By Charles Igwe
Ugwuetiti Community in Amansea Odo, Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State is set for a moment of profound spiritual and communal significance as St. Joseph’s Catholic Parish is set to be formally dedicated, following a rare and remarkable journey of faith led almost entirely by one man—Mr. Amaechi Davidson Kanife (Izaga for Christ), CEO of Coral-Stone Aluminum Products Ltd., Onitsha.
The dedication, thanksgiving and empowerment ceremony, to be presided over by His Lordship, Most Rev. Callistus Onaga on Saturday 24 January, 2026, stands as the culmination of over two years of single-handed construction sustained by personal sacrifice, unwavering belief in divine providence, and a deep sense of responsibility to God and humanity.
Speaking to the press, Mr. Kanife has described the Church building not as a monument to human effort, but as a sacred edifice which God, in His infinite wisdom, chose to build through him, an unworthy but willing instrument. Yet the details of the journey reveal an extraordinary narrative of obedience and resolve that has left parishioners and observers alike in awe.
The story began on 31 October 2021, during a thanksgiving Mass for the dedication of Mr. Kanife’s triplets and a house-warming ceremony in his village. After the Mass, a Reverend Sister delivered a message that would alter the course of events: God desired that he build a Church for Him. What initially sounded like a spiritual prompting soon became a concrete mission, affirmed by prayers and encouragement from his barrister and godfather, Barr. P. U. P. Onuorah, who urged that the resources to carry out such a sacrifice be entrusted to God.
By September 2023, progress had already become visible. The parish house was completed and blessed, and discussions intensified on erecting a permanent Church structure. With the support of the Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. John Ugwa, a building committee was formed. An earlier architectural plan drawn by a former parish priest could not be located, leading to the decision to design and execute a fresh plan from scratch.
Although the intention was to begin modestly and later expand through collective parish fundraising, guidance from the diocesan authority shaped the next steps. Construction was encouraged to continue up to the DPC level before further formal blessings and communal fundraising. Motivated by this directive—and driven by the zeal of the parish priest—Mr. Kanife, after consultations with his wife, decided to commence foundation work immediately.
By Christmas 2023, the foundation had been completed, marking a major milestone. In what many parishioners now describe as symbolic, the first Holy Mass was celebrated within the unfinished Church on Christmas Day, even as walls were still rising. By January 2024, block-setting commenced, with meticulous attention paid to structural integrity and durability, despite a period marked by harsh national economic conditions and the simultaneous responsibility of building his family home in Onitsha.
A second Holy Mass was celebrated in December 2024, this time within the bare but standing structure—without canopies, with plastic chairs arranged inside the building. It was at that Mass that the parish priest expressed a faith-filled conviction that within a year, the Church would witness a remarkable transformation.
At that stage, Mr. Kanife had contemplated stepping back, allowing the project to transition into a fully community-funded initiative. However, during a moment of Divine Mercy prayers, a personal spiritual struggle altered that plan. Troubled by the thought of completing his personal house while the Lord’s house remained unfinished, he resolved to take full responsibility for completing the Church.
Without public announcement and despite personal fears about the sufficiency of resources, he informed the parish priest that he would continue and complete the Church project single-handedly. What followed was an intense phase of construction, marked by bold decisions—including adopting more expensive structural designs, iron rafters instead of aluminium roofing, and stone tiles in place of conventional materials.
At every stage, according to Mr. Kanife, provisions came unexpectedly. Significantly, the roofing sheets used for the Church were products of his own company, a decision he said symbolised his conviction that what God blesses a man with should ultimately be returned to God’s service.
In total, the Church project lasted two years and three months. Today, St. Joseph’s Catholic Parish stands as a place of worship and as a visible testimony of faith translated into action.
Beyond the dedication Mass, Saturday’s event will also feature an empowerment programme. This phase of the event reflects Mr. Kanife’s belief that service to God must also uplift human lives. He emphasised that generosity, rather than wealth, defines true service—shaped by personal experiences of lack and a conviction that every act of giving carries eternal value.
He also recalled moments of criticism and mockery from peers who questioned why he chose to build a Church instead of investing in commercial ventures. Yet, he maintained that God’s house must come first, trusting that other pursuits would follow in their appointed time.
As the community gathers for the dedication, prayers will be offered for healing, fruitfulness, peace, and prosperity—not only for Ugwuaya and Amansea Odo communities, but for Ezeagu LGA, Enugu State, and Nigeria as a whole.
