Message
Greetings , congratulations and a special blessing to the Principal , staff and students of St . Joseph ' s Institution on the occasion of your celebrating the 125th anniversary of the School ' s existence in Singapore .
First of all let us remember with gratitude and esteem all the Brothers , Teachers and pupils of the past who have shaped the character of the school and built up its fame and good name through a combined effort . Nor are we to forget all our benefactors and well-wishing friends who have contributed to the growth and development of the school . To all of them I say : " Thank you and God bless and reward you for your donations and services . "
In this my message I would like to share a few thoughts regarding the privilege and responsibility of being a teacher . For the school is the teacher . No matter how grand the building and elaborate the equipment no school will ever be any better than its teachers .
May our teachers be deeply conscious of the power they exert in the lives of their students . They are given the challenging opportunity in their classrooms through the informative and formative process of education to shape the character and destiny of a man , a Singaporean , a citizen of the world .
" A nation ' s strength is not to be found in its treasury statements . It lies instead in the character of its people , in their willingness to sacrifice leisure , comfort and a share of their talents for the welfare of the nation ." ( General Bradley ) How many such people has St . Joseph ' s Institution produced over the years ? The students of today are the future citizens , architects and builders of Singapore as a nation . Daily ideas , mentalities and attitudes are being inculcated in our schools by our teachers through word and example . The kind of Singaporean society we shall have tomorrow depends in great measure on the kind of information and formation our teachers are imparting in our schools today .
The most important thing for a nation is to produce men and women , good and true . Irrigators canalise the water , carpenters carve the wood , teachers fashion men and women , citizens of a nation ." ( J . Nehru )
May this vision of their profession spur our teachers on to give off their best in the field of education so that St . Joseph ' s Institution will continue to produce men and women who will be a credit to their school , to their nation and to their religion .
With appreciation for the past and present and with hope for a brighter future ,
Yours in the service of the Lord , r ~~ j1 '
+ Gregory Yong Archbishop of Singapore .