By Michael Nnebife and Ebube Edieh
The atmosphere at St Theresa’s Catholic Church, Ichida in Anaocha LGA, Anambra State, was on Sunday, 18th September, 2024, filled with an angelic melody like that of Seraphim and Cherubim, as a legend of Igbo liturgical music, Rev Msgr Simon Obelenwa Azuka, marked his Priestly Golden Jubilee, in the church.
With selected emotion-laden liturgical hymns composed by Msgr Azuka, the church choir melodiously held a mammoth crowd of priests, reverend sisters and the entire congregation that filled the gigantic St Theresa’s Church Building, spellbound for hours.
While delivering a homily, which interspersed with emotion-laden angelic hymns also composed by the liturgical music legend, the Director, Priests Welfare Home, Awka, Rev Fr Emmanuel Uduh, extolled the contributions of the legend in the Gospel of Jesus Christ through his musical talent. Like the St Theresa’s church Choir, the Priests Welfare Home Director, who had been with Msgr Azuka for a reasonable period of time and counting, held the congregation spellbound for hours, sharing emotion-laden testimonies about the Monsignor.
His words, ‘Very Rev Fr Simon Obelenwa Azuka is one person I look at and I say to myself, ”God, you’re great”.
‘Like Jacob, Fr Azuka adamantly stands firm to follow and serve God. To him, it’s either God or nothing. His confidence in God steers emotions.
‘If you look at his life, you see somebody that has contact with God. He is gifted in a unique way. He is a legend of Igbo Liturgical Music,’ Rev Fr Uduh said.
According to him, Fr Azuka’s hymns solemnly steered and drew souls closer to God.
He stressed that the Igbo Liturgical Music Legend had bequeathed humanity with legacies that would stand the test of time.
Rev Fr Uduh praised what he described as the legend’s unwavering faith in God, comportment and consistency in whatever he did, especially now at his present old age.
In his remarks, the Parish Priest, St Theresa’s Parish, Rev Fr Michael Nwajiobi, who said Msgr Azuka was a rare gift to Ichida Community, described Fr Azuka’s Golden Jubilee as a joyful moment of thanksgiving.
Responding, the celebrant joyfully expressed gratitude to God for His grace; the Bishop, Awka Diocese, Most Rev Dr Paulinus Ezeokafor, for his care; as well as the entire Ichida Community, and the congregation that graced the epoch-making event.
The Igbo Liturgical Music Legend, who joyfully sang one of his songs while expressing his appreciation, demonstrating the popular Igbo adage that an old woman never gets old in a dance she knows well, made special mentions of some individuals, who include Rev Fr Uduh, for taking good care of him; the Vice-chancellor of Peter University, Rev Fr Prof Emmanuel Umezinwa, for his concern; and the Traditional Ruler of Ichida, Igwe Nwabueze Ezeudogu, for his service to God in the community.
During a reception that followed shortly after the Mass, the Ichida Catholic Community expressed profound thanks to God, for the gift of Msgr Azuka, their first indigenous Catholic Priest; and the entire congregation for finding out time to honour the Monsignor.
Some of the highlights of the historic event included the reception of the Holy Communion by some faithful for the first time, presentation of gifts to the Monsignor by his admirers, his family members, his friends and well-wishers, among others.
