The academic inaugural function united members of the Provincial Council, faculty, students, and guests. Second-year Baccalaureate students opened with a choral presentation. Fr Ivo Coelho, Rector, welcomed the gathering and acknowledged distinguished guests. He congratulated Fr Ashley Miranda and Fr Brian Bandya, Provincials, as well as Fr Robert Pen, Vice-Provincial; Fr Anton D’Souza, Economer; and Fr Vilas Pegado, new Guardian of the Capuchin Ashram. Dr Jacob Palaparambil, Registrar, congratulated Dr Leon Savio Rodrigues, the guest lecturer.

 

One of the programme's highlights was the release of the book “The Romantic Anthropology of Pope Francis.” The book is based on the previous year’s annual seminar. Dr Jacob presented an overview of the previous academic year. His presentation revisited key academic events, seminars, and achievements that shaped Divyadaan's life over the past year. He also introduced the new members to the faculty and expressed gratitude to the outgoing members for their dedicated service to the institute.

 

A significant feature of the occasion was Divyadaan's renewal of its Aggregation with the Salesian Pontifical University in Rome. Fr Ashley, the Institute's Moderator, released the new edition of the Institute Statutes. In his address, Fr Ashley emphasised that studying philosophy humbles us and inspires compassion and love as we allow God’s love to transform us. Fr Brian Bandya, Provincial of the OFM Capuchins, expressed deep appreciation to the teaching faculty of Divyadaan for their service to the Capuchin brothers studying at the institute.

 

Dr Jayaseelan Savariarpitchai, chief librarian, introduced Dr Leon Savio Rodrigues as the inaugural speaker. Dr Rodrigues gave the lecture, “An Understanding of Thomas Aquinas’s Intellectus Essentiae: Arguments from Chapters of De Ente et Essentia in the Discussions of John F. Wippel, Joseph Owens, and Giovanni Ventimiglia.” The lecture emphasised that in God, esse constitutes essence, while finite beings possess both esse and essence. Thus, humans owe their existence to God, the source of all being. Afterwards, participants engaged in an interactive discussion with the speaker.

 

Dr Jacob concluded the programme with a vote of thanks. The inaugural function set the tone for the new academic year and reaffirmed the institute’s commitment to academic and intellectual growth.