. Peter Paul left Bigard on Monday after the Holy Mass, to Pope JohnPaul II Seminary Okpuno Awka.