By Michael Nnebife
It was a moment of spiritual reinforcement and redefinition of what a life of a responsible father ought to be as the members of the Catholic Men’s Organization, CMO, Diocese of Awka, gathered at Archbishop Albert Obiefuna Retreat Centre, Okpuno Awka, for their 2024 Retreat.
The annual event began on Friday 16th February with Stations of the Cross and ended on Sunday 18th February, with Holy Mass officiated by Rev Fr Polycarp Okoye of the Archbishop Albert Obiefuna Retreat Centre.
The 3-day retreat adjudged to be the best in the annals of the organization, by the participants, was moderated by the Manager, St Mary’s Secondary School, Enugwu-Ukwu, Rev Fr John Paul Chukwuelobe who did not mince words in pointing out and condemning some abnormal behaviours commonly found among today’s fathers.
Rev Fr Chukwuelobe’s teachings centred around some of the remarkable and outstanding virtues of St Joseph which he admonished the CMO to embrace so as to have united and peaceful families, church, and society.
‘Brethren, Joseph was a normal family man, but there were remarkable outstanding virtues in his life,’ Rev Fr Chukwuelobe said.
He highlighted the virtues of St Joseph to include fidelity to the wife, maturity in handling the affairs of his family, sensitivity to his environment, among others.
He, therefore, advised fathers to follow in the footstep of St Joseph, for a better and happier family.
The moderator, who further admonished fathers to take responsibility and always be ready to protect their families at all cost, also urged them to avoid like plague domestic violence and wife battering, saying that ‘any man beating his wife is mentally ill.
‘There is no reason you should beat your wife; if the level of the provocation is becoming unbearable, you leave the house, for her,’ he advised.
While enjoining fathers to lead by example, the cleric said, ‘as head, you should not insist in having your rights, for the good of the family.
‘If protecting your rights will result in adverse situation, leave it, for the overall good of your family’, he added.
The cleric was of the opinion that insistence on rights and disregard to wise counsel, especially on the part of fathers, were major causes of the failed marriages nowadays.
Stressing the importance of listening to wise counsel, the moderator cited the examples of Naaman and his servant, King Belshazzar, among others, and reminded fathers that neglecting wise counsel does not do anyone any good.
In an interview with Fides, the Chaplain, CMO, Awka Diocese, Rev Fr Jude Ubah, noted that among the centre points of the retreat, was to reengage the fathers in how to be able to take care of their families as good Catholic fathers.
While describing a retreat as a moment of spiritual reinforcement for grace to move forward in faith, the chaplain advised the Catholic fathers to put into practice all they learnt during the retreat, for the good of their families and their personal sanctification.
In a sermon during the Holy Mass to conclude the retreat, Rev Fr Okoye extolled the teachings of the retreat moderator, and prayed for grace that would enable the participants to put what they learnt into practice.
Responding, the President, CMO, Awka Diocese, Sir Joseph Chukwujekwu Onuegbu, expressed heartfelt appreciation to the moderator, Rev Fr Chukwuelobe, Rev Fr Okoye, the retreat organizing committee, and the entire members of the organization, for their respective contributions that made the event a huge success.
In an interview with Fides, the Chairman, Organizing Committee, Mr Peter Emeka Obiano, expressed belief that the knowledge gained from the teachings in the retreat would address drastically the current decline in faith among fathers in the country.
Also, some of the participants, who include Sir Chuks Esesindu, Sir Eugene Ezeani, Mr Chigozie Okeke, among others, spoke to Fides, describing the teachings of the retreat moderator as impressively life-edifying.
They noted with satisfaction that the aim of the retreat was fully achieved, assuring that they would take the knowledge and blessings they gathered, down to region and parish levels, for their co-members, during the forthcoming Father’s Sunday.
The 3-day retreat, which drew no fewer than 180 representative participants from the three regions and all parishes of Awka Diocese, also featured adoration, and an interactive session, where topical issues such as neopaganism, religiosity and spirituality, rapture, among others, were raised by the participants, and intelligently addressed by the retreat moderator.
