By Ononye VC
Christians all over the world on Saturday observed the All Souls Day to remember and pray for the souls of the faithful departed.
At the Basilica of the Most Holy Trinity Onitsha,the Archbishop of Onitsha,Most Rev Valerian Okeke, presided over an evening Mass at the Basilica grave yard where a number of priests,the Religious and hundreds of faithful gathered to pray for the departed.
In his opening remarks,the Archbishop reminded the faithful that the reason for the gathering was to pray for their departed loved ones for God to afford them all the needed graces to complete their journey to heaven.
In his brief homily,Rev Fr John Ezeanowai re-echoed the Archbishop’s earlier remarks,saying that the All Souls Day afforded christians to remember and pray for their departed ones inorder to complete the cycle of their heavenly journey.
Fr Ezeanowai reminded the living of their own death and the need not to be caught unawares but to prepare themselves to meet their maker one day without being found wanting.
The new Rector of the Basilica,Very Rev Fr JohnBosco Ezika delivered the vote of thanks saying the Mass at the grave yard was a good spiritual point of contact to mark the event and urged the faithful to remain committed and prayerful.
The Rector thanked the Archbishop for celebrating the 6am Mass early in the day inside the Basilica and also came around to celebrate the evening Mass.
Chancellor of the Archdiocese,Very Rev Fr Prudentius Aroh,the Vice Chancellor of the Archdiocese, Very Rev Fr Basil Ekwunife,the Archdiocesan Financial Administrator,Very Rev Fr Philip Ibeneme,other priests and Religious were present at the Mass.
