Hits: 52
By Olivia Obijiaku
Two more communicants were added to the Church when Mr. Patrick Okorie and former Ms. Agnes Omenka had their union blessed in Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria on Saturday, 25th June, 2022.
Presiding over the ceremony, the Associate Parish Priest, Rev Fr. Patrick Bako dwelt on the Gospel of Mk. 10:6-9 in which Jesus kicked against putting asunder in what God has joined together in encouraging the couple to maintain the bond that has brought them thus far. He equally congratulated them on their choice of sponsors whom he identified as committed Catholics.
“On days such as this where marriages are blessed.” Fr. Zichiyang voiced. “I advise couples to keep doing what has been sustaining them for years because some individuals have been staying together for more than ten – twenty years, then if there are vices that you have been engaging in, resolve not to do them again and change. If your prayer life has been very weak, resolve to be strengthened from this day. It is the decision you need to make and once you make such decision, the grace of God will see you through.”
Couple in a group photograph with Fr Zichiyang and the sponsors, Barr Cletus and Mrs. Theresa Emeh
Speaking with dailyupdates.news after the event, Mrs. Okorie expressed how happy she was to be united with the Church identifying quest for salvation as the motivating factor to having the marriage blessed. Her words, “I’m overjoyed. Salvation is the key word here. Without the blessing, there will be no salvation and we will have no access to Holy Communion. I want those who are yet to bless their marriage in the Church to follow the same pattern so that we can all be carried along in this line of salvation. I was relegated to the background in the activities in the Church being that I was not a communicant. This pushed me to the wall.”
On his part, the sponsor Barr Cletus Emeh narrated his involvement in the success story, revealing how he and his wife, Mrs. Theresa Emeh encouraged the Okories to take the bold step, a development that that made them to be choice sponsors.
Couple in a group photograph with children
“I was so happy when he told me that the journey we started years back
We will keep encouraging them. We will really be part of their journey. There is a couple we are still talking to and by the grace of God we believe that very soon, they will also join train. as Catholics, if have not wedded in the Church, you have not started. There are so many things you will be missing and losing. Even the children may be affected. You can see how excited the wife and children are. So. I call on other couples who are yet to bless their marriage to embrace what we have done today. Money cannot stop someone from blessing their marriage in the Church. It all depends on the way you want to do it. If you want to invite the whole world, that is where the problem lies, but if it is to receive the blessing of God, you don’t need money. God does not ask you to pay money but if you want to spend money, that is when you will be talking about money preventing you from receiving the blessing.