There was great rejoicing among the priests, religious and lay faithful of Yaba Deanery, Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos recently, when they celebrated the 10th anniversary of the creation of the Deanery in grand style. The event which started with Mass, saw members of the parishes that make up the Deanery gather in their numbers at St. Dominic Catholic Church, Yaba, venue of the epoch-making ceremony, with the theme, “Celebrating a decade of God’s faithfulness and blessings”.
Speaking on the occasion, Very Rev. Fr. Micheal-Christian Okonkwo, the Dean noted the necessity for the creation of deaneries years ago, which included Yaba Deanery, owing to the fast growth of the Archdiocese. Fr. Okonkwo disclosed that Very Rev. Fr. Felix Onemheghie OP, the then Pastor of St. Dominic’s, Yaba and pioneer Dean, in collaboration with the priests, religious and lay faithful built a solid foundation for the deanery through the formation of Deanery organisations and societies. According to him, Fr. Onemheghie encouraged the formation of non existent groups in the Deanery. The priest who was appointed Dean in 2018 after Fr. Onemheghie was promoted to higher responsibilities in the Dominican community revealed that with the wonderful cooperation of the priests, religious and lay faithful, the Deanery has blazed the trail in many areas. He commended the organisations and societies which he said has had a smooth transfer of responsibilities from the pioneer officers to to new ones, as the executives are taking their respective organisations/societies to higher levels.
While delivering the homily at Mass, Very Rev. Fr. Vincent Olofinkua, urged Christians to be involved in political affairs of the country, and ensure that those who seek positions are men and women of character and integrity. The homilist asked the people to be members of organisations, adding that God’s words planted within them will bring a change and make a difference in their lives. He said the anniversary marks a decade of glory, growth, and significant milestone in the spiritual and pastoral life of the Church in Lagos, defined with unremarkable development and service to the people of God.
For his part, Very Rev. Fr. Simeon Irabor, Chaplain, Yaba Laity Council and Parish Priest, O/L Queen of Nigeria Catholic Church, praising God for 10 years of faithfulness and blessings noted that anniversaries are times to reflect, celebrate and remember the goodness of God in bringing and growing His people together. On the economy and tough times, he said even with every rough time the people have been through, God has always been and remained faithful, never letting them down as His track record with them is perfect. Yaba Deanery, formerly under the old Mainland Deanery was created on January 3, 2014 and inaugurated on July 19, 2014. It comprises seven parishes, three chaplaincies and a host of out-stations.