By Abuchi Onwumelu
86-year-old widow, Mrs Francisca Okoye, a native of Umunneoke Village Awka this afternoon at St. Patrick's Catholic Cathedral, Awka, alongside over 300 other disadvantaged individuals in Awka and its environ benefited from the Easter largesse of the Catholic bishop of Awka Diocese, His Lordship Most Rev. Paulinus Ezeokafor.
In the spirit of Easter Celebration, Bishop Ezeokafor empowered over three hundred vulnerable and disadvantaged members of society from different religious background with items worth millions of naira
Over 300 people living below poverty line received relief materials from the Catholic Bishop Diocese of Awka during this year's Easter celebration.
The people comprising men and women most of whom are youths, septuagenarians and octogenarians thronged St.Patrick's Catholic Cathedral, Awka on Holy Saturday to receive items such as bags of rice , loaves of bread, articles of clothing, shoes, umbrella, cartoons of noodles, tubers of yam, cocoayam, cocoanuts and a host of other consumables.
Delivering the items to the beneficiaries, Bishop Ezeokafor told them to accept their condition in good faith knowing that God was always with them .
Bishop Ezeokafor noted that as living beings they need sustenance pointing out that those selected for the Easter gift are poorest of the poor in society and that there was need to show them compassion by giving them food and water .
According to him there are many people in society who were really suffering and poor. He said these people can not afford one square meal let alone three square meals per day .
He equally observed that religious denomination was of no consequence in charity but what matters according to him was living a good life as he believed that it would be too pathetic to be poor and needy on earth yet one still loses eternal life .
The cleric who expressed reservations that some people have made begging a profession, said even when such people are given jobs, they abandoned the job and return to begging .
The Catholic prelate thereby admonished those who can still fend for themselves to venture into things that are worthwhile and morally justifiable not begging in any form of disguise .
He said that if people should go by what they see or encounter , no one would want to give to charity because he observed that people pretend alot to be suffering from one ailment or the other just to beg for alms .
Bishop Ezeokafor called on good spirited individuals to come to the aid of the poor and the downtrodden in society .
He emphasized that the less privileged needed the help of those who have amassed wealth to be able to improve their living conditions .