Those who think that priesthood is a bread-and-butter vocation should better drop the idea. The Bishop on the Niger, the Rt Rev Dr Owen Nwokolo, today, Sunday, August 1, 2021, demonstrated the reverse of the notion when he ordained nine, and collated three canons and three archdeacons of the diocese.
The bishop had while performing the various rites at the All Saints’ Cathedral, Onitsha, reminded priests of the realities of their calling, challenging them to always be ready for the responsibilities characteristic of their vocation.
He demanded that priests should not only accept the discipline of the church, but also should be diligent in prayer and in reading the Bible, insisting that they should strive to minister the word of God and the sacrament of the new Testament.
Bishop Nwokolo who later took the newly collated archdeacons and canons and the newly ordained priests through the taking of various oaths of allegiance prayed for them that God who gave them the will to respond to the call should also be merciful enough to endow them with the strength to fulfill the demands of their vocation.
In the homily that preceded the ceremonies, a guest speaker, the Rt Rev Nedison Foreman of Jalingo Diocese, Taraba State, admonished the young priests to always be faithful in the ministry, adding that God never forgets His faithful servants.
In the sermon he tagged, “Faithfulness in service”, Bishop Foreman said that God is always looking for faithful servants who he said are difficult to get but explained that whenever faithful persons are got, they are given elevated positions.
Among other things, the bishop advised priests to always beware of divided loyalty, saying that the problem with many christians is that some of them are neither here nor there.
While counselling priests to guard against infidelity in their marriage, he charged them to “zip up” and be satisfied with their wives, advising them not to allow immorality to deprive them of the bliss of the Kingdom of God.
The newly ordained priests were;
Nwankwo, Charles Azubuike; Okongwu, Mbanefo and Nwafe, Chukwuemeka.
Others included; Okoye, Able Chukwuanonye; Nneji, Samuel Ifeanyi and Nwafo, Somtochkwu C. K.
The rest of the new priests were Nweke, Frank Tochukwu; Madu, Izuchukwu Odinakachi and Egbogu, Chibueze Udoka.
Also those made Canons were; Rev C.C. Eze, Rev Godwin Chiezie and Rev Dr Cajathan Anuforo.
The other three ministers collated as Archdeacons included; Rev Dr David Anozie,
Rev Canon Ikechukwu Egbonu and Rev Canon Mike Okoh.
As reported by Alex Uzoigwe
