By Abuchi Onwumelu
The
Catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese, His Lordship Most Rev. Paulinus
Chukwuemeka Ezeokafor, has dedicated St. Dominic’s Catholic Church,
Mbaukwu, Awka South Local Government Area to God with a call on the
Catholic community to desist from carrying out unholy activities in the
Church as it is now an abode of God.
The
dedication ceremony was attended by the who is who in Mbaukwu
especially the parish benefactors which include the Igwe of the town His
Majesty, Igwe Peter N. Anugwu, JP. OFR (Ezeukwu Mbaukwu); Chief (Sir)
O.B. Onyali, SAN, K.T.SS, (Onwa Mbaukwu). Others were the Bishop’s
secretary, Rev. Fr.Dr. Lawrence Nwankwo; Assistant Chancellor of the
Diocese, Rev. Fr. Dr Francis Chidume; indigenous priests and religious
led by Very Rev. Fr. Raphael Ebedeagu Indigenous Rev. Sisters led by
Rev. Sister Angela Ogor; president general Mbaukwu Town Union, Mazi
Omife I. Omife (Mbuze Mbaukwu); Igwe Romanus Iloh (Ise Nise); Igwe
Vincent Chukwuma Bob Orji (Ezeugo II of Ezinifite Aguata); the Anglican
Bishop of Awka Diocese, Rt. Rev. Dr. Alexander Ibezim represented by the
priest in-charge of St. Lawrence Anglican Parish Mbaukwu, Ven. D.C.
Ezeobi; a renowned educationist, Mr. Ossy Nweke, among other
distinguished personalities.
The
dedication was heralded by 13 gun shots salute amidst cheers and
jubilations from the entire Mbaukwu community including Catholics and
their Anglican counterparts.
The dedication also offered a platform for fund raising for the renovation of the dilapidated Rev. Fathers’ residential house.
Earlier
in his sermon, Bishop Ezeokafor charged Christians to also endeavor to
build themselves as they build God’s house, stressing that it is a
vanity to have good Church without god Christians.
‘The
most important thing is for us to build ourselves as we have built the
Church because our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. There will be a
problem if we build good Church without being good Christians. Let us
endeavour to show love to one another by helping people we are better
than and praying for our neighbours.
‘It
is a thing of joy for a parish to build Church of this magnitude and
dedicate it to God. It now means that the Church is now holy and where
holy things alone can be performed. No meeting of any sort will be held
henceforth. I thank God for his support and all who contributed in
building this House of God,’ he said.
He
further congratulated little children who were enrolled into the Holy
Child Association (HCA) family and charged than to pay attention to
Church teachings and also respect their Church leaders, parents,
guardians and seniors.
In
a remark, the parish priest Rev. Fr. Clement Onyemelukwu, thanked the
bishop for his good works in the diocese and all those who in one way or
the other contributed to quick completion of the Church building.