The human race have been tasked to be conscious of their activities and take good care of the earth, their common home, as young Nigerians are urged to see the pressure and challenges around them as stepping stones, and not as deterrents to development. The charge was given by Very Rev. Fr. Anthony Fadairo, Parish Priest, St. Agnes Catholic Church, Maryland, during the 10th anniversary of Laudato Si, and Jubilee of Hope for the Children Conference/Children’s Day celebration, with the theme, “Hope alive-Becoming light in a world of pressure,” organised by the Devotional Committee recently in the parish.
According to Fr. Fadairo, pressure is part of life and aids development. He advised the young ones to use pressure positively in school, and from people they encounter everywhere they go. He said they must have hope in everything, even if things look difficult, adding that the economic situation in the country is putting pressure on the young people too, asking them to open themselves to God in hope for a better future. He urged the government to think about the future of the youth, and do everything to reduce the pressure on the parents, so that they will be able to focus on training the children, paying school fees and meeting other expectations.
On Laudato Si, Fr. Fadairo urged the people to follow late Pope Francis’ advice that everybody must be conscious of the fact that we are all called to care for the earth. According to him, “The fathers of the Church have even been saying it before Laudato Si, that God created everything; animals, inanimate things, for us to take care of, in order for these things to continue to serve us from now till the end of time. “So, we must care for the earth. It is said that the earth is our mother, so we must take care of it, in order for it to take care of us, we must be conscious of this.” Speaking on the occasion, Chairperson of the Devotional Committee, Dr. Anita Okurubido, disclosed that on International Day for Biodiversity, marked annually on May 22, the human race celebrates the beauty and richness of their planet’s ecosystems.
On the 10th anniversary of late Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’, she reflected on the urgent need for harmony with nature through sustainable development, urging the people to recommit to protecting the planet, preserving biodiversity, and promoting integral ecology, to create a more just and sustainable world for all. Mr. Solomon Asoluka, Chairman Planning Committee, noted that in public fora, more attention has been given to the girl child, and the boy-child often lacks emotional support and positive mentorship, which is structured around moral guidance. He said the conference also aims to see how the boy-child struggles with issues of identity, empathy and self-control, which impacts their future. “Discussions all over the world have been about the girl child.
So, the boy-child seems to be abandoned. We aim to unravel the challenges, the effects and solutions”, he said. The boys and girls had separate sessions. The boys were coordinated by the two Asst. Parish Priests, Frs. Francis Arinze and Moses Akaeme, while the girls were coordinated by Rev. Sr. Laureta, The two-day programme featured leadership talk by Parenting Coach, Mrs. Ify Okafor, Inauguration of What Would Jesus Do (WWJD) Club, planting of four trees; one in memory of late Pope Francis and three in honour of Pope Leo XIV, Archbishop Alfred Martins and Very Rev. Fr. Anthony Fadairo; distribution of 100 solar lamps, and film show of the Blessed Carlos Acurtis, among other activities that spiced up the Children’s Day celebration in the parish.
