… Confirms 130 young Catholics
By Mike Nnebife and Oluwayemisi Abosede
It was a moment of joy and celebration for the entire parishioners of St Jude Thaddeus’ Catholic Church, Awka, including their friends and well-wishers, as they gathered on Saturday, September 6, 2025, to receive the Bishop of Awka Diocese, Most Rev Paulinus Ezeokafor, on Pastoral Visit to the Church.
During the event, Bishop Ezeokafor administered the Sacrament of Confirmation to 130 candidates; laid the foundation stone for an ultramodern Church with an underground parish hall, and blessed a statue of St Jude Thaddeus.
The epoch-making event began on Friday, September 5, 2025, with interactions between the Bishop and the parishioners on the progress of work, challenges facing the Church, among others, and concluded on Saturday, September 6, with Holy Mass, as well as a grand reception in honour of the Prelate.
Delivering a homily at the Mass, the Prelate exhorted the St Jude Thaddeus’ parishioners to be strong in faith, accept and uphold the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Church without compromise, in order to make heaven. He emphasized the need for the parishioners to prioritize the teachings of Christ and the Church over, societal norms and belief of their place of birth without compromise.
He stated that as believers, they were born into the Christian Family through Baptism, whose blood, he said, was thicker than the blood of birth. While reminding them that the Holy Spirit came for the good of mankind, the Bishop urged St Jude Thaddeus’ parishioners to desist from negative evocation of Holy of Spirit against fellow human beings. He stressed that the Holy Spirit gave human beings understanding, knowledge, life, among others, as a Spirit of God, but not an agent of destruction.
The Chief Shepherd of Awka Diocese, who expressed joy at the number of the newly confirmed, whom he described as a hope for the continuity of St Jude Thaddeus’ Church, commended what he described as the spiritual and physical development ongoing in the Church.
The Chief Shepherd further commended the parishioners for their cooperation with their priests.
‘What we observed from our interactions yesterday shows the parishioners are very happy with all their priests – from Fr Emmanuel Maduelosi, to the incumbent Parish Priest, Fr FrancisMichael Enyosiobi.
‘This should be progress and forward ever; keep it up,’ he advised the parishioners, and reminded them that any priest sent to them possessed a unique talent.
The Prelate charged them to discover the talent and make a maximum good use of it for the overall development of their Church. He also expressed satisfaction with the service of the priests, especially that of the incumbent, Fr Enyosiobi, whom he described as a go-getter.
‘I came here last year, but when I came yesterday, from what is on the ground, I could not recognize this place,’ Bishop Ezeokafor said, highlighting some infrastructure development projects in the Church’s premises, amid thunderous applause from the congregation.
He thanked Fr Enyosiobi and his supporters, including the architect who designed the ultramodern church building with an underground parish hall.
In his remarks, the Parish Priest expressed gratitude to God for the clemency of the day’s weather, and to the Bishop, for his love, care and encouragement the Church enjoyed.
Fr Enyosiobi, visibly overwhelmed with joy, expressed gratitude to the Bishop for what he called the father-child relationship between him and St Jude Thaddeus’ Church.
He also appreciated the dignitaries, particularly the priests that graced the epoch-making event, praying God to grant them journey mercies as they returned to their various homes.
In an address of welcome read by the Secretary, Parish Council, Mrs Rose Umeadi, the parishioners continued to thank Bishop Ezeokafor for visiting them, despite his busy schedule.
‘We value this fatherly presence and care,’ they said, and prayed God to continue to strengthen Bishop Ezeokafor’s shepherding of the flock in Awka Diocese.
They further thanked the Bishop in special way for giving them their Priest, Fr Enyosiobi, whom they described as ‘one in million and Okaaobuluzo Oluatuegwu’.
‘He is the engineer on site; he is practically doing everything. Through God’s inspiration and help, he has changed the topography of our Church premises and controlled erosion that posed a threat to us within and outside our Church premises.
‘We are truly grateful to him and his team, and we pledge our continued support to his effort,’ they said.
St Jude Thaddeus’ Parishioners also remembered their former priests and the vicars, as well as numerous individuals that contributed to the growth and development of the Church, and prayed God to reward them abundantly.
Presentation of gifts to the Bishop, entertainment by the Altar Boys, among others, were some of the highlights of the event chaired by Chief Paulchuks Umenduka.
Bishop Ezeokafor’s Secretary, Rev Fr Evaristus Ifeanacho; a host of other Catholic priests; Anambra State Government officials, who included the Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Pius Chukwuma Okoye; the National Chairman, All Progressives Grand Alliance, Barr Sly Ezeokenwa; among others, graced the epoch-making event.
