. . . Extols Awka I Deanery
By Ifeoma Ezenyilimba
The Director, Catholic Women’s Organisation (C.W.O), Awka Diocese, Lady Theresa Chinyere Azodo, LSM, has charged the C.W.O members to be role models of holiness in their families and entire society.
Lady Azodo gave the charge during her 2019 August Meeting Tour of the 184 parishes of Awka Catholic Diocese, on the national theme of the 2019 August Meeting, “Catholic Women Called to Holiness to Sanctify the World for Holistic Development”.
Speaking at Our Lady of Assumption Catholic Church, Awka and St Gabriel’s Parish, Okpuno, both in Awka I Deanery, respectively, Lady Azodo noted that the life of holiness expected of every Catholic woman, took effect from one’s nuclear family and self-formation.
The Director, who had the Secretary, C.W.O, Awka Diocese, Dr Amara Dimejesi; the Chaplain, C.W.O, Awka Diocese, Rev Fr Clifford Aniefuna and the Sister Adviser, C.W.O, Awka Diocese, Rev Sr Esther Ezedinachi, HHCJ, in her entourage, emphasized that holiness demanded that the mothers should live up to their primary responsibilities in their families, take good care of their husbands, their children and themselves, and build up their families in unity.
She said, ‘To be holy, a Catholic woman should be an exemplary leader in words and in action, be prayerful, attend Holy Masses regularly, dress decently, be devoted to her duties and her faith, associate with godly people, be the light for others, and emulate Blessed Virgin Mary, who remained the role model of every woman’.
Lady Theresa Azodo, LSM, identified virtues of humility, truthfulness, patience, cleanliness, modesty, responsibility and obedience to constituted authorities, as what holiness stood for. This was even as she noted that self-righteousness, envy, hatred, gossip and immodest lifestyle, were enemies of holiness.
The C.W.O director advised the mothers against abandoning their various primary responsibilities, snatching other women’s husbands and spending their whole time in the Church, saying that such ought not to be associated with women who were role models of holiness.
She called on the Catholic women to, as role models of holiness, join hands to fight corruption at all levels, promote peace and dialogue in society as well as stand against child and women abuse, human trafficking and say no to Fulani cattle so as to discourage Fulani herdsmen attacks.
At the Our Lady of Assumption Parish, the director commended a founding member of C.W.O, Awka I Deanery, Lady Ann Okafor, who is the CEO of Fesona Bread, for remaining a worthy ambassador for the women.
Lady Azodo, LSM, also extoled the C.W.O of Awka I Deanery and her organiser, Lady Meg Ngozi Okoye for their outstanding performance and supports to the diocese. The director described C.W.O Awka I Deanery as one of the major strengths of Awka Diocesan Catholic Women’s Organisation.
In their various speeches, the parish priest, Our Lady of Assumption Parish, Awka, Rev Fr Christian Ike; the C.W.O President (Home), Our Lady of Assumption Parish, Awka, Mrs Helen Anagbogu and the immediate past C.W.O President (Home & Abroad), Mrs Rose Nwakebelu as well as the president, C..WO, St Gabriel’s Parish, Okpuno, Mrs Nkechi Ifejimalu and a member of the parish, Mrs Gloria Okoye, thanked the director and her team for the visits. They counted themselves as priviledged to be among the parishes that the Diocesan Director’s Team visited.
Meanwhile, the Organiser, C.W.O, Awka I deanery, Lady Meg Ngozi Okoye, has commended the catholic mothers, who stood to their faith in the midst of the dust-to-dust crises that had been threatening the Catholic faith in Awka.
Lady Okoye, who spoke during her tour of the 2019 C.W.O August Meeting at St Patrick’s Cathedral Parish, Awka, extolled two members of the parish, Mrs Cecilia Chizoba Okafor and Mrs Esther Chinwuko, for maintaining their stand on their Catholic faith at the burial ceremonies of their late husbands.
She prayed for continuous repose of the souls of their dead ones, and urged others who hide under the guise of illnesses and avoided dust-to-dust rites during burials, to learn from the duo.
