UCP School of Nursing (Lisbon) hands over 86 new nurses to society

On 4 July, the Church of São Vicente de Fora hosted the Professional Commitment Ceremony for the finalists of the Nursing Degree at the Nursing School (Lisbon) of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa. The solemn celebration was presided over by Bishop Rui Valério, Patriarch of Lisbon and Chancellor of the UCP, and was attended by various academic bodies, health professionals, family members and friends.

During the ceremony, 75 of the 86 finalists performed the traditional Professional Commitment Ceremony, in a deeply symbolic gesture that marks the beginning of their journey as nursing professionals, at the service of life and human dignity. The public pledge, based on Florence Nightingale's oath, was pronounced before God, the Church and the community, expressing these young people's dedication to caring for the most vulnerable with competence, ethics and compassion.

In her speech, Amélia Simões Figueiredo, Director of the School of Nursing (Lisbon), highlighted the students' educational journey, emphasising their ‘sense of duty, public service and university social responsibility’. She also thanked the families for their unconditional support throughout the four-year course, and the lecturers ‘for teaching through action, in a model of learning at the service of people’.

The ceremony included three central moments:

Giving of the Light - a symbol of faith, hope and the humanist tradition of nursing;

Professional Commitment - a solemn moment of consecration to care;

Blessing of the Hands - with moving words from Patriarch D. Rui Valério, who invoked ‘God's love, so that these hands may welcome, protect and serve life’.

Inspired by the words of Pope Francis, Amélia Simões Figueiredo concluded: ‘Allow the presence of the sick to enter your existence as a gift to heal your heart, purifying it of all that is not charity and warming it with the burning and sweet fire of compassion.’

The School of Nursing (Lisbon) thus celebrates a moment of great pride and commitment, giving back to society professionals who are prepared, have integrity and are driven by a deep sense of mission.