By Godwin Utuedoye,
MOST Rev. John Oke’Oghene Afareha of Warri diocese has charged Catholics and devotees of the Legion of Mary society to happily hold unto the Blessed Virgin Mary through the prayers of the holy rosary as she will never fail anyone.
The bishop who gave this charge during his remarks after a Mass he preside for members of the Legion of Mary during their week long project holding at Ode-Itsekiri, a riverrine outstation to the Sacred Heart Cathedral on Thursday, August 23, note that many Catholics have abandoned the prayers of the rosary and devotion to the Virgin Mary for other prayers.
Bishop Afareha who condemned this act, stated that he is neither against prayers like the chaplet to the Precious Blood of Jesus, Chaplet of Divine Mercy, Purgatory and others nor will he stop it; but appealed to Catholics and legionaries, that whenever they are in a gathering as a diocese, the rosary to Blessed Virgin Mary should be pray.
” Most of this prayers you prayed, are tautology because you are just repaating what you have said during the rosary”, he said. ” When you pray Oh! My Lord Jesus, Forgive Is sins, save us from the fire of hell, Lead all Souls to heaven especially those in most need of mercy”, this covers the divine mercy or precious blood of Jesus, he admonished.
There is time for every prayer in the church the bishop acclaimed, stating that it is wrong for choiristers to practice during the Mass when there is a time for choir practice. He warned that the Mass should not be use for such practices or for pious societies prayer advising that such prayers could be said at their various group level.
While thanking Rev. Fr. Godwin Orudje, spiritual director to legionaries in the diocese, Most Rev. Afareha commended them for their choice of choosing Ode-Itsekiri as their location for the week project. He noted that Ode-Itsekiri is a special station for the diocese, as without the station, the diocese is meaningless as Ode-Itsekiri was the first landing spot of the missionary in the 16th century. He urged them to renew the spirit of Catholism in the place and ensure the place is evangelized to become a full christian community.