Sir: I see many clergymen today who do not stimulate the growth of their members, especially those crushed under the burden of despair and poverty unlike in times-gone-by. What some do is worrying. A lot of them are not like the priests I served as an Altar-Boy, or many others I observed from a distance.
Bishop Emeritus Kevin Aje, many years ago in Sokoto State was a very conservative Bishop. I served him from time to time as an altar-boy when he visited the church in the Barracks (SS Peter and Paul). At times of ordination in Holy Family Cathedral, he took time to reproach young ladies during ordination of priests to, “leave my priests alone.” So old-fashioned and for good reasons, was Reverend Father Innocent Egbunike who never tolerated disorderly din from anyone in the Church during mass neither did he allow women to be given Holy Communion with decorated lips. In his presence, there was order in church. Father Joseph Atado never gave a sermon without a plangent pleasant-sounding musical interlude.
I wish the church can have administrators who would comport themselves like my Lord Bishop and other clergymen did in Sokoto. They come to mind always. Reverend Father Peter Malu (then Captain Malu, I heard he made it to Colonel) took us children (mass servers) to his house in his white Volkswagen Beetle car to eat pounded yam and plenty of meat, after which he brought us home and gave us money. How can I ever forget that?
I remember (Irish) Father Horan many years ago in St. John's Catholic Church, Kaduna who came into the church right on time to start mass and annulled marriage formalities many times when marriage candidates didn’t keep to the time allotted to them and felt they could meander in for the formal procedure at a time of their choice.
I don't know where they are. But I am still loyal to them in my heart.
Simon Abah wrote from Port Harcourt.
Hello, my name is Nathaniel Ayobami . I'm a 22 year old student Nigeria .
No comments:
Post a Comment