An Address of Welcome by Archbishop Valerian M. Okeke at Onitsha\Owerri Provincial Bishops’ Meeting In Enugu

 Welcome

Your Grace, my beloved bothers in the Episcopate, it is my honour and privilege to welcome you to Onitsha Province and Enugu Diocese. Your presence strengthens our fraternal   bonding, pastoral solidarity and Episcopal collegiality. Please feel at home!

Gratitude

We give glory to God for the journey so far. Recently, we celebrated the silver jubilee of Owerri Province as well as the same jubilee for Owerri Metropolitan Archbishop, the Most Rev. A.J.V. Obinna. We also kicked off the centenary celebration of Bigard Memorial Seminary, Enugu by marking   her 95thanniversary.Not long ago, His Lordship, Most Rev. C.V.C. Onaga clocked 10 years in the Episcopacy. For these and many more, we pray almighty God to accept our highest glory, honour, and praise forever!

The Need for Ongoing Renewal

It was the philosopher Albert Einstein who is credited with the saying that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing, the same way over and over again but expecting different results. As pastors of souls and spiritual leaders of our people, we have the duty or challenge of presenting the unchanging gospel message in a constantly changing world. I think we must examine our methodology to ensure that we are not doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

The early missionaries had many strategies ranging from the Christian Village to the school and health apostolate. With time, they dropped what did not work and improved on what seemed to be working. Today, I am wondering if we have improved sufficiently on what we inherited from the early missionaries.

Let me conclude with a request that we examine our pastoral plans, pastoral strategies and possibly review our methodologies making them more effective and efficient in our changing world.

May God give us His wisdom and strength to do His work, and may all glory, honour, praise and thanksgiving be His, now and forever– Amen!

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