The entire surroundings of Catholic Church of the Nativity, Festac Town reverberated with joy and happiness as the men in the Church celebrated Fathers’ Day with pomp and ceremony. The event which was organized by the Catholic Men Organisation of the parish was held last Sunday, June 19, and was attended by priests and lay faithful, including the youths and children in the Nativity Community. Delivering his homily during Mass, Rev. Fr. Sylvester Oladunjoye enumerated the importance of fathers in the home and the different activities they engage in to ensure they meet the needs of their family. Fr. Oladunjoye said that it is not easy to be a father, adding that most people talk about their mothers and forget their fathers. He said: “Fathers are the unsung heroes of our time that is why God created father first; Adam.
“Today we talk of Melchizedek; he offered bread and wine. Fatherhood is very, very important in our world today. If you have a father, thank God; love your father, cherish him, appreciate him, and support him. Some wives call their husbands father because their husbands take care of them; they (wives) take their burdens to the husbands. He urged children to respect, appreciate and celebrate their fathers, especially on their birthdays like they do their mothers. He said: “Your mothers are important; your fathers are important. The impact of a father on a child is irreplaceable and so is that of a mother. It is only an ignorant child that will love the mother more than the father. It’s not easy to be a father. So, appreciate every father figure in your life.”
He further urged the children not to despise their fathers for scolding or punishing them when they (children) misbehave, as he added that the fathers are the moral persona of the house, as a loving father disciplines his child. “Psychology says a spoilt child is a hated child. Your father doesn’t want to hate you that is why he is scolding you so that you don’t turn out to become a bad person”, he said. The occasion coinciding with the solemnity of Corpus Christi, Fr. Oladunjoye spoke on the significance Holy Eucharist, which he referred to as king of the sacraments and the summit of life, and mission of the Church, adding that, “That is why all of us can come and partake of it when we celebrate Mass every day. Come and eat of this bread, come and drink of this blood so that you can have life in you.” He urged the people not to take their fundamental spirituality lightly as he disclosed that it is a source of inestimable power.
“The power we gain from the Eucharist is not small”, he said. Sir Jude Nneji, Chairman, Catholic Men Organisation, Catholic Church of the Nativity, Festac Town, in his opening address said the Fathers’ Day celebration is to celebrate fatherhood, as he noted that fathers are the pillars of the family. According to him, “the fathers work hard. The fathers are the pastors; they are the shepherds in their various homes. They are the bread winners. They are symbol of God’s creation; virtually everything. They take the whole brunt of the family. And we said it will be good once in a while for us to celebrate these people who have worked so hard to keep their families. And that is why all of us are gathered here today to celebrate fathers. They have been very wonderful, especially in this our Catholic Church of the Nativity. He called on men in the parish who do not belong to the Catholic Men Organisation to join the group. “We need all the men under this umbrella. It is very important for the men to unite”, he said.
