BISHOP DUNIA ORDAINS EIGHT PRIESTS

The Catholic community of Auchi Diocese was agog with joy and praises to God on Saturday, August 28th 2010, as the Bishop of the diocese Most Rev. Dr. Gabriel Ghieakhomo Dunia, ordained Eight (8) priests for the diocese at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral, Auchi. The widely publicized ceremony was well attended by priests from within and outside the diocese, religious, dignitaries as well as friends and relatives of the ordained, as it is the highest number to be ordained so far in the diocese.
At the commencement of the ceremony, the candidates Revs. Agabi Isaac, Elogie Innocent, Imoagene Polycarp, Ibhawa Victor, Momoh Francis, Ikhianosimhe Francis, Okafor Ferdinand and Oshiokede Nicolas were called by the diocesan vocations director Rev. Fr. Anslem Jimoh, while the Judicial Vicar Rev. Fr. (Dr.) Benedict Etafor, presented them to the Bishop.
Delivering the homily titled “The greatest sacrifice”, Bishop G.G. Dunia reiterated that the greatest sacrifice the Church has ever had, is the divine office of the priest, which he noted is very sacred, demanding and should be revered.
The chief shepherd called on the Catholic faithful of the diocese and beyond to always see the priesthood as a sacred entity, which should be accorded love, respect and kindness, while stressing that the ordinals have made the greatest sacrifice by offering themselves for the pure love of the Church and humanity as a whole. More, he pointed out that Christ has declared that it is only those who do the will of the father that are His brothers and sisters and charged them to offer themselves to all without special concessions for brothers, sisters or relatives, while also urging them to be willing vessels for God, who should serve and not to be served as they are gifts of God to man.
Continuing, the prelate stressed that the priesthood, the Eucharist and the Church are unanimously one, as they are there to complement one another, noting that without the priest, there will be no Eucharistic celebration and without the Eucharist, there will be no special or divine office for the priest and that without the Church the two cannot stand.
Further, the Bishop charged all Catholic faithful to support their priests, thank God for their lives, and appreciate the gift of God through them.
While addressing the candidates for ordination, Bishop Dunia charged them to be shepherd of the flock of Christ entrusted to them, while also urging them to love and care for the Christian community just as Christ loves and cares for Church, so as to present a holy and blemish free faithful before the Lord.
Shortly after the homily and examination of the candidates by the Bishop, the ordinals knelt before him to make the promise of obedience to him and his successors. Thereafter, they prostrated before God for the invocation of the saints in prayer, which was followed by the laying on of hands by the Bishop and priests present.
Highpoint of the ordination ceremony was the prayer of consecration by virtue of which they were ordained priests consequently, they were vested with chasubles, anointed for the ministry and presented with bread and wine for Eucharistic celebration. The newly ordained priest gave a kiss of peace to the Bishop, other priests and one another.
There was also a joyful thanksgiving procession led by the newly ordained priests accompanied by family members, friends and well wishers from within and outside the diocese.
After the post communion prayers, the diocesan vocations director Rev. Fr. Anslem Jimoh, welcomed the new priests and thanked all for their contributions to the success of the ceremony, while calling on all Catholic faithful present to support seminarians in cash and in kind especially the feeding and training of those in the Minor Seminary at Immaculate Conception Seminary at Ivianokpodi, stressing on the need for groups and individuals to take it up as a challenge to sponsor them, as the harvest is rich but the labourers are few to man the rich harvest.
During the vote of thanks, Rev. Fr. (Prof) John Onimhawo thanked all who came for the event and gave a special commendation to the Bishop, pointed out that the diocese now has a total of sixty-three (63) priests of which Bishop G.G. Dunia has ordained a total thirty-two (32) Priests.
He further commended the newly ordained priest for sacrificing their lives for the divine office of the priesthood and also the Rectors of St. Paul's Major Seminary Ibadan and All Saints Major Seminary Ekpoma, Rev. Frs. Michael Sasa and Oredipe respectively for their wonderful works.
He also thanked the choir, the Church warden, the mass-servers (Altar knights) and everyone who had in one way or the other contributed to the success of the occasion.
The Bishop in his closing remarks sent warm greetings to all Moslems during this period of their fasting.
In attendance were priests from various dioceses and Archdioceses across the country Lady Chevalier Alimikhena among other prominent dignitaries.