“The Lord has sent me to bring Good News to the poor.” (Lk. 4:18)
The Redemptorist Vice-Province of Nigeria had tripartite celebrations of the admission of the Feast of Our Mother of Perpetual Help into the liturgical calendar of the Church in Nigeria, 160 years of the mandate given to the Redemptorists to make Our Mother of Perpetual Help known throughout the world by Pope Pius IX, and the sacred ordination of 8 of her confreres: 4 to the priesthood, and 4 to the diaconate.
To commemorate these three events, His Excellency, Most Rev. Michael Francis Crotty, Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria, was the Chief Celebrant and ordaining prelate, while the Vice Provincial Superior, Fr. Michael Chukwuyem Emerue, CSsR, his Vicar, Fr. Noel Eshikena, CSsR, the Second Consultor, Fr. Godwin Abbah, CSsR, the Chancellor of the Vice Province, Fr. Kingsley Ebodaghe, CSsR and numerous Redemptorists priests and priests from different dioceses and religious Congregations concelebrated. Also present at the Eucharistic celebration were men and women religious, seminarians, benefactors, lay collaborators, members of the families of the ordinands, friends of the Congregation, and numerous faithful who gathered to witness this remarkable moment in the life of the Vice Province.
Those ordained to the Sacred priesthood are: Fr. Franklin Ogu, CSsR, Fr. Christopher Iworie, CSsR, Fr. Charles Ojukwu, CSsR, and Fr. Pedro Nwachukwu, CSsR while the following were ordained deacons: Dn. Fabian Chijioke, CSsR, Dn. Monfort Iregbe, CSsR, Dn. Ataro Augustine, CSsR, and Dn. Stephen Arua, CSsR.
In his homily, the Apostolic Nuncio expressed heartfelt appreciation to the Vice-Provincial Superior and the entire Redemptorist Vice-Province of Nigeria for the invitation to preside over the sacred celebration. Reflecting on the significance of the day, he noted that the Ordination coincided with the Feast of Our Mother of Perpetual Help, a feast of profound importance to the Redemptorist Congregation, and encouraged the newly ordained to cultivate a deep and enduring devotion to Our Mother of Perpetual Help, entrusting their lives and ministry to her maternal care.
The Papal Nuncio reminded the ordinands that Christ Himself had called and consecrated them for His service. He urged them always to remain close to Christ, drawing strength from prayer, the Eucharist, and fidelity to their religious vows. He further reminded them that although they had now been ordained to the Diaconate and Priesthood, they remained Redemptorist religious, called to live faithfully the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience. These vows, he stressed, are not secondary to ordained ministry but are integral to their witness as missionaries of the Gospel. Turning to the faithful, the Apostolic Nuncio appealed to them to continue praying for their priests and deacons. He encouraged them to support their ministers spiritually, morally, and practically so that they might carry out their sacred responsibilities with dedication, joy, and fidelity to the mission entrusted to them by Christ.
At the conclusion of the Eucharistic celebration, expressions of gratitude were extended to Most Rev. Michael Francis Crotty, Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria. In a gesture of appreciation and filial respect, the Redemptorist Lay Collaborators made a presentation to the Apostolic Nuncio, as well as the Vice-Provincial Superior who, on behalf of the Redemptorist Vice-Province of Nigeria, presented the Icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help to the Papal Representative as a token of gratitude for honoring the invitation of the Vice-Province and for sharing in this historic celebration.
Fr. Peter Chijioke Onyeno, CSsR.
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