By Olivia Obijiaku
The Parish Priest of St. Dennis Parish, Danladi and Dean of Danladi Deanery of the Catholic Diocese of Zaria, Very Rev. Dr. Cletus Kazzah Dauya celebrated his 50th birthday at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Pastoral Centre, Graceland, Zaria, on Thursday, April 9, 2026. He also launched his second book tilted, ‘Rituals in Bajju Traditional Religion and the Catholic Church’ on the same day.
On behalf of the priests, religious and lay faithful of his diocese, the Catholic Bishop of Zaria, Most Rev. Dr. Habila Tyiakonaboi Daboh, congratulated the celebrant on the two milestones achieved, thanking him for bringing a lot of people to the diocese. The local ordinary, asserted that though understanding the book needs the assistance of a Bajju person, those who read it carefully will not remain the same because they “will gain a lot of things.”
He reminded Fr. Cletus that people expect much from those who have attained the age of fifty whether they like it or not, expressing confidence that those who look up to him in that regard, including the mass servers, who would begin to watch him as a grandfather, would not be disappointed. Bishop Daboh thanked the Catholic Bishop of Kano, Most Rev. Dr. John Namaza Niyiring for giving them background information about the priest, imploring the honoree to slow down on some things, because, ”by the time you reach fifty, your knees begin to knock.”
Bishop Niyiring had while delivering his speech, disclosed how the celebrant’s father and a retired catechist, Mr. Gregory Dauya attended his priestly ordination in Yola from Zonkwa Parish over thirty five years ago. He said that the 91year old, retiree rendered services to the Church, “because he worked so hard, everywhere in showing that the Catholic faith was not only proclaimed but was received and that Catholic life was deepened in the lives of people.” He charged Fr. Dauya to use the knowledge he acquired through his research and the formation he has received for the good of the Church.
In his homily, the Chaplain of Holy Trinity Catholic Chaplaincy, Kaduna State University, (KASU), Rev. Fr. Dr. James Bako Tella, described his brother priest and friend as, “a good shepherd who knows and smells like his sheep by identifying with them, a proper pastor and a pastoral bulldozer.”
“Those of us who know Fr. Cally More very well, often describe him with words like: he is very caring, friendly, and sociable, humane, simple, hardworking, kind, generous and above all forgiving. These for me are not small compliments. In fact, they are the very virtues that make the Gospel visible in his life as a priest of God and a pastor of souls.”
In an interview with Trinitas Newspaper, the Director, Interfaith and Ecumenism for CAN in the state, who has served as CAN Chairman in four local governments in the state, divulged that he was inspired to write the book which targets Bajju people, Catholic traditional communities, and Nigerians, because, “I’m fascinated by how different cultures and religions approach rituals and spirituality. Exploring the similarities and differences between Bajju traditional religion and the Catholic Church has been really insightful for me.”
“Growing up in a multicultural society, I’ve always been curious about how different faiths intersect and diverge. This topic allowed me to dive deeper into the rituals and practices of these two traditions. As someone interested in cultural preservation and interfaith dialogue, I wanted to explore how traditional and modern religions can transform and enrich each other.”
The event which had the wife of the Honorable Speaker, Haj. Fatima Tajudeen Abbas as the Mother of the Day, attracted people from different walks of life including, priests from different dioceses, and the State CAN Chairman, Rev. Caleb Maji.
