By Adewale Kupoluyi and Simon Senaya
Strategic plans are ongoing for the Catholic Archdiocese of Ibadan to have a new secretariat building to host important offices.
To realise this, several events have already been lined up. One of these is the maiden edition of the ‘Luncheon With the Archbishop’ programme, which will be held on Saturday, June 8, 2024, at the Church of the Ascension, Bodija, Ibadan, Oyo State, starting at 11 am.
The Lay Apostolate Harvest Thanksgiving would also be held on Saturday, July 13, 2024, at St. Leo’s Catholic Church, Orita-Challenge, Ibadan, beginning by 10 am, which would have the Archbishop as the Chief Celebrant.
This Archdiocesan Secretariat Building Project would house the Chancery, Laity Office, Catholic Men Organisation (AICMO), Catholic Women Organisation (AICWO), Catholic Youth Organisation of Nigeria (AICYON), chapel, multipurpose hall, and other key offices in the Archdiocese.
In this interview, the Archbishop of Ibadan Archdiocese, Most Rev (Dr) Gabriel ‘Leke Abegunrin spoke on a number of issues including why it is desirable to have a new secretariat.
Present at the interview session were the President, Archdiocesan Laity Council, Mr Olujide Oladokun and the Chairperson, 2024 Lay Apostolate Harvest Planning Committee, Mrs Christiana Folorunso.
Excerpts:
How is the Archdiocese of Ibadan doing, Your Grace?
Your question will be answered with only one sentence. Because we all belong to it, we are all feeling it. Ibadan Archdiocese is in dire need of support because we are not receiving the kind of support we need; that the diocese should move forward, but recently, we thank God that people are coming up to really know their duties, servility as Catholics, that’s important. Because sometimes, we feel that some people are doing it, so I’m not involved, it's a bad attitude. If everybody say it is mine, that will be good. So far, we are gaining that ground now.
Thank you, Your Grace. So, why is the Archdiocesan Secretariat Building Project important?
Well, it is important because that is (where) every activity will converge, as for administration; as an administrative centre. Now, when you look at it, if you travel around this Province, we are the only one, who has no secretariat. We have one where we are now, but it’s not like it at all. If you go to Ilorin, Osogbo, Ekiti, Oyo, or Ondo; they have sizable, very beautiful, well-furnished secretariats that you call the Chancery. But here, we are just managing, we are doing all our work well, even including what extends to all other dioceses and archdioceses, but then, it is not the real thing we should have. We need a better one.
Your Grace, what are your expectations in terms of support by the priests, religious and the laity towards the success of this building project?
Well, it's not just this building project. I am here for the laity, priests and religious. So, my expectation of them is that they should work with me; all of you. Don’t leave things to me. They should work with me. Let us work together for the progress of the Archdiocese. Otherwise, if you’re not here, I shouldn’t be here at all.
Any piece of advice for members of the Lay Apostolate Harvest Planning Committee and the Archdiocesan Laity Council entirely?
Well, let me take it from the Archdiocesan Laity Council. You know, it seems that some people are not aware that I am part of the laity yet in the Archdiocese. Some people are struggling to make things work, but some are folding their hands and watching as if they are not members of the laity and that’s the problem we have, if all members of the laity should put their hands on deck, then things will go smoothly for us. When there’s a meeting, we send some people to come and represent each Parish, but then, that interest of everyone is not there. Oh, it’s our own, let us do it. They see the exco or the delegate as the laity, but they are wrong as only the priest and religious are not laity, every other person is a lay person, but people don’t understand it that way. I’ve said before that why lay people do not support their project or their affair. I gave an example in one of the churches one day I said, as I was celebrating Mass. As an impromptu, I said I want a Thanksgiving, everybody will get up and donate generously, but when you say it's for the laity, everyone won’t get up and when they do, they put something little in the offering. People don’t understand that the church is theirs and they have to support it. Let us claim it, have a claim for your church, say this is mine. Don’t see it as a foreign church or priests’ church, or the archbishop’s, or the laity church, or the religious church. Rather, it belongs to all of us.
Is there any special message that you have for the people of God?
Well, for the people of God, apart from this chancery project, I have been speaking to my priests and I think I will soon fix a date to talk to the lay leaders; that is people from all parishes - priests, the chairmen, presidents and of course, the Archdiocesan exco, and the deans that we have to wake up a little more and that is because I will soon retire, and I want to say that I will hate that what I am going through, the next archbishop will also go through it. I want us to put an end to that question of looking. I want us to put an end to that. I love Ibadan, and I am happy being here in Ibadan, not because I’m an archbishop, but because I have been happy since I came in 2014. But then, there are certain things that I have been going through that If I complain, it would be as if I am not happy, but I am saying these things because I am going away. I don’t want the next archbishop to experience the same thing I experienced. I am not complaining because I am at home, and I’ve been enjoying myself and happy with the people I am working with; the laity, religious and diocesan clergy … You realise that I receive all my visitors here in the office. It wasn’t like that in Osogbo, where people sent their children to come and visit me. You can’t send your children here. My point is that people have not been able to look closely to see that I am not, not a matter of enjoyment, but to see that my position is not correct the way it is, to really add something to it, they didn’t. And I am not a man, who likes to complain, I am not. If I had been complaining for the last 10 years, people would see me as a man, who doesn’t want to work. But what matters to me is the work, which I do for other dioceses at the Province, to national, and international (levels), too.
So, what I am asking is that we would rise, and I have told my priests not to leave it to two or three or the excos of the laity. So, I’m calling a special meeting of the laity, religious and diocesan priests, to discuss what we are going to do to get prepared for the one coming … I am to step out on the 29th of September. They may ask me to continue for weeks or months, I don’t know, but in case I step out on the 29th of September, I want to be happy with anybody; well settled. My retirement house is almost ready, they are yet to finish with the landscaping now, and it remains to wash and paint, and also to furnish. So, I am thinking that, as soon as I finish this house, I am going to pack in immediately, before September. I would like us to start the new house for the new archbishop, and it may get to the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation), who knows. But he may be younger than I. When I came here, I was 66, and I was already a grandpa, but, then I still had some strength, but what if a young man came, he would spend more years than I did, would he be hibernating like me? So, as soon as this is done, I would propose that they go and bring all you have and their friends, let us start something immediately in preparation for the one coming … So, that is my concern, once again, I am happy to be here, I have never quarrelled with anyone and I don’t know if anyone is quarrelling with me (laughter). So, I am a Catholic. Wherever Catholics are, they send me there. As a priest, I worked in many places and people think that I was not happy, but I was happy because as a priest, wherever you accept God’s work, wherever you find a human being … I am just calling for everybody’s support. That’s just it. It is our church and only one church you have. Let us make this church a noble one. Support it as our own, let us claim our church and God will support us in Jesus’ name. Thank you so much. God bless you.
All rights reserved. This material and other digital content on this website may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed in whole or in part without the prior express written permission of THE NEWS ACCELERATOR NETWORK.
For advertising inquiries, please contact thenewsacceleratornetwork@gmail.com or 08033599492. For news coverage or press releases, call 08022717838.
Post a Comment