Universidade Católica in Porto held, on 17 and 18 October, the blessing and diploma award ceremony for its new graduates. The Ilídio Pinho Auditorium was once again filled with students for a moment of recognition and celebration, marking the end of one chapter and the beginning of new personal and professional journeys.
Isabel Capeloa Gil, Rector of UCP, addressed the new graduates with a message of great confidence: “Society counts on you to contribute to a better future. UCP will continue to stand by your side and support you throughout this process.” She also underlined the university’s role as a space for restlessness and inspiration: “Católica is a restless institution. May the spirit of humanist restlessness that defines Católica continue to inspire you.”
Isabel Braga da Cruz, Pro-Rector of UCP, highlighted the symbolic value of the diploma now received: “The diploma you receive today is much more than a simple document: it symbolises a journey of resilience, of overcoming challenges, of developing skills, of discovering talents, and of building friendships that will endure beyond the classroom.” She added: “You carry with you this distinctive mark — the union of academic excellence and the living of values. This may be your greatest diploma. I hope you continue to learn, to question, and to serve.”
Diogo Mota, from the Double Degree in Law and Management, offered a message of gratitude, especially to the lecturers, for their “demand and patience.” He added: “The diploma is a starting point. From Católica, we take with us the best of one another.”
Representing the graduates, Mateus Leite Costa, from the Faculty of Biotechnology, shared that “Today marks the conclusion of one stage — the culmination of several years of effort, but also of memories, friends, colleagues, and teachers. All these people we take with us for life.”
The auxiliary bishop of Porto, D. Joaquim Dionísio, remarked: “May your lives be lived with passion. May the professional career you are about to begin also be filled with that same passion.” D. Vitorino Soares, in turn, shared with the graduates the importance of the “soldier’s condition”: “We need soldiers who are driven, soldiers who dream, soldiers who are adventurous and willing to give their lives. In your future, even if you become generals, never forget the condition of being a soldier.”
During the ceremony, awards and scholarships from the faculties and partner institutions were also presented: the Faculty of Biotechnology Award, the Francisco Carvalho Guerra Award, the D. Júlio Tavares Rebimbas Scholarship, the St. Francis of Assisi Award, and the Portuguese Society for the History of Nursing Award.
The ceremony was a memorable moment of academic celebration and reinforced the commitment of the Catholic University of Portugal to fostering close relationships and valuing the paths of its students.