February 21, 2023 at 8:56 p.m.
A jolt of joy
A jolt of joy
That is not just a dream. I experienced the reality during a one-week pastoral visit to Nigeria. Accompanied by Father Charles Onyeneke, a priest of our Diocese, native to the State of Imo, I had occasion to visit, celebrate Mass and share meals and conversation with priests, religious and laypersons in several parishes in the Archdiocese of Lagos. Once the capital, Lagos is still the largest metropolitan area of the country, bustling with activity and industry.
The GDP of Nigeria amounted to $441.5 billion U.S. dollars in 2021, the highest in Africa. It is not the most developed country and certainly not the safest or most peaceful. I was aware, as most of us are, of the elevated state of violence, particularly directed at Christians in certain areas of the country, mostly in the north. The level of security we encountered was something I had not seen even in Israel, which has a long history of militance in the face of terrorism. What we know as gated communities for mostly wealthy residents is far more prevalent even in middle-class communities. Without exception, every entrance to a church property involved a security detail with several guards on the watch for 24 hours a day. Canines were present on the grounds, not as pets or therapy dogs, but to ward off criminal incursions.
Given this level of vigilance, not to mention the mayhem of the COVID years, how does one account for such a high level of vibrant faith and devotion? I am sure there are many answers that sociologists and political scientists might come up with, but the one I would propose, based on my personal experience, is simple: joy in the Lord. If there is one consistent and unmistakably authentic theme that I felt wherever I went or with whomever we met, it was a deep and joyful faith, prayerful and public in its expression, and a real sense of community.
I am sure here as elsewhere there are clergy and religious who are overworked and strained. For even though their numbers may be higher, so too is the population they serve. Many priests do serve more than one parish and celebrate several Masses each day. Yet I could not help but notice the real esprit de corps among them and the religious I encountered. The smiles were contagious. Without exception, they spoke so well of one another and their archbishop.
On one Sunday, after celebrating Mass, a few people approached me for another blessing. No sooner did I place my hand on one head than I was mobbed by what seemed to be most of the congregation leaving the church. This respect for a bishop and, I think, clergy and religious in general, was affirmed wherever we went. Some of the scenes were reminiscent of biblical passages in which we read of crowds that followed Jesus, often making it difficult for him to move. In one small village of Ketu in the town of Ojota, in which we visited the family of one of our own seminarians, his mother mentioned that she deliberately refrained from telling any neighbors of our visit to her humble abode. Had it leaked out that a bishop was in town, the house would have been surrounded with well-wishers, no doubt looking for a blessing. So we made a point of praying for all in our midst without sounding a trumpet.
I will never forget the jolt of joy this mission gave me. So much so that I feel my own priesthood profoundly enriched. Nor am I the first to experience this. That said, this gift came as something of a surprise. It was not the purpose of the visit to have a good time, to sample an unfamiliar cuisine, let alone to sight-see.
The mission I embarked on was a call from several young men who wanted to serve someday as priests in our Diocese. Needless to say, one has to be wary of motives or, at least, mixed motives, given the perception that life in the United States is somehow better than the country of origin. Given some of the contrasts of which I am now aware, I would have reason to question that. The last thing I would want is to be a source of disillusionment to any aspirants, let alone disappointment or frustration to the people they would serve, due to cultural maladaptation or, quite frankly, inability to communicate clearly and effectively in English.
At the very least, however, I wanted to give the aspirants a chance by meeting with them personally, and to begin the vetting process on their own soil. I had a list of some 14 applicants, which swelled to 19 by the end of the two days of our interview process, assisted by Father Charles and by Father Vitus Unegbu, SC, the rector of Servants of Charity Congregation House of Formation, who recommended five to me after at the end of the day. While plans have not been finalized yet, we are sending these men for a propaedeutic year in Nigeria, also incorporating some enculturation and accent reduction sessions online with resources available from dioceses in our own state. The cost of doing this is 80 percent less than in the United States — you might say we are getting five for the “price” of one — and, by the way, none of our expenses involved a dime of parish or diocesan funding, I want it to be clear.
Our very first full day in Nigeria, I had a wonderful hour-long, one-on-one visit with Archbishop Alfred Martins of Lagos. I wanted to assure him that I was not here to “steal” any of his potential seminarians, to explain the main purpose of my visit, and to let him know I would keep him fully informed of the process as it developed. At that point I had not yet met with Father Vitus and, once I did, was both gratified and somewhat amazed by how closely his understanding of the formation process paralleled the vision I share with Father Thomas Hoar, SSE, our Director of Vocations and Formation.
We believe that so much of priestly ministry involves the ability to relate with and accompany the faithful on a human, relational level. It is not enough just to know theology, or even how to celebrate liturgies correctly. A homily must be more than an academic lesson; it must come from the heart and soul of the preacher and reflect his deep faith in Jesus Christ and pastoral sensitivity that can only come from sound human formation. One of the requirements we also insist on is that the aspirant have completed his college courses, majoring in philosophy, which is essential for theology. So we have embarked on what, we believe, is sound footing. We will keep everyone informed of our progress, but I would ask all to continue to pray for our clergy and for vocations. Lent is an excellent time to make that a priority.
@AlbBishopEd
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