Hundreds of new master’s graduates from Universidade Católica Portuguesa in Porto received their diplomas during the Master’s Degree Blessing and Diploma Ceremony for the academic year 2024/2025. The event, held on 20 and 21 November, brought together the new graduates at Ilídio Pinho Auditorium, surrounded by family and friends, alongside directors and faculty members from all schools.
“Católica is a restless institution that prepares you for the unexpected, yet with the security of knowledge. To be restless is precisely what a university should be. I speak of a good restlessness, rooted in the insatiable search for the true meaning of things - and I hope it accompanies our new masters and inspires you to be protagonists of the future, contributing to a cohesive, just, democratic society, respectful of differences, and capable of creating solutions that improve life on the planet,” said Isabel Capeloa Gil, Rector of Universidade Católica Portuguesa.
“Each of you now carries both a responsibility and a privilege: to use the knowledge you have received to generate positive impact,” stated Isabel Braga da Cruz, Pro-Rector of Católica. “Do not wait for ideal conditions to make a difference - be the beginning of change! The world does not only need technically competent professionals, but citizens committed to the common good, driven by values and guided by integrity and kindness,” she added.
“Católica supported us in this search for more,” said Mariana Craveiro, from the Faculty of Education and Psychology, representing the new graduates. “Here, I found many, really many, opportunities to challenge myself. It was these encounters outside the classroom and the support we sought from some professors that allowed us to become more and better,” she noted.
Rúben Correia da Cunha, from the Faculty of Theology, also representing the graduates, said: “Today is a day of celebration and hope. We celebrate the achievement of those who complete a stage of their journey and look with hope towards the future.”
D. Joaquim Dionísio, Auxiliary Bishop of Porto, encouraged the new graduates to embody “simplicity and prudence”. “Being prudent does not mean being suspicious. Prudence means having the care to discern. Being simple is not the same as being simplistic. Knowing who we are helps make our lives simpler. If prudence grounds us, simplicity keeps our eyes from drifting away from the heavens,” he said.
D. Roberto Mariz, Auxiliary Bishop of Porto, also addressed the graduates, sharing the importance of “hope” and “trust”: “A pilgrim does not stand still; a pilgrim walks. Having arrived here, you have travelled a path. Look at the journey you have made, look at the hopes you had when you began this training. Look at this path through the lens of hope and trust.”
During the ceremony, awards and scholarships from the faculties and partner institutions were also presented, including: the Professor João Baptista Machado Prize, the Faculty of Health Sciences and Nursing – Porto Prize, the Cerejeira Namora, Marinho Falcão Prize in Tax Law, the Garrigues Prize, the Queen Saint Isabel Prize, the Amélia de Mello Foundation Prize, and the Commander Arménio Miranda Prize.
Congratulations to all the new master’s graduates of Católica!
