Catholic Faithful Groan over shutdown of worship centres

Catholic faithful who thronged the different places of worship in the early hours on Sunday, March 22, 2020, to pray and thank God for their lives could not gain access into the Church. This was the shocking reality that played out in all the parishes, outstations and mass centres across Agege deanery and by extension the entire Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos following a circular from the Archbishop, Most Rev. (Dr.) Alfred Adewale Martins to that effect. Earlier, in view of a directive from the state government restricting public gathering in the state to not more than 50 at a time, a circular had initially gone out directing priests on how to stagger mass period and spread out attendance to accommodate a reasonable number. However, afternoon of Saturday March 20, 2020, a message was again received from the state government further restricting public gathering not more than 20 in view of the coronavirus This, we learnt compelled the Archbishop to suspend all public masses for a period of one month. Consequently, all parish priests had no option than to adjust their schedules to the reality and convey the message to their parishioners who were in anticipatory mode for their Sunday mass. Worshippers at St. Cyprian’s Catholic Church, Oko-Oba, Agege, for instance, who arrived the Church as early as 6:30am for the 7 o’clock mass were frustrated on sighting the gates of the Church securely locked only to be told that there would be no mass that Sunday. As the number of worshippers swelled the more they became agitated, only for the parish priest, Very Rev. Fr. Augustine Nnaemeka later to douse tension when he finally addressed the milling crowd that has assembled, asking for their understanding in view of the present realities. Many have applauded the bold initiative taken by the Archbishop to suspend masses as a way of helping to reduce the possible exposure of the faithful to the dreaded disease.