By Olivia Obijiaku
During the Mass he celebrated at St Gabriel Chaplaincy, Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN), Durumi, Abuja, Friday, July 31, 2026, Rev. Fr. George Omaku Ehusani called on followers of Jesus Christ to return to the catacombs where the early Christians were martyred for their faith in Jesus and His Gospel. He reflected on the life of the Saint of the day, Ignatius of Loyola, who stood out despite the challenges of faith during his time, in maintaining that some of the best saints in the history of the Church, lived during periods of severe persecution and untold hardships.
Addressing participants at the 2026 Conference organized by Church Life Africa (CLA), between Thursday, July 30 and Saturday, August 1, 2026, the priest observed that many Christians prefer the bread and butter kind of Christianity, which demands nothing serious or nothing at all from them. He asserted that every religion demands sacrifices from its adherents, adding that the prosperity Gospel which many have embraced in Nigeria cannot address the current challenges confronting the faith and the nation.
“We have to be prepared.” Fr. Ehusani said. “The call is to return to the catacombs, where the early Christians were martyred. As we have these encounters during this conference, we need to remind ourselves that we are in an era where those who are going to be agents of the Gospel, as lay faithful or clerical have to return, as it were to the catacombs. It is no longer going to be a religion of convenience – a religion that asks nothing of you. A religion that does not ask anything of you, which is a popular religion in this country – prosperity Gospel, cannot transform this country.”
“Sacrifice is the root of all religions. But the people of my generation want to be known as religious people. They want to dance and sing and celebrate but no sacrifice. Such religion will not survive the onslaught of the 21st century. So many people are looking for cheap grace. They want salvation but no repentance. The message of Jeremiah in the first reading is that there is no salvation without repentance. You and I happen to be Catholics, Christians, priests, religious people in the 21st century and we have to be prepared.”
Fr. Ehusani congratulated the Director of Church Life Africa, Rev. Fr. Kenneth Amadi and his team, alongside friends from the Augustine Institute and the University of Notre Dame for sustaining the initiative. He also acknowledged participants at the Mass, imploring them to keep shinning the Light of Christ in a dark world, like St Francis of Assis, St Catherine of Siena, St Dominic did, during the Dark Ages.
