In Dinka culture, we understand rain as a blessing. With this understanding, our Prayer Day really was blessed. A few moments before we started our thanksgiving Mass, the heavens opened. The students and numerous guests however did not care and listened attentively to our celebrant, the Vicar General, Father John Malou Beny. He picked up the theme of the day, ‘Overcoming Societal Challenges Through Education,’ and explained our society’s biggest challenges. Forced marriage, early marriage, domestic violence, physical and verbal abuse, and injustice all wound our children and our society with deep scars.

With education, we can overcome these challenges, he said. An educated family doesn’t force their daughters to marry someone they have never seen before. Educated girls know their rights and they know where they can get help. If education is valued in a family, the daughters are allowed to go to school and finish studies before they get married. Educated parents don’t fight in front of their children and abuse of any kind has no place. Educated parents want to send all their children to school and don’t keep the girls at home. Fr. John closed his homily with a famous saying: “If you educate a girl, you educate a whole nation.” He added, “An educated mother will send their children to school, and together, they will build up our country and give it a bright future”.

After Mass, there was a colourful and lively celebration. Loreto Secondary girls and De La Salle Secondary boys performed cultural dances. Representatives of the parents gave speeches and expressed their gratitude to Loreto School for educating their daughters. Ager Juma Ater, a mother of one of our students, said, “Loreto is a home for peace and unity because girls from different tribes and parts of South Sudan live and learn here together.” She continued her speech by encouraging the girls to support one another during this journey of education and to be peace ambassadors for their country.

Hon. Nelson Makoi, the Minister of Education in Lakes States, also stressed his appreciation for the cross-cultural experiences in Loreto. Loreto Rumbek “does not only offer education, Loreto creates unity among the young people.” He admonished the parents not to play with their daughter’s future, saying: “Girls play a crucial role in shaping society. They are changing lives. They are role models for our community. We need to encourage them to build their career and give them the necessary support so that they will be able to grow.” Looking towards the coming national examination, he encouraged all the students and wished them much success.

“Do never forget who you are, a child of God, a woman of South Sudan and a graduate of Loreto – please make South Sudan great!”

Sr. Orla expressed her deep gratitude for this 14th graduation feast for our 78 Senior 4 girls and gave them some advice for their future. Quoting Joe Biden from earlier this week, she said: “Setbacks are unavoidable, but giving up is unforgivable. It’s hard to be beaten, it’s hard to lose, and you will fail. You won’t always succeed and you will be disappointed, but there are people around you who are wise and who support you. So, don’t give up!”
With Mary Ward, she encouraged the girls to be sincere. “As Loreto”, she said, “we don’t care who you become in life, but we do care about the kind of person that you will become. So, be sincere. Be as you appear and appear as you are.” She closed her speech with a plea to the graduates, “Do never forget who you are, a child of God, a woman of South Sudan and a graduate of Loreto – please make South Sudan great!”

This wonderful day ended with lots of joy, gifts, and cheering from the families for their daughters’ success. Now we wish them success again in their national examination in the beginning of December.