By Deborah Chinyelum and Emmanuel Chigozie
St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Agulu, Sunday, August 31, gifted a new motorcycle to their Catechist, Mr Donatus Ilonwuba.
The gift which was sponsored by the Lagos Branch of the parish, was presented to the Catechist after the 9 o’clock Mass at the Father’s Rectory.
During the presentation, Mr. Luke Ezejiobi, the Zonal Leader of St. Monica’s Catholic Church, under St. Patrick’s Agulu, described the Catechist as his brother, as much as he was the Parish Catechist. According to him, his heart had been full of joy since he knew about the proposed gift of a motorcycle to their Catechist.
He thanked God for Lagos Branch coming together to get the motorcycle even in the tough economy, and prayed that God would bless them. He further thanked the Parish Priest, Fr. Romanus Okongwu, for agreeing with them to gift the Catechist the motorcycle.
The Catechist also expressed his gratitude to the Lagos Branch, remarking that they were always helping out in the Parish. As he praised them for the various things they had been doing for the Parish, he told them that it was only God that could reward them, and prayed that God would bless the gift given to him.
Mr. Ilonwuba, during an interview, said he never expected the gift and expressed happiness at the gesture, recalling what God said about being mindful of His people and working things for their good.
‘I didn’t expect this, but God had good thoughts for me’, he said.
The Public Relations Officer of the Lagos Branch, Fidelis Ferdinand, said that the decision to 
give the Catechist a new motorcycle was not made on impulse, rather it was given to him as a result of the work he had been doing in the church and doing it well. He said they had seen that his motorcycle, was old, with the headlight spoilt, and knew the risk involved in using the motorcycle as it was. Thus they decided to get him a new one.
He asked that other people who had the means, help out in the church in any way they could, adding that what was important was the heart used to do the work.
The Parish Priest, Fr. Romanus Chika Okongwu, was not left out as he described the gesture as a thing of joy, even as he implored other indigenes living outside their home states to support their home parish, following in the footsteps of the Lagos Branch, who, he said, in spite of living in Lagos, still had the interest of their home parish at heart.
He urged them to support the catechists and priests as they were usually overlooked. When asked what the gift to the Catechist meant for the Parish, Fr. Okongwu remarked that it meant the Parish was growing and noted that it was proof that the Church helped people.
