In the Apology of Socrates, the Greek philosopher Socrates, when he saw himself one step away from his death, left a message full of wisdom for humanity: "A life without examination is not worth living”.

By this maxim, he reminds us the value of re-reading the past and examining one’s life. Christianity, born a few centuries later, made of examination of conscience a spiritual heritage which is transmitted from generation to generation. Saint Ignatius of Loyola will make this examination an essential element in his Spiritual Exercises.

Carried and nourished by the Ignatian Spirituality and Tradition, Hekima University College is an institution that knows how to move forward by carrying out carefully planned projects, but it is also a college that knows how to take moments of pause in order to re-read its journey. This is how on Friday April 28, 2023, she celebrated her closing mass and took the opportunity to re-read her second semester which ended with this celebration.

During a lively Eucharistic celebration, the whole community of Hekima gathered in the Chapel of the Jesuit community of Hekima from 12:10 p.m. to give thanks to the Lord for his many graces. This Eucharist celebrated by the Principal of the University, Father Marcel Uwineza, SJ was concelebrated by several priests, lecturers of the university as well as some of our community superiors invited especially for the ceremony. However, we can wonder: what are the graces of the Lord for which Hekima gave thanks to God? First of all, we gave thanks to God for the “14-week marathon” (second semester) which ended with this Eucharist as well as the whole academic year which ended by the same Eucharist celebration.

Although some of us have lost some relatives or loved ones, which saddened the university community, we can note that the semester went very well, overall. We cannot forget some key moments of this semester such as the diaconate ordinations of our third-year students in theology; the students and faculty members’ excursion to Naivasha, the visit of the Archbishop of Nairobi, his Grace Philip Anyolo to Hekima. We should also note the spectacular work of the communication department, which works to facilitate communication among us and to promote the visibility of our institution on social media (YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, etc.).

At the academic level, in addition to the courses, the seminars and the electives given with great success, our professors at Hekima have held high the torch of the university by publishing scientific works such as Risen from The Ashes: Theology as Autobiography in Post-Genocide Rwanda, by Marcel Uwineza, SJ, Competing Catholicisms: The Jesuit, the Vatican and the making of Postcolonial French Africa by Jean-Luc Enyegue, SJ, Reinventing Theology in Post-Genocide Rwanda: Challenges and Hopes, by Marcel Uwineza, SJ, Elisée Rutagambwa, SJ and Michel Segatagara Kamanzi, SJ. Moreover, many articles have been published by both students and teachers of Hekima in national and international journals.

An event that has particularly marked this semester is the holding of the international conference to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the pontificate of Pope Francis on March 18, 2023.

Some professors have also taken part in international conferences such as “Healing a Wounded Church” organized by Antonianum University in Rome; “Healing a Wounded Society: Challenges, Reconciliation, and Hope in Rwanda” organized by the Catholic University of America and Hekima University College” a conference on synodality held in India in which Professors Egan, Tumunseni, Macharia and Knox took part; a workshop on “Climate change, Water and Security in Eastern Africa” in collaboration with Water, Peace and Security (WPS), etc.

To all these conferences, we should add the admirable administrative work accomplished by the leadership of Hekima. We can highlight, for example, the meeting between the Principal, the Deputy Principal and the Registrar with the CEO of the Commission for University Education to discuss accreditation of BTH and MTH programmes. We should also note the many meetings that were held with the students (of theology and of Peace Studies and International Relations), with the various collaborators of the university, for the smooth running of the university. A major project that is underway is the solarisation of Hekima which will take place in the coming weeks.

Hekima is a university college that trains her students intellectually and humanely, by promoting a culture of excellence in all areas. This is why the end-of-year mass was an opportunity to celebrate excellence by rewarding collaborators who excelled in their offices and showed their sense of a well-done job.

Special awards were given to students who excelled in their academic publications, in their preaching (homilies) and in their commitment to the activities of the college.

A special thank you was said to employees who have received other missions and have to leave Hekima University. They are Fathers Peter Knox, Anicet N’teba, Valentin Ossaï and Pierre-Célestin Musoni, Sister Petronila Imo (Franciscan) and Dr. Arlene Acosta. For the good and loyal services rendered to Hekima University College, the Principal offered them gifts as a sign of recognition of their good commitment to the mission of Hekima. Several professors already appointed to Hekima will increase the number of teaching staff and researchers in our university, from the next academic year (August 2023).

The Eucharistic celebration ended with a fraternal feast shared by the entire university community in an atmosphere of joy and thanksgiving to the Lord who has fulfilled us with his innumerable graces. May by the humble work of our hands and by the infinite goodness of the Lord, Hekima be a pole of academic excellence in Kenya, in Africa and in the world.

To read the Homily click {HERE}