…As St. Mary’s High School Host Parishes at Christ the King
By Chioma Ndife
The Catholic Community of Ifitedunu, Dunukofia LGA, alongside other people from other Christian denominations, has offered special prayers for the state of the Nigerian Nation, as well as the upcoming 2019 general elections, to the Eucharistic Jesus.
Ifitetudu Catholic Community offered the special prayers through an address presented to Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament on Sunday, November 25, when they joined their counterparts in the diocese and other parts of the world to celebrate the 2018 Solemnity of Christ the King.
The address which was signed by the parish priests of the three Catholic parishes in the town, namely Rev. Fathers Clement Onyemelukwe, Venatius Ogbuagu, Raphael Agbanu and Manager of St. Mary’s High School, Ifitedunu, Rev. Fr. Jude Onebunne, read in part, ‘God, we place our country, Nigeria, and the 2019 elections into your hands. We commit the forthcoming presidential election into your hands, king of the whole world. Please forgive our country, Nigeria. We know and believe that all authority comes from you. May the forthcoming elections go according to your divine will and give us good leaders. Remember, O Christ that your mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, is the queen of our country. Disrupt all cheating, discrimination and violence that may happen then.’
The Community during the celebration which was hosted by St. Mary’s High School, Ifitedunu, acknowledged the supremacy of God above all created things and expressed total belief in God’s ability to pattern the upcoming elections in accordance with his divine will.
The celebration availed the town the opportunity of God’s numerous blessings upon them which included the gift of life, wealth, knowledge, and St. Mary’s High School, which was established by two Catholic priests, Frs. Godfrey Nnadiebube and MaryPaul Okoye, among other favours received by the town.
They prayed God to guide the indigenes of the community and increase the zeal of true Christianity among the Christians, especially youths.
In his remark, the Parish Priest of St. Gabriel’s Catholic Church, Rev. Fr. Clement Onyemelukwe, appreciated God for the opportunity which he provided for the Catholic Community in celebration of his supremacy, noting that the coming together would help in the promotion of peace.
He appreciated the school for hosting the celebration without counting the cost and tasked them to support the school as the fund used in organizing came out from the students’ general purse.
Speaking to Fides, the Manager of St. Mary’s High School, Ifitedunu, Rev. Fr. Jude Onebunne, disclosed that the school had for the past four years since he assumed duties as the manager been joining other parishes in the community for the Christ the King procession. He noted that the community usually rotated the venue where they converged on yearly basis for the celebration.
Fr. Onebunne explained that the idea behind hosting the Catholic Community was for them to come and see what was happening in their school as host community. He revealed that some indigenes of the community for the last five to ten years had not entered the school, saying that their presence would attract more developmental projects to the school as the well-to-do would look around and identify areas where to help the school.
He appreciated members of the community for coming to the school, saying that the celebration was turned into a kind of donation for the school to recover the funds spent in hosting them. He said that bringing Catholics to the school was solidifying their knowledge as it related to the school ownership, following the squabble that exited in the past.
