The secret of the King rightly belongs to him but the goodness of the Lord is to be proclaimed from the roof top. The Vincentian family in Ogobia canonical house gathered in St. Justin Seminary Ogobia to proclaim to the world, and indeed to the church of Christ in Benue the goodness and faithfulness of God to the Congregation of the Mission in the last four centuries.
The ceremony was a two-day program. The first day was the celebration of solemn Mass of thanksgiving to God for the gift of the CM to humanity, and for nurturing and sustaining the seed of charity planted by St. Vincent. The Mass featured talk that recalled how the congregation started, the ups and downs the company faced and then the great work the Vincentian Fathers have done especially in the dioceses of Markudi, Otukpo and Idah. The talk was delivered by Father Calistus Mede, Cm.
The mass of anniversary was officiated by Rev. Fr. John Leo (of Oturkpo diocese) who represented the cordiality between our host diocese and the Vincentian fathers in Ogobia. Many of our confreres working in Apen, Okenyi, Ogobia and Aune were in attendance. There was a huge presence of catholic faithful from within and outside Ogobia parish. Students of St. Mary College and Agricultural development center Ondo graced the occasion in their good number, the same with the pupils and management staff of St. Benedette Nursery and primary school. Both schools are some of the educational interventions of the Vincentian fathers in the diocese. Members of Saint Vincent de Paul society, O’Brien Foundation, School Sisters of Notre Dame graced the occasion.
The mass dismissed into entertainment and merriment marking the anniversary celebration. Many more friends, associates, collaborators who could not join the mass were received and entertained. Taking the opening prayer, Very Reverend Father Joseph Ameh Onu who represented the Bishop of Otukpo thanked God for the great work St. Vincent has done in the diocese through the priests of the Mission, and prayed that God will continue to uphold the priests of the mission as they continue to provide care and succor to people living in the peripheries of life.
In one of the many congratulatory speeches, Chief Emmanuel Otanwa, a man I would describe as a great custodian of Vincentian heritage in Ogobia asserted without fear of being challenged that there is no family in Ogobia deanery that has not benefited from the charities of Vincentian fathers, he enumerated our interventions in the life of the rural folk to include provision of primary and secondary educational institutions, bore-well, scholarships, rice mill, cassava processing centers, to name but a few. Speaking on behalf of O’Brien foundation, one Mr. Fred acknowledged the great sacrifice the Vincentian fathers made in bringing development to Ugboju, and urged the present Vincentians to keep the legacies of O’Brien alive.
The next day was visit to some of our apostolates in the locality. The confreres visited the staff and pupils of St. Benedet Nursery and Primary School Ogobia. We also paid anniversary-visit to St. Mary College and Agric Development Center Ondo-Ugboju. Then there visit to the Federal Correctional Services Otukpo to solidarize with them and to offer them some relief materials. To God be the glory!
