Apostolic Nuncio Challenges Seminarians in Namibia not to “settle for mediocrity”, to Embrace Active Formation

Johannesburg, 27 January, 2026 / 7:48 PM

The Apostolic Nuncio in Namibia has challenged Seminarians in the southern African country to reject mediocrity and passive learning in their formation journey, and to embrace active engagement, intellectual hunger, and bold commitment.

In his homily during the Eucharistic celebration on the occasion of the Inauguration of the 2026 Academic Year at St. Charles Lwanga Major Seminary in Windhoek, Archbishop Henryk Mieczysław Jagodziński emphasized the need to embrace formation with courage and let it begin in the heart.

“Do not settle for mediocrity. Do not coast through your seminary years as passive recipients. Be active. Be hungry. Be bold,” the Vatican diplomat said at the Monday, January 26 celebration, and added, “The path to the Priesthood is not easy. But I say to you today, as your brother and as the Pope said in Rome last year, 'Do not be afraid!'”

Archbishop Jagodziński reminded the 34 seminarians, drawn from four nationalities, that “the Church is longing for shepherds with the heart of Christ—gentle, firm, rooted in truth, and burning with compassion,” noting that formation must begin in the heart for one to become a Priest with these qualities.

“The seminary must be a training ground of the heart. You are not only here to study theology or master doctrine. You are here to be transformed from within—to allow your heart to be formed into the likeness of Jesus, the Good Shepherd,” he said, alluding to Pope Leo XIV’s June 2025 Meditation for the Jubilee of Seminarians.

Archbishop Jagodziński who also represents the Holy Father in South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho and eSwatini explained that effective leadership, preaching, and healing flow from a personal relationship with Christ.

He said, “You cannot preach the Gospel unless it has pierced your soul. You cannot heal the wounds of the world unless you have first allowed Christ to heal yours. And yes, this will require courage.”

“I challenge you today: cultivate your heart. Not just your mind, not just your voice, but your heart,” the 57-year-old representative of the Holy Father in Namibia told the Seminarians and went on to highlight the importance of discernment and prayer in the Priestly vocation.

He said, “In an age of distraction and division, the Priest must be a man of unity and attention. A man who knows how to hold together the pieces of his life, as Our Lady did—pondering all things in her heart.”

In his January 26 homily, Archbishop Jagodziński cautioned Seminarians against the temptation to perceive their vocation as “an escape from the world,” emphasizing vocation should always be embraced as “a mission for the world.”

He said, “This is not only a call to preach or to celebrate Mass. It is a call to make your entire life a gift of love. Your thoughts, your studies, your friendships, your joys, and your tears—all offered to Christ for the good of His people.”

The Vatican diplomat invited the Seminarians to entrust the academic year to the Virgin Mary, Mother of Priests, that she may accompany them on their formation journey and teach them “how to say ‘yes’ with courage and how to carry Christ into the world.”

“The Church is forming you not only for what exists now, but for what is to come. This is why you must grow in courage, in maturity, and in vision. This is why you must be Prophets as well as Pastors,” he said at the celebration that was held at the formation institution of Namibia Catholic Bishops’ Conference (NCBC).