Penultimate week, a champi-
on family emerged the Arch-
diocesan champions of the
Archbishop Adewale Martins
Catholic Faith Family Competition.
The event, is an annual catechism
competition amongst parishes in La-
gos Archdiocese, with the blessing of
the Archbishop and being organized
and sponsored wholly by Knights of St.
John International and Ladies Auxilia-
ry, Lagos Grand Commandery.
The programme which in the past
four years was designed to improve the
knowledge of the Bible, Catholic teach-
ings and catechesis in the Lagos Arch-
diocese, the season four edition was re-
cently concluded with the family of Mr.
and Mrs. Godwin Ogbe of Ss Peter &
Paul Catholic Church, Baruwa, in Ipaja
Deanery of Ikeja Region emerging the
overall champions.
The grand finale of the competition
which held on September 22, at the
Holy Cross Catholic Cathedral, La-
gos Island, coincided with the Priestly
Ordination Anniversary of His Grace,
Most Rev. (Dr.) Alfred Adewale Mar-
tins, the Catholic Archbishop of the
Metropolitan See of Lagos. It was the
culmination of an event which com-
menced last year, with teaching and
learning of the Scripture, catholic cat-
echism, church traditions and Catholic
prayers.
It will be recalled that at the various
stages of the competition which began
with the Parish level competition last
year, where 132 families emerged as
Parish Champions from the over 1,200
families that contested at the various
parishes that took part in the context.
The winners progressed on, to contest
at the Deanery level, where Deanery
winners also emerged. The 15 Deanery
Champions advanced to the region-
al competition held on July 28, from
where one finalist each emerged from
the Four Regions- Lagos Island, Ikeja,
Badagry and Lagos – in the Archdio-
cese to compete at the grand finale.
The following families represented
their regions including the champion
family which represented Mainland
Region; Mr and Mrs Onyeka Pius
Obetta family of St Margaret Catho-
lic Church, Olodi Apapa, Mainland
Region, Mr and Mrs Davies Igbaraese
family of Catholic Church of Epiphany,
Ologolo, Lekki Region as well as Offor-
kansi family from Badagry Region.
The Grand Finale activities were kick-
started with the Holy Mass which was
celebrated by His Grace. In his homi-
ly, the Archbishop thanked KSJI for
their efforts in sustain the competition
which they are organizing on behalf
of the Archdiocese. He said, “the quiz
competition is an Archdiocesan pro-
gramme to assist families and it serves
a purpose of fostering evangelization,
particularly secondary evangelization”.
He also thanked KSJI for taking the
competition beyond Lagos Archdio-
cese as other Dioceses have made en-
quiries and are requesting for the same
programme.
The Archbishop also urged all to
continue to take the programme and
indeed our faith seriously. He also
congratulated champion families from
various parishes and wished the four
families representing the four regions
success and more of God’s blessings.
In his speech during the competi-
tion, the Grand President, Lagos Grand
Commandery of Knights of St. John
International, Noble Bro Peter Remi
Eluyefa thanked the Archbishop for the
opportunity given to KSJI to carryout
the evangelization assignment for the
Archdiocese, on behalf of the Arch-
bishop and pledged continuity of the
programme.
It will also be recalled that this com-
petition is being supervised under the
office of Religious Education Depart-
ment of the Archdiocese, headed by
Rev Sister Judith Madueke.