Through this sacrament of chrismation, these young people receive a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit, enabling them to live the Gospel with conviction.
Photo: Divulgation/Facebook.
Newsroom(17/07/2022 18:22, Gaudium Press) Last Sunday, July 10, 99 Nigerians received the sacrament of Confirmation, administered during a ceremony presided over by the Bishop of Fort Wayne-South Bend (USA), Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades.
The celebration took place at the parish of St. Francis of Assisi in Ozubulu, in the Diocese of Nnemi, and was concelebrated by local Bishop Jonas Benson Okoye and Father Francis Chukwuma.
Photo: Divulgation/Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend.
Special outpouring of the Holy Spirit
The US Bishop recalled that “Through this sacrament of Confirmation, these young people receive a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit, enabling them to live the Gospel with conviction.
Bishop Rhoades had traveled with Father Francis Chukwuma to Nigeria to visit the dioceses of Awka and Nnewi, where he would attend some priestly ordinations. Taking advantage of his presence in the country, they invited him to preside this celebration of the sacrament of chrismation.
Photo: Divulgation/Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend.
Situation of the Catholic Church in Nigeria
The Catholic Church in Nigeria suffers severe persecution from gangs of heavily armed terrorists who often commit numerous crimes, most notably murders and kidnappings. The targets are often priests and religious.
The two terrorist groups that are currently causing the most terror are the Fulani herdsmen, consisting predominantly of Muslims, and Boko Haram, one of the largest Islamic groups in Africa, which since its inception has aimed to turn the country into an Islamic state.
In the year 2021, at least 4,650 Nigerian Christians were killed for their Faith. In the first three months of 2022 it was almost 900. These numbers caused Nigeria to be ranked, by the NGO Open Doors, as the seventh worst country in the world to be a Christian. (EPC)
Compiled by Teresa Joseph