Opening Mass of the New Academic Year 2025–2026

On the occasion of the beginning of the new academic year, His Excellency Archbishop Mar Bashar Matti Warda presided over a festive Mass on Saturday, September 6, 2025, at St. Joseph Cathedral in Ankawa, with the participation of the administrative and teaching staff of the Archdiocese’s schools: Mar Qardakh International School, Marymana School, Al-Bishara School, and Our Lady of Perpetual Help High School.

In his homily, His Excellency reflected on the words of Jesus: “You are the salt of the earth… You are the light of the world”, which he chose as the motto for this academic year. He explained that in the time of Christ, salt was not merely a flavor but a symbol of life, covenant, and fidelity. Likewise, the role of teachers is to preserve generations from corruption, not only through books and knowledge but also through good example and faithful conduct. He emphasized that true education draws its meaning from love, patience, and encouragement, just as salt gives taste to every meal.

He further stressed the call for teachers to be the light of the world—witnesses who dispel the darkness of ignorance and despair, and who illuminate their students’ path toward truth and hope. He concluded by affirming that the teacher’s mission is not simply a profession but a covenant of trust with God, the students, and society, so that children may grow up with values that preserve them and grant them hope.

At the end of the Mass, all joined in reciting the Teacher’s Prayer, and commemorative photos were taken in an atmosphere of joy and renewal at the start of the new school year.