At the beginning of every Formation/Academic Session, the Seminary community invokes the Holy Spirit to guide and direct the course of the new session. Following this tradition, the 2021/2022 Academic/Formation Session was inaugurated on the 4^th of October, 2021, in a twofold celebration: the Inaugural Mass and the Inaugural Talk.

The Votive Mass of the Holy Spirit (Inaugural Mass) was celebrated in the Seminary Chapel and was presided over by the Archbishop of Ibadan Archdiocese, Most Rev. Gabriel ’Leke Abegunrin, who is also the Chairman of the Seminary Commission. Also in attendance were formators and priests from sister-houses of formation, who concelebrated with the Archbishop, as well as Rev. Sisters, external lecturers and the non-academic staff of the Seminary. In his homily, the Archbishop welcomed everyone back to the Seminary and enjoined all to do their best to make the session a successful one. Immediately after the homily, the formators renewed their oaths of sincere commitment to Christ, the Church and to formation. At the end of the Mass, the 2021/2022 academic/formation session was officially declared open by the Archbishop.

The second part of the celebration was the inaugural talk, which was delivered by Rev. Fr. Michael Emerue CSsR and moderated by Rev. Fr. Anselm Jimoh. The rector, in his opening remarks, welcomed all present and highlighted how both the Students’ theme of focus for the session: Transformation, Docility and Responsibility in Priestly Formation (RFIS: 28 & 43) and that of the Formators: Interior Maturity, Sincerity and Transparency in Priestly Formation (RFIS: 41 & 45) will combine to aid Integral Formation this session. He emphasised that the motivation for both choices of themes is not for multiplication of priests, but transformation of the world by good priests, who are docile to and transformed by the Holy Spirit. He concluded by stating how both themes align with the topic for the Talk. In the lecture titled: REASON AND EMOTION: TOWARDS A HOLISTIC RESPONSE TO THOUGHT AND FEELINGS IN FORMATION, the speaker, having clarified both concepts of reason and emotion, highlighted how both concepts are germane for integral formation, since a person is a composite being. He maintained that, while in essence, none is subjugated to the other, both should be understood and employed appropriately. At the end of the lecture, one could tell that the speaker did a great job, following the questions and contributions from the students and formators. However, during the course of the event, there were the introductions of two new formators: Rev. Fr. Stephen Otite and Sister Natalia Ajayi IHM. In the same vein, Rev. Fr. Victor Olaseni, who just returned from studies was equally welcomed. The rector, Fr. Anthony Ovayero Ewherido, in his closing remarks thanked Fr. Michael Emerue CSsR for a well delivered talk and re-echoed the need for us to allow both Reason and Emotion foster a holistic response to thought and feelings in formation.