By Olivia Obijiaku
The Vicar General and former Administrator of the Catholic Diocese of Zaria, and the Parish Priest of Good Shepherd Parish, Graceland, Zaria, Very Rev Fr. Michael Kagarko celebrated the twenty-fifth of his ordination as a Catholic priest on Friday, 6th September, 2024. The event which took place at the Good Shepherd Parish, Graceland Zaria, commenced with the Holy Mass attended by the Catholic Bishop of Kafanchan, Most Rev Dr. Julius Yakubu Kundi, about forty priests from within and outside the diocese, Deputy Chief of Staff, Deputy Governor of Kaduna State, Sir Dr. James Atung Kanyip (KSM), many dignitaries and people from different walks of life, including visitors from within and outside the country.
Delivering the homily, one of the four ordination mates of the celebrant present at the Mass, Very Rev Fr. Edward S. Sati of the Catholic Archdiocese of Kaduna, disclosed that Fr. Mike’s journey has been filled with challenges, sacrifices and many blessings. He described him as a compassionate priest and a beacon of hope to many, who has continued to blossom wherever he finds himself.
“Fr. Kagarko can blossom even in Sahara Desert.” The homilist continued. “He determines what happens on any land he is. That land must obey. Fr. Mike is a very resourceful priest, he takes his time in doing anything. His simplicity, calmness, organizational abilities, tireless dedication speak volumes and leave indelible marks in the hearts of many. He exemplifies the true meaning of being a servant-leader. As the Administrator, before the new bishop was announced, he ran the diocese as if he was a bishop. He ran it in in such a way that nobody knew that there was a vacant seat.”
Fr. Sati told the celebrant that, “Now, it is time for you to delegate duties. Heaven should be on your mind now, not money. It is time for you to exercise well. It is time for you to rest well. It is time for you to mentor and not compete. As an elder that you are today, Fr. Mike Kagarko, you are not to be an opposition or an antagonist opposing the bishop. You are to support him. You should advice the bishop honestly. Support him very well for the success of the diocese.”
“The Catholic priesthood demands faithfulness and not success. You are not called as a priest to be a successful priest. You are called to be a faithful priest. Fidelity to the Gospel and its value, charity and holiness of life are the basic ingredients for being a faithful priest.”
“It is time for us and you Fr. Kagarko to develop honest relationships, not selfish and quantitative relationships. Time for experiment is over. That is why at the stage and time in the priesthood, perfection is demanded from us. And because it is time for perfection, we must celebrate the Mass as an opportunity to pray the highest prayer of the Church, because at twenty-five, if you do not exhibit perfection in performance of duties, when next will you do?”
In his vote of thanks, Fr. Kagarko thanked God for sparing his life “all these years of my priesthood and for my late parents who brought me to this world, took care of me, and trained me to become what I am today. I want to appreciate the late Archbishop Jatau who admitted me into the seminary, trained me and finally ordained me and my ten classmates on the 10th of July, 1999; our late Bishop George Jonathan Dodo who was like a friend, a mentor and a brother; my bishop, a classmate and my best friend for almost forty years, who is currently in Rome for an official assignment, Most Rev Habila Daboh; Bishop Julius Yakubu Kundi, who always stands by me. He has been a brother, a friend and a mentor; my family members and my special people from the village; the priests who attended this Mass; my classmates; members of the committee; wonderful people of Good Shepherd Parish.”
He also thanked the entire laity of the diocese especially the knights of the Church, the Laity Council Chairman of the diocese and other parishes, in addition to the police, the cadet and all his Muslim friends for coming. He prayed God to bless them, take them back safely and reward them abundantly.
The event featured presentations from Holy Childhood Association (HCA) and Catholic Youth Organization of Nigerian (CYON) as well as cash and gift presentation from the parish, Zenith Bank, different groups and individuals from different Christian denominations and people of different faiths.
