Priests and Deacons have been urged to bring their talents and gifts to support ongoing work in the Church, by making sacrifice of going to the whole world to proclaim the good news, and bring people closer to Christ for enrichment of the Church. The charge was given by Most Rev. (Dr.) Alfred Adewale Martins, Catholic Archbishop of Lagos at the ordination ceremony of eight priests and three deacons of the Holy Ghost Congregation, Province of Nigeria, South west, held recently at Ss. Mulumba and David Catholic Church, Lawanson, Surulere, Lagos. Archbishop Martins said this is a major event all the time, adding that the whole miracle of the priesthood is always an extra ordinary one with regards to every one single individual.
On priests being posted outside the country, the Archbishop said the Church in Nigeria received missionaries at its beginning, and it still continues to receive missionaries even now, adding that it is the duty of Nigerian missionaries to also make contributions to the universal Church. On state of the nation, he said that there is so much hunger, insecurity among other things that are making people unhappy with government and with government functionaries. He said those that asked for the people’s mandate to become their rulers should remember that what they do today becomes part of their personal and leadership history.
He said: “They should remember that what they do today or fail to do, God is also going to ask them at the end of time. And therefore, they certainly need to do their best to lead people by example. Very Rev. Fr. Augustine Nwodo, CSSp, Provincial Superior, Holy Ghost Congregation, Province of Nigeria South west, thanked the Archbishop and sponsors, as well as the parents for donating their children to the cause of the gospel. He disclosed that the priests are sent out to different places around the world to work, adding that Irish, France and other Spiritans came to Nigeria and established the congregation here.
Disclosing that the youngest priests in many European countries are in their 70s or 80s, the Provincial Superior said the Nigerian congregation supply them with the gospel which they introduced to us. Rev. Fr. Andrew Edogbo, Vicar Provincial and Parish Priest, Ss. Mulumba and David Catholic Church thanked Archbishop Martins for accepting to ordain the candidates, as he congratulated the Holy Ghost Congregation, Province of Nigeria South west and Fr. Nwodo, for approving the ordination to hold in the parish. He thanked the newly ordained Priests and Deacons for accepting to answer God’s call and being present for the occasion, as well as the sponsors and families for allowing and supporting them in answering God’s call. The event witnessed a large turnout of clergy, religious and lay faithful from various Dioceses across the country.
