Kaduna, October 13, 2025 – At the Inaugural Mass of the 2025/2026 formation year of Good Shepherd Major Seminary, Kaduna, Bishop Gerald Mamman Musa delivered a profound charge to seminarians, urging them to embrace the grace and responsibility of self-formation, likening their growth to the enduring baobab tree. Drawing on the symbolism of the baobab and oak trees, renowned for their resilience, longevity, and strength. Bishop Musa said seminarians must grow deeply in prayer, discipline, and wisdom rather than seek quick, superficial growth. “Seminary formation is not about becoming skyscrapers that rise fast but about becoming baobabs that endure storms,” he stressed. The bishop emphasised that seminarians are “protagonists of their own formation,” responsible for cultivating maturity, prayer life, intellectual depth, emotional discipline, and pastoral sensitivity. He reminded them that soutanes and ministries such as the acolyte are not mere symbols of status but signs of service, self-sacrifice, and deeper commitment to Christ. The occasion also featured the investiture with soutanes and the conferment of acolytes, marking important steps in the seminarians’ journey toward the priesthood. Bishop Musa cautioned that “if the heart is not formed, soutanes only cover emptiness,” urging authenticity in formation. As a way forward, he recommended five pillars for growth: daily personal discipline, responsible use of technology, openness to mentorship, cultivating inner strength, and building authentic community life. Concluding, he challenged the seminarians: “Am I waiting for the seminary to form me, or am I actively cooperating with God’s grace to form myself?” He prayed that seminarians may grow into “oaks of righteousness” (Isaiah 61:3), firmly rooted in faith and service, like the baobab tree that gives shade, nourishment, and resilience through generations.