Catholic Church of the Ascension witnessed a momentous event on the 3rd of November 2024, as Rev. Fr. Valentine Obunkaneme Ssp was ordained a priest, by His Grace Most Rev. Dr. Gabriel Leke Abengunrin, the Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Ibadan. It was a beautiful and solemn occasion attended by family, friends, clergy, religious congregations, and parishioners who gathered to witness the sacred event.The Archbishop presided over the liturgy, while the Regional Superior of the Nigeria-Ghana region, Fr. Joseph Kandamchakunel delivered a homily, exhorting Fr. Valentine that this new chapter of life will be a challenging one and also in a way urging the people of God present to support his ministry.After receiving Holy Communion, the newly ordained blessed the people of God and gave the vote of thanks. The Mass concluded with a solemn blessing and procession outside the sanctuary. Thanks be to God.After the celebration of the Holy Mass, there was a photo session which was followed immediately by a reception in the community of Ibadan, where attendees congratulated the newly ordained with gifts and words of goodwill. The celebrations ended with a light refreshment.
Saturday 31st of August 2024 was a joyful and memorable day for the Nigeria-Ghana region as she received five brothers into the year of postulancy and six brothers into the canonical year of novitiate. The ceremony started by 7pm in the community of Lagos. The regional superior Rev. Fr. Joseph Kandachamkunnel presided over the ceremony and was assisted by the novice master Fr. Praveen Jose.
The regional superior in his reflection exhorted the candidates to be admitted into postulancy and novitiate to be committed to their Pauline vocation and begin the practice of evangelical counsels, thereby striving towards perfection by avoiding the occasions of sins. The ceremony ended with the regional superior congratulating and thanking the novice master Fr. Praveen Jose.
The formation council of the Nigeria-Ghana region had a meeting with the parents of the Juniors from the 5th to the 8th of September. It was the first of its kind, The meeting was aimed at promoting familiarity between the Juniors parents and the congregation and also to update them on the progress of their sons, thereby, seeking their support and collaboration in the future.
The parents arrived safely on the 5th of September in the community of Ibadan to begin this memorable event. On the 6th of September, the meeting commenced with the celebration of the Holy Mass officiated by the Coordinator General of Formation (CGF), Rev. Fr. James Edeh at 10:00 am. He welcomed all the parents in his homily and proclaimed that the gathering was for a good course. After the mass, the parents gathered to start the meetings for the day. The day ended with a cultural night, where the Juniors entertained everyone present with drama and dancing.
On the 6th and 7th day of September, series of meetings were held between the formators and the parents. The formators present were Fr. James Edeh the CGF, Fr. Desmond Shinshima, the Vocations Director and Fr. Praveen Jose the master of novices. The meetings ended with an interactive session between the Juniors, the parents and the formators. After over two hours of sharing, the session was concluded by the CGF. He urged the parents to be more involved in the activities of the congregation and declared that the meeting will be held every 3years. Finally, there was an audience with the regional superior.
The parents were also present for the first religious profession and renewal of their children. They departed the community on the 9th of September.
On the 15th day of August 2024, the Nigeria-Ghana region welcomed Fr. Johnson Chacko, one of the general councillors, in the regional house. It was indeed a homecoming for him, as he had previously spent some of his Pauline years on the Nigerian soil. He visited the region in view of animating the region toward a better approach in the area of formation.
He anchored the Aspirants and Postulants meet in Lagos from the 20th to the 23rd of August, where he encouraged them to grow in their vocation and desire to become good Paulines. He also celebrated the Holy Eucharist for the worshipping community.
As part of his visit, he proceeded to the community of Ibadan on Monday, 26th August. He was welcomed by the entire community with a warm cultural display. Fr. Johnson moderated the Juniors Meet from the 26th to the 28th of August. He had an interactive time with the juniors and reminded them of the great responsibility they would face in the future as Paulines. He encouraged them to discover themselves and see how they can fit into the Pauline life while reminding them that Africa is a very fertile ground for evangelization, and if they are serious, they can explore many possibilities. Finally, he reminded them that they are consecrated persons who are called to be witnesses of the gospel.
During his stay, he also met with the members of the Formation Council and other senior members in the region. His presence ignited and made a great impact on the region.
The Vocation promotion team of Nigeria-Ghana Region held the annual "Come and See" program which is decisive for admitting new candidates on the 15th of June at the regional house in Lagos. The program lasted for 13 days. A total of 33 candidates were shortlisted for the program of which 16 participated while others cited various reasons for not attending the program. The program had been organised to offer the candidates a fair knowledge and understanding of the Pauline Religious life, mission and charism, hence it featured the following activities: prayer sessions, Daily Mass, lectures, games/sports, cultural evening, talent exhibition and personal encounters with the members of the vocation promotion team.
At the end of the exercise, Fr. Desmond Shinshima, the Coordinator of Vocation Promotion thanked the Regional Superior Fr. Joseph Kadanchamkunnel for ensuring a good community atmosphere which contributed to the success of the program. He also thanked the members of the vocation team for collaborating with him and for their dedication in planning and executing the program. A total of 15 candidates were selected to begin their aspirancy on the 17th of September at Ikot Ekpene.