Anambra: Cardinal Arinze Joins In Celebration Of 2 Ordained Priests From His Community

By Julie Sylvia, Onitsha

His Eminence, Francis Cardinal Arinze, Sunday, joined in the celebration of two of his country(Eziowelle) home Priests, Idemili North Local Government Area, Anambra State, Anthony Ikegbunam and Kingsley Jibuaku, as they were ordained Catholic Priests.

Recall that the duo sons of Eziowelle with other fourteen candidates were ordained Priests weekend, by His Grace, Most Rev. Valerian M. Okeke, Archbishop of Onitsha and Metropolitan of Onitsha Eccclesiastical Province, at the Basilica of Most Holy Trinity Church, Onitsha.

Cardinal Arinze stormed St. Edward’s Catholic church, Eziowelle, venue of the maiden holy mass and celebration by the new priests.

His words, “I am here to join you clergy, laity and people of Eziowelle in celebration of the ordination of two Priests of our community, Rev. Frs. Anthony Ikegbunam and Kingsley Jibuaku. It is a thing of joy to have them.

“I pray God to guide, protect and give them the strength in their missionary work so that they will be able to accomplish the work for which they are called,” he prayed.

Also the Parish Priest, Rev. Father Christopher Odimegwu, expressed satisfaction with the ordination of two Priests under his domain.

Chief Augustine Ikegbunam and wife, parents of Rev. Fr. Anthony Ikegbunam, thanked God for the ordination of their son as a Catholic Priest.

“I thank God that my son, Anthony and another, Kingsley Jibuaku, were ordained priests by His Grace, Most Rev. Dr Valerian Okeke. God who called them to serve Him, will give them wisdom to serve and I hope that they will serve God as they have earlier decided,” Chief Ikegbunam prayed.

” I didn’t force my son, Anthony, to become a priest, he likes everything about God since his childhood and it pleased God to call him. God has been protecting him even in his education, he never relented, I hope he will serve God throughout his life, he is the second out of the four of my children,” he disclosed.

In her contribution, his wife, Mrs Uchenna Ikegbunam, a nurse, prayed, “My prayer to my son, Anthony, is that God that called and qualified him, will give him all the gift to deliver in the Ministry He called him.

“God will give him the strength to carry out the ministry and be able to carry the people and bring the shepherd closer to God. I advise him to put God first in everything he does, he is from a Catholic family, he knows now that God has chosen him to work in his vineyard.

“He will do everything God needs from him by bringing people to God, so that at the end we all will see God. Nobody forced him, he is not the type you will force something on and he does it, from his childhood, he is putting God first in all he does. If you force a child, at the seminary, he will misbehave and one day got expelled, he chose to do it all his life and today, he has become a Catholic priest.

Mrs Ogala Juliana, sister to mother of Rev. Fr. Anthony Ikegbunam, stated that, “Rev.Fr Anthony Ikegbunam is my nephew, we have been expecting a day like this, I think God has chosen him to follow Him. He worked for it because there is no way one will expect manner from heaven. We are not surprise that he became a Rev Fr today, we thank God for him.

“My advice to the new ordained priests, is to live by examples, they should not think of monetary benefit but to serve God as they have accepted today and to serve Him in truth and in spirit,” she posited.

Earlier, Chief and Mrs. Mike Jibuaku, parents to Rev. Fr. Kingsley Jibuaku, expressed satisfaction that God has called one of their sons to serve Him in truth and in spirit.

They prayed God who they said started the good work in the life of their son priest to bring it to glorious perfection.