The number of indigenous priests in the Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos has risen to One Hundred and Eighty Six (186) following the ordination of ten (10) deacons by Archbishop Alfred Adewale Martins.
The event, conducted at the Holy Spirit Church Onireke Ojo Lagos began with a procession, proceeded with the calling out of the deacons by the Church’s Director of vocations, Rev.Fr. Theodore Martins.
The reverends were presented to the Church for consent and examination, prayed for by faithful, consecrated by the high priest, kissed by the archbishop to draw grace, decorated and pronounced priests of the Mother Church to the delight of their families and friends.
Correspondent Uchenna Eletuo of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the deacons ordained priests were Rev. Clinton Tochukwu-Ekemezie
Rev.Emmaunel Chibuike-Canice, Rev Ethelbert Chukwunomso-Umenwzanne, Rev. Thomas Aliegwu-Kelechi, Rev. Gregory Uke Atabuchi Onaji and Rev. Timothy Ehizokhae Oluwakemi-Okhiria.
Others were Rev. Michael Ikechukwu Ebede, Rev. Stephen Chukkwunonso Marcelino-Momah, Rev. Princewill Obinna-Ugwumba and Rev. Patrick Sonayon-Akotonayon.
The deacons, administered with the oil of chrism by the Chief Shepherd, took turns to pledge their absolute loyalty and obedience to Archbishop Martins and the Church at large.
The Priestley Ordination coincided with the end of the Church’s October devotion.
It was lanced with solemn hymns to invoke the holy spirit into the newly priests that laid flat on the floor before the Archbishop to show humility and zeal to serve.
In a sermon, Reverend Father Vincent Bankole, the Parish Priest of Saint Charles Lwanga Catholic Church, Orile Agege, Lagos charged the newly ordained to keep the priestly fire that they have been decorated with burning in all that they do.
Bankole described priesthood as noble but demanding, asking the new priests to ensure they consult the holy spirit always to remain on track.
“Your yes to the calling should be seen in your positive values, love to humanity and the salvation message.
“Never be in competition with anyone but yourself, the order of priest is the chrism of the church and an investiture by Christ,” he said.
Bankole tasked them to preach the undiluted Word of God to the faithful and do that which they preach.
Martins in his prayer to the priests, said that, “May Jesus Christ the Chief Shepherd pour out the gift speech and anoit your with decerning mind needed to carry out your assignment which Him Christ assigned to you today.
“As Christ has sanctified you in like manner you will sanctify the Christian people and offer sacrifice to God.
“May the fire of priesthood that you have been decorated today with keep glowing to enable you serve as religious to people and to God,” he said.
The archbishop who described training of a priest as costly, admonished faithful to invest their resources to the formation of priest to lessen the burden on immediate families.
He who said that the elevation of the ten as priests brings the number of priests in the archdiocese to 186, asked people to remember the young priests in their prayers.
The new priests had taken turns to make intentional prayers directed at various stratas of the community and families as their first assignment to the delight of the attendees.
Reacting, one of the new priests, Rev. Fr Clinton Tochukwu-Ekemezie, stated that he knew the task ahead was enormous but with God on his side, he would succeed.
Ekemezie who thanked his family members for supporting his dream to be a priest, thanked the church for finding him worthy of the vocation.
The high point of the ordination which was attended by no fewer than one hundred priests was the announcement by Archbishop Martins of the creation of 2 Quasi parishes in the Lagos Archdiocese -one out of St. John Parish Ilemba Hausa, Ojo and another from St. Francis Idimu.
