By Juliana Nwachukwu
The Archbishop of Onitsha Metropolitan, His Grace Most Rev. Valerian Okeke on December 25, charged Christians to live christlike life, to be the light that shineth on the darkness and to ensure there is trust wherever they are.
ArchBishop Okeke gave the charge in his homily during the Christmas Mass celebration with the inmates at St. Maximilian Kolbe Chaplaincy Onitsha.
Emphasizing on the message of the day “The light shineth on darkness and darkness cannot overcome” he cited what happened in the beginning of churches, when the Christians were hiding in fear of being killed, saying that instead of wiping Christians, Christianity keep on multiplying.
He also cited the birth of Jesus Christ and its mystery, when King Herod wanted to kill him because of kingship, saying that it was the shepherds who were not taken so important at that time were the people that visited Jesus at his birth, adding that with that visit of the shepherds, heaven were happy.
ArchBishop explained that God has a preference for the marginalized and the forgotten and advised the inmates, “Don’t take yourself as useless because God will remember you, we are concluding the year of hope, God will change your condition, be a new person, you will see that God will change your condition”.
He also advised them to utilize the golden opportunity of the schools, the open university, to enroll themselves and acquire certificates to degree level so as to become better persons when out of the correctional center.
The prelate also stressed on the importance of remembering the forgotten and the oppressed, saying that God will remember whoever that remembers the oppressed and the forgotten.
“Ensure you partake in the light and overcome the darkness, ensure somebody is happy in this Christmas because of you.”
The Archbishop presented Christmas cake, cooked coolers of rice with a cow, toiletries, different types of cartons of biscuits, toothpastes that will reach all the inmates who are almost 800 in number, a life cow and others
He also thanked Mrs Vera Nwadinobi, the Chairman of ASUDEB, Chief Ebubeogu and Charismatic renewal for presenting three life cows to the inmates for Christmas.
In his words of appreciation, the Priest in charge of the Chaplaincy, Rev. Fr. Bathlomeo Okpalugo, thanked the Archbishop for his fatherly love and care to the inmates, especially his frequent visits to the yard which aimed at putting smiles on the faces of the inmates.
He stressed on the achievements of the Archbishop which includes renovation of schools, standardizing of the infrastructural facilities within the correctional center which resulted in making the Onitsha Correctional Center the center for open university examinations, construction of skill acquisition center and others.
The Officer in charge of the Onitsha Correctional Centre, Mr Anthony Eke thanked ArchBishop Okeke for his kind gesture for the inmates, and the dignitaries present.
There was also cutting of Christmas cake by the Prelate and priests present.
Juliana is of the Ministry of Information, Anambra State
