By Nna Anulumadu
The St. John XXIII Liturgical Community of Onitsha Archdiocese recently commended the Archbishop of Onitsha, His Grace Most Rev. Valerian Okeke, for providing them with a new site where they are building a church.
The commendation was contained in an address presented to the prelate during his pastoral visit to the community on August 3rd, 2025. The community thanked the Archbishop for his fatherly role, support, and encouragement, expressing joy that the new site located at old Cemetery Road, Onitsha, has enabled them to begin constructing a church where members can comfortably attend Sunday Mass.
The Chaplain of the community and the chairman Onitsha archdiocesan music commision, Rev Fr. Jude Orakwe, appreciated the Archbishop for visiting the community, noting that they are growing from strength to strength. He extolled the community members for their regular support, which has resulted in the development of the new site.
The Vice chairman of the community, Bro. Sunday Akpuogwu, expressed elation over the Archbishop’s visit and thanked him for approving the celebration of St. John XXIII Liturgical Mass in Onitsha Archdiocese thirteen years ago.
In his homily, Archbishop Okeke reminded the Christians about the transitory nature of life, urging them to hold tenaciously to the things of God. “Don’t depend on your wealth for survival because our life here is temporary. Strive to be rich in God’s things,” he advised.
The Archbishop encouraged Christians to live a life of love, charity, mercy, forgiveness, and non-discrimination, warning against greed and avarice. “A life of greed is a life of worshipping the devil,” he stated.
Instead, he encouraged the faithful to place God first in their lives, use their wealth to transform the world, and help the less privileged. “Don’t store or save all your fortune for personal use, because death is coming.”
It will be recalled that St John XXIII Liturgical Community was established in Onitsha Archdiocese on July 31 2011 by His Grace, Most Rev Valerian OKEKE in obedience to Pope Benedict XVI Motu Propiro Summorum Pontificum allowing wider use of pre-Vatican 2nd Roman Missal of 1962 by St pope John XXIII.
This community celebrates both pre Vatican council Liturgy now known as Extra Ordinary Mass and the current one now known as Ordinary form. Through the reverent celebration of both forma vetus and forma nova of the Roman Rite, the community strive to preserve and promote the church’s sacred language, chants and ritual as a living treasury for evangelization.
Indeed, the liturgy of the pastoral visit was so edifying as witnessed by our reporter and showcased the beauty of the sacred .
Later at the reception, the chairman of the occasion, Chief & Lolo Mathew Ibebilo, the Igwe Akaoma Jide Aku 1 of Immaculate Conception parish woliwo thanked God for the gift of the community. He said that he was among those attracted by the solenm liturgy of Tridentine Mass as it was known before 2nd Vatican council due to its beauty. He said that he never hesitate to travel all the way from Woliwo to attend the Mass, like wise many others from various parts of the archdiocese that made up the communty. “People even from outside Onitsha attends the Mass” He noted
He recalled how His Eminence, Francis Cardinal Arinze once visited the communty to celebrate the Mass with the community and somebody travelled all the way from Uganda to attend the Mass. He thanked the Archbishop Val for his love and zeal in the work of evangelization, especially with the recent building of Shanahan University to help reshape our youths who are exposed to dangers of new civilization without God .
Several priests of the archdiocese including the chancellor, Very Rev Fr Prudentus Aroh and thousands of the faithful attended the event The archbishop used the third pastoral visit to confirm over one hundred candidates.
