- Our core mission has been to inspire Seminarians to imbibe essential communication skills – Serran Obigbor
- Theme is ‘The Church, The Priest – In a Fast-Changing Digital Age’
- Frs. Akinwale and Mayaki, Guest Speakers
One obvious and primary goal of Serra International is to foster and promote vocations to the ministerial priesthood in the Catholic Church. This is also upheld as a foremost objective in Nigeria. Serra International’s efforts are felt in the Archdiocese of Lagos as it consistently supports the Church in raising new Apostles by aiding Seminarians and Novices. Annually, for the past 13 years, Serra Club of Gbaja, Serra International Distict 130- C has thrown its weight behind the yearly Seminar for Seminarians. The Editor, NETA NWOSU chats with the President, SERRAN OBIOMA NNENNA OBIGBOR, on the objectives of the Seminar, how it has fared so far and what attracted Serra Club of Gbaja to sponsoring the Seminar in its 14th- year. Excerpts:
What is the primary objective of this Seminar?
The primary objective of the Annual Seminar for Seminarians aligns closely with the broader objective of Serra International which is to foster and promote vocations into Ministerial Priesthood and Religious life in the Catholic Church. Hence the seminar is targeted at Trainee Priests (Seminarians) in their formative years. It is worthy to note that the seminar in its original concept was actually titled – Communications Seminar. This was to underpin its target at effective communication skill as an indispensable tool for good Homilies by Priests. In all editions of the seminar our core mission has been to inspire and encourage seminarians to imbibe essential communication skills by connecting them with experienced clergymen, lay leaders, and mentors who come to freely interact with them and share experiences and challenges as priests from practical point of view. Over the years, this seminar has truly supported countless Seminarians in honing their skills for effective communication; as well as prepare them for the changing dynamics of ministry, societal issues, and how to effectively engage their immediate community.
How has the Seminar fared so far? How has it impacted on the Seminarians? What is the takeaway for them?
In the 14 years the programme has ran consecutively (2009 -2024); over one thousand Seminarians of the Archdiocese of Lagos drawn from SS. Peter and Paul Ibadan, All Saints Seminary Ekpoma and St. Albert the Great Seminary, Abeokuta, have passed through it with an average of about 120 participants every year. They look forward with excitement to the seminar every year. Those of them who benefited right from their spiritual year to final year often return to us after ordination to appreciate the Club for such impactful experience. Their take away dwells essentially on the benefits of having been exposed ahead of time to the expectations of their would-be parishioners and vice versa. The seminar equips them with delivering good and Spirit filled homilies within expected time.
What attracted Serra Club of Gbaja to sponsoring a Seminar for Seminarians?
Serra Club of Gbaja after its charter in 2009, observed that the Church needed Priests who could engage the congregation effectively while delivering good homilies. However, several new Priests seemed to struggle with this skill. This was around the period Very Rev. Fr. Mike Umoh who managed the Archdiocesan Media Development Centre. In fact, Fr. Umoh was the first resource Priest to engage the Seminarians in the maiden edition. It then became clear that the programme needed to be sustained. To the glory of God, we have been able to sustain it till date in spite of the many obstacles along the way. Since then, tested and experienced priests /lay faithful have been invited yearly to deliver topics of common interest to parishioners and the Church in general.
What is the theme of the forthcoming Seminar? What informed the choice of the theme? Who is the Guest Speaker?
The theme for this 14th edition of the seminar is – “The Church, The Priest – In a Fast-Changing Digital Age.” The choice of this theme was informed by the need to address the rapid technological advancements impacting the Church and its mission. The digital age has significantly impacted our generation and transformed how people communicate, access information, and interact with institutions, including religious institutions. This evolution presents both opportunities and challenges to the Church in its mission. Hence as part of our overarching vision in Serra International, we are convinced that supporting Seminarians to be better prepared to navigate the digital landscape effectively is essential for outreach, engagement, and pastoral care.
Again, Seminarians are the future of our Church, hence the need to ensure that they are prepared to meet the demands of a modern, technologically driven world. We have two Guest Speakers for this edition. They are Very Rev. Fr. (Prof.) Anthony Akinwale, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Augustine University; and Very Rev Fr. Melvis Mayaki, Parish Priest Holy Family Catholic Church, Festac Town. The choice of these two giants speaks for itself, given their respective exploits in the Lord’s vineyard. With Professor Akinwale’s background in educational leadership, particularly his role in Catholic Universities, we consider him well-suited to discuss the intersection between technology, education and social engagement; and their impact on the Church’s mission.
He is better able to offer valuable insights into how the Church (the Priest) can effectively deploy the use of digital tools, particularly the social media, for effective communication. As a group of Catholic men and women passionate about fostering vocations to ministerial priesthood and religious life, we remain focused in pursuing this programme as part of our contribution to the overall growth and development of the Catholic Church and its mission.
