By Olivia Obijiaku
Old and new members of Will of God Prayer Community, Catholic Charismatic Renewal in Nigeria, (CCRN), Fegge Zone were at Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish Fegge Onitsha recently for their second renewal.
Delivering the homily at the Mass presided by Rev Fr Barr Anthony Ezeoke of the Catholic Diocese of Ekwulobia and who lauded members for their zeal and commitment to spread of the Gospel to other parts of the metropolis and Nigeria as a whole alongside Odakpu Community, Rev Fr Venatius Anayo Umennebuaku described the group as a mustard seed which has transformed into something so great and that which has been stamped by God for longevity and expansion.
“The charismatic, Fegge Zone has metamorphosed into something that is so great.” He analysed. “It is made up of different prayer groups. So, we have gathered here today under one umbrella of Fegge Zone to thank God for how He has put this group at the frontier of evangelization. In spite of the challenges, a group of us have been faithful to the end, even though some others left and formed their own ministries. Today, we will pray for a new Pentecost, for a new fire and unction. As iron sharpens iron, a new Pentecost will happen today.”
The host Parish Priest and the new Chaplain of the zone, Rev Fr Sampson Ogbuebuna welcomed members to the parish and reminded them of the need to key into the Church’s activities and programmes for unity and growth. He observed that a great number of the Charismatic members “are looking down or may have looked down, bypassed, or forsaken the Church or the programmes of the Church. There is an attack on us and this is one of the pains and sorrows of God now.”
He reminded them that the group does not exist without the Church, catechising that they are first Christians before becoming charismatic just as they are first human beings before becoming Christians through baptism – hence the need to align properly with the structures that are foundational to their existence and relevance in the Church.
Fegge Zone of Catholic Charismatic Renewal in Nigeria started at Immaculately Heart of Mary Parish Fegge Onitsha in 1975 but became evidently functional in 1976. It was the second in the then Onitsha Ecclesiastical Province after Sacred Heart Parish, Odakpu Onitsha. Presently, the CCRN Fegge Zone is made up of six parishes, Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, St Jude the Apostle Parish, St Michael’s Catholic Church, St Dominic Parish, Queen of Peace Parish and St Benedict Parish. Some former and current members of the group include the chief celebrant and homilist of the day – Rev Frs Ezeoke and Umennebuaku, Rev Srs Mary Azuka Onwunedo, Thecla Ifeoma Uzoigwe (IHM), and Mmasichukwu Ibeka, Bros Bernard Eze, Sebatine Ofolete, and Nick Ugwuogu.
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