Papal Nuncio, Antonio Filipazzi tasks faithful to be firm in faith
WARRI DIOCESE-: Priests and the lay faithful of the Catholic Diocese of Kano Northwest Nigeria, has celebrated 100 years the church existence in Kano.
With the theme “Celebrating our faith and services”, the event was also used to mark the Priestly ordination of the bishop as well as his 10th Episcopal anniversary.
Welcoming guests just before the centenary Mass, His Lordship, Bishop John Namaza Niyiring, OSA who was so excited, expressed his profound gratitude to God Almighty and the Society for Africa Mission, SMA that brought the Catholic faith to Kano with its first Mass celebrated in December 15, 1918.
Most Rev. Niyiring traced the history of the Catholic church in Kano to Msgr. Oswald Waller, SMA who offered the first Mass and build the first Church and the first priests rectory which is today known today as Bethany House.
In his homily during the Mass, Most Revd. Emmanuel Adetoyese Badejo, Catholic Bishop of Oyo Diocese noted that Catholic faith has not only survived and taken roots in Kano over the last 100 years, but the church through her Clergy, Religious, Lay people and people of goodwill has given credible, unalloyed pastoral, material and social services to thousands of people of Kano and Jigawa State.
Bishop Badejo however congratulated Most Rev. John Namaza Niyiring OSA, whom he referred to as ‘Sarkin Kano’ on his 10th Episcopal Anniversary. The bishop while faithful, stressed that there is a huge task ahead for the lay faithful of Kano and Jigawa. He said; ” This Centenary celebration must be a new mandate for your journey in the next Centenary which begin now.
He called on all the Priests, Religious, men, women and youth to heed anew the callof Jesus; “You are the light of the world, you are salt of the earth”. He adds that in spite of the trials and pains of the past and challenges of the present, Church Societies must embark on the work of evangelisation with courage and faith.
He urged the faithful to recommit themselves in the service of God and the mission of Jesus Christ which he he disclosed is to proclaim the Gospel in and out of season, to lead to holiness and bring about the Kingdom of God, Justice, love and peace, he added.
In his address, Archbishop Antonio Guido Filipazzi, Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria says the history of Catholic Church in Kano is a lesson to other Churches elsewhere.
He stressed that the presence of Catholic Bishops from all over Nigeria was a demonstration of the oneness of the Catholic Church.
The Papal Nuncio also tasked the faithful to be mindful of the divisions that might constitute an obstacle to the growth of the church. He informed the faithful that Christianity did not grown in North Africa not because of inversion of Islam but because of division in the church.
He maintained that tge centenary celebration is very important but says the most important aspect of it is our daily life commitment toward Christian faith. He prayed that 100 years celebration of the diocese existence will lead all the faithful to a better life in Christ.
The celebration which witnessed the commissioning of an ultra modern Catholic Secretariat, have in attendance 23 Bishops of the Catholic Church including Bishop Denis Isi-Uzo, auxiliary bishop of Onitsha archdiocese and Chairman Social Communication CBCN who also was born and bred up in Kano. Also present was the President of CBCN, Archbishop Augustine Akubeze and his Secretary including Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of Sokoto diocese, Archbishop of Kaduna, Jos, Calabar and representatives of the Bishop of Lokoja, Kotongora, Nnewi and Ekot Epkene dioceses.
Others at the celebration includes the outgoing Secretary General CSN, Very Rev. Raph Madu, incoming Secretary CSN, Very Rev. Fr. Zechariah Samjumi, Director of Communication CSN, Very Rev. Dr. Chris Anyanwu, Superior, the then Kano Independent Mission, Very Rev. Fr. Francis Brown, SMA, Superior SMA Mission in Nigeria, the Superior OSA Nigeria Province, Superior Sisters of St. Louis Nigeria Province, Superior OLF Sisters Nigeria Province and over two and over 30 Priests and Religious from all over Nigeria.