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The Metropolitan Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Ibadan, His Grace, Most Reverend Gabriel ‘Leke Abegunrin, has conferred the Sacrament of Confirmation on 65 worthy men and women at a ceremony at St. Charles Lwanga Catholic Parish, New Adeoyo, Ring Road, Ibadan, Oyo State.
Archbishop Abegunrin, on the occasion of a pastoral visit to the Parish, also blessed and officially inaugurated the newly-constructed Parish Rectory in the church compound, last Sunday.
Speaking on the occasion, Archbishop Abegunrin congratulated St. Charles Lwanga Parish for the 65 newly-confirmed parishioners and also congratulated the newly-confirmed and described them as adults in the fifth.
He also charged the confirmed to therefore use their new position as adults in the church to further the cause of Christ and His Church as they go about their daily life.
He said as Catholics, they must live above board and be conversant with what the Catholic Church teaches about good neighbourliness and about being good citizens of the country.
Addressing the congregation, Abegunrin noted that they must also know their faith and ensure that they use their talent and professionalism to make the Church, the society and the country a better place for all and sundry.
He noted that the two most notorious problems bedeviling the country today were tribalism and religion, saying these were denying the country and the general society the best of ideas, knowledge and quality contributions to development.
He called on Nigerians to do away with tribalism and putting religion in the forefront in their dealings, saying the country had been suffering from these twin-factors for too long.
Archbishop Abegunrin said: “What do you think are the two biggest problems of Nigeria? Tribalism and religion are the two problems of Nigeria. The question of tribe and religion are gradually killing this country. Tribe – he is from my village, he is from my town, he is from my state; and religion – he is a member of my church, he is from my parish, are denying the country and the society quality personnel, contributions and good ideas thereby denying us quality development.
“Unfortunately, this has entered the church and is affecting the church in many negative ways. Rather than bring in the issue of tribe and religion to our daily dealings as Christians, it is better if we use our talents and professions to work for God and the society.”
He acknowledged the sacrificial contributions of the Society of African Missions (SMA) priests to the development of the Church in Ibadan Archdiocese, and especially mentioned Reverend Father Fintan Daly and Reverend Father John O’Hea for their work in Ibadan Archdiocese and the establishment of St. Charles Lwanga Catholic Church.
In his homily at the day’s Mass, the Principal of Sacred Heart College, Akinyemi, Reverend Father Michael Domingo, who is also the pastoral supply to St. Charles Lwanga Parish, charged the confirmed men and women on missions, saying their confirmation was a call to missionary work as men and women of faith.
Father Domingo said their new status was a call to further evangelisation in their various spheres and advised them to note that a call to missionary life was also a call to sacrifice.
The Parish Priest of St. Charles Lwanga, Reverend Father Augustine Nwajagu, while formally welcoming Archbishop Abegunrin, expressed delight at the first official visit to the parish which he said had been long in coming.
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Father Nwajagu said the visit was a roll up of many firsts in one as “it is the first time Archbishop Abegunrin would be formally visiting the Parish, it is also the first time the Parish would be having the Sacrament of Confirmation conferred on worthy parishioners and the first time Archbishop Abegunrin will be inaugurating a project in the parish.”
Nwajagu also thanked the parishioners for their generosity as well as their five-year sacrifice and toil to see that the parish rectory was completed, saying “your generosity and sacrifice have made this day a reality.”
In an address, the chairman of Charles Lwanga Parish Pastoral Council, Mr. Alex Onwuemene, welcomed the Archbishop on behalf of the parishioners and thanked him for finding time not just to visit his children in the parish, but also to administer the Sacrament of Confirmation on those among them who are qualified.
Onwuemene, who told how Charles Lwanga Parish came about as a “child of necessity” following a political crisis precipitated by the June 12, 1993 presidential election, prayed that the Lord will continue to strengthen Archbishop Abegunrin as he shepherds the flock of Christ in Ibadan Archdiocese.
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