Nursing students at Católica, in Lisbon, receive the blessing of their uniforms

The 1st year students of the Nursing Degree at the Universidade Católica Portuguesa received the blessing of their uniforms by Fr Miguel Vasconcelos on 28 April.

This symbolic moment represents an initiation rite for the students, performed in front of their families, the academic community and the Church on the first day they put on their uniforms.

Amélia Simões Figueiredo, Director of the School of Nursing (Lisbon), recalled the importance of this stage in the students' lives: 'I would like you to remember this day, which takes you back to an identity that has been built up, as students of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa, as nursing students and future nurses."

Inspiringly, the professor addressed the students, expressing her deep desire for the uniform to represent more than a symbol: ’I strongly hope that the uniform you wear will be an instrument for bringing you closer to the people who will be entrusted to you!"