-Pastoral letter 2026 unveiled,priests renew their vow
By Ononye V C
The Basilica Square Onitsha,was on Thursday besieged by hundreds of priests,the consecrated religious and lay faithful who came to share in the blessings of Chrism Mass celebrated by the Metropolitan Archbishop of Onitsha,Most Rev Valerian Okeke.
Chrism Mass is held yearly on Maundy-Thursday throughout Catholicism during-which the Holy Oils used for sacraments and rituals are blessed or consecrated.
In this regard,the Archbishop performed the rituals and blessed the oils used for baptism, confirmation and Holy Orders.The oils are also used for consecration of altars and dedication of churches.
At the Mass also,priests of the Archdiocese of Onitsha renewed their vow, commitment and loyalty to the Archbishop.
Earlier in his opening remarks, Archbishop Okeke expressed his profound gratitude to the priests,the religious and lay faithful for their unwavering support to the church, pointing out that without their support,the journey would’ve been difficult.
The Archbishop expressed gratitude and excitement at the rapid take-off and growth of the new Shanahan University which he pointed out was unprecedented in the history of other universities in the last 30 years,in terms of admission of students.
He reflected on the successes achieved during the recent 140th anniversary of the Archdiocese which according to him was the result of the sacrifices made by early missionaries led by Rev Fr Lutz and Bishop Ignatius Shanahan.He emphasized that faith was the driving force behind the journey of the early missionaries which he described as “Missionary Heroism” adding that without faith,no one can please God.
While unveiling his Pastoral Letter 2026 titled,”on Virtues and Capital Sins”,the Archbishop stressed on the importance of virtue against vices in the lives of christians.
According to him,virtue perfects a person and makes him good while vices are dangerous and can lead to other sins.
The Archbishop listed natural and super natural virtues to include;prudence,justice,fortitude, temperance and moderation in everything.He also added virtues of faith and love which according to him, was the cornerstone of the achievements of the early missionaries.
The Chrism Mass featured the church’s annual Cathedraticum where various organisations,societies,groups and individuals expressed appreciation to the Archbishop with gifts of various items.Prior to the one held at the Basilica,Cathedraticum was held in various regions of the Archdiocese.
Foreign nationals from Hungary led by Dr Reka Fodor were spotted at the Chrism Mass.Reka Fodor is a philanthropist and a great friend of the Archdiocese who has contributed a lot towards development of the Archdiocese.
