Nigeria: Lagos Ecclesiastical Province celebrates Jubilee of Catechists

Oluwakemi Akinleye, fsp – Lagos

Jubilee of Hope – a privileged moment

The celebration began with the Holy Mass presided by Fr Patrick Balogun, one of the three episcopal vicars in the Lagos ecclesiastical province. The Archdiocese of Lagos and the Dioceses of Abeokuta and Ijebu Ode make up this ecclesiastical province.

During the Mass, the homilist Fr John Aruleba, reminded all present that the Jubilee of Hope is a privileged moment for God’s people, especially Catholics, to draw closer to God through the Sacraments. “Hope makes our faith come alive,” he said, and everyone who “journeys closely with God daily knows that God’s gift of hope does not disappoint.”

Catechists – the Church’s unsung heroes

Fr Patrick Balogun, speaking on behalf of the Bishops in the Ecclesiastical Province of Lagos, thanked the catechists for their dedicated pastoral service as agents of evangelization. “The Bishops acknowledge with gratitude your commitment and zeal for the growth and expansion of the Church where you work,” he said. Many catechists in Nigeria work in very challenging situations and often receive little or no remuneration for their service. Yet they do not allow the lack of income to deter them from offering their time, energy and talents in serving the local church.

Formation of Christ’s Disciples

There was the official presentation of a new syllabi for catechesis titled, ‘Formation of Christ’s Disciples.’ It is intended to be a textbook for teaching catechesis in the three dioceses of the ecclesiastical province.

To also encourage and equip the catechists in their pastoral ministry, the Daughters of St Paul, in collaboration with the Lagos Ecclesiastical Jubilee of Hope team, provided catechetical and spiritual books to each of them for their personal use and study.

At the end of the event, the catechists were reminded to be ambassadors of hope in their families, work places, in the small Christian community and local church.