
21/09/2025
๐๐๐๐ ใฃ A Call to Serve for a Greater Purpose: Level 3 Nursing Studentsโ Capping, Candle Lighting, and Bestowal of Cloth of Service Ceremony
As the lamp lights the wayโbringing forth intentions of enlightenment, like a compass of hopeโthere comes a point when success is celebrated in the midst of a challenging journey. For the Level 3 student nurses of St. Paul University Dumaguete, their Capping, Candle Lighting, and Bestowal of Cloth of Service Ceremony was one of those defining moments.
Carrying the theme โAnchored in Faith, Forged in Purpose, Called to Serve,โ the event was more than a rite of passage. It was a sacred reminder of why they chose this calling in the first place: a commitment to becoming instruments of healing, love, and service. With the batch name Les Vases de lโamour et de la Guรฉrison de Dieu (โThe Vessels of Godโs Love and Healingโ), the students embraced their role as vessels not only of knowledge, but also of compassion and grace.
The ceremony brimmed with symbolism. The cap and cloth of service, bestowed upon them, signified the dignity of their vocation. The candlelight, in turn, illuminated their promise to carry on Florence Nightingaleโs legacyโa flame that burns not only through the lamp, but also in their hearts, etched with confidence and sincerity.
One of the most stirring moments came from the address of Ms. Zella Maye Gascon-Samson, RN, whose words resonated deeply: โA call to serve for a greater purpose.โ She reminded the student nurses that beyond their uniforms lies a mission of love and healing, it is a calling to be embraced wholeheartedly.
As the ceremony drew to a close, a collective sense of pride, gratitude, and renewed purpose filled the room. The path ahead may not always be easyโsometimes painfully sharpened, yet always touched by grace. But anchored in faith, these vessels of Godโs love and healing are ready to serve, with hearts and hands modeled after Christ.
๐๐ข๐ Abegail Cadayona