‘Here God becomes visible: in deeds of love’

Inauguration of the headquarters and youth centre of the Nigeria delegation

The new headquarters of the Pallottines and the youth centre in Mbaukwu, Nigeria, have been inaugurated in a festive ceremony. This will enable the delegation in Nigeria to better administer itself and to support young people. ‘I am pleased that we can now increasingly place responsibility for the delegation in Nigerian hands,’ said Provincial Superior Father Markus Hau at the opening ceremony. This is the realisation of a vision that his predecessor, Father Helmut Scharler, had already envisaged.

The youth centre is particularly close to the heart of Provincial Father Hau, and he spoke of the new life, the vocations and how much hope there is for the future there. The Pallottine Delegate in Nigeria, Fr Cosmas Onwukwe, emphasised that the inauguration ceremony meant a lot to the Pallottines in Nigeria. The inauguration of the mother house cements the Pallottine presence in Nigeria. ‘It shows that we are here to stay and to work together with the diocese in the apostolate. It also shows that we are serious about our youth apostolate.’ The youth centre has the particular task of counteracting a neo-paganism in Nigeria, but also of combating youth crime.

According to Father Cosmas, the youth centre aims to provide young people with a holistic education, that is, one that encompasses human, psychological, and physical development. The centre seeks to promote the personal development of young people, discover their talents, and practice social interaction. Music, spirituality, and languages are also on the programme.

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Leading back to the fruits of Christianity

In Nigeria, there is also a growing trend towards neo-paganism among young people. And unemployment is driving many of them into crime. ‘The youth centre is designed to lead them back to the fruits of Christianity and empower them for life,’ says Father Cosmas. The guiding principle is: action to meet the world. And strength to meet all the challenges of our world today.

The land on which both the youth centre and the mother house, the headquarters of the Pallottines, now stand, was donated by the local king, Peter Anugwu. It is intended to be a place of youth apostolate, a place of residence for the brothers, a place of learning and evangelism, of prayer and spiritual action, with the chapel at its centre, which was also inaugurated on this day.

The solemn inauguration ceremony for the building, church and altar was led by the Bishop of Awka, Paulinus Ezeokafor. He emphasised that the Pallottines had now built a permanent home for Nigeria, which was a great achievement, and he identified with everything that was happening here during ‘these joyful celebrations’: ‘These celebrations are the fruit of your commitment to your mission of making God visible through your acts of love.’

The bishop also mentioned the good works of Father Peter Hillen, the first Pallottine missionary in Nigeria, and the ‘wonderful contribution of Martin Ezeokafor’. The Pallottines have contributed so much to the life of the diocese, and the new house will enable them to do even more. The diocese will work together with the Pallottines in their apostolate.

According to Provincial Hau, the project in Nigeria shows how something new can arise from something that has come to an end. The investments in Nigeria have been financed by the sale of the Rheinbach branch. In this way, the Pallottines are continuing in Africa the youth work to which they were committed in Rheinbach.

From youth groups to a future workshop

With this inauguration, a long history of coincidences and spiritual impulses reaches its climax. What began with the initiative of Monsignor Father Dr. Martin Chukwubunna Ezeokoli, who founded a Pallotti youth group of the UAC in 1998, continued with the commitment of Father Peter Hillen, from whose initiative the first Pallottine Fathers emerged.

Nigeria was initially part of the Cameroon Region. In 2017, at the initiative of the General Council, the Provincial Assembly of the Sacred Heart Province decided to take responsibility for this unit and to join the province. The Delegature was established on 1 September 2019. In 2023, the first part of the new headquarters in Mbaukwu was ready for occupancy. In addition, a youth centre has been set up in the area to give young people prospects and hope.

In the meantime, a future workshop has been held in Nigeria to discuss future development in the country. The following so-called ‘G3’ projects emerged: farm, eye clinic and school. The future workshop was led by Provincial Father Markus Hau and Provincial Councillor Father Alexander Diensberg in March 2023. The aim of the workshop was to identify specific areas for pastoral engagement and ways of generating income. After the workshop, the confreres were tasked with continuing to work on the projects and bringing them to life.

Report: Alexander Schweda
Pictures: Patrizia Russo

Find out what significance the Pallottine Clementia Burkhard had, why the first UNIO groups in Nigeria were not founded by a member of the Catholic Apostolate, what is behind the slogan ‘Pallotti for Action’ or why a ‘tourist’ has significantly influenced developments in Nigeria…

Nigeria – conflicts, crises and perspectives

With over 200 million inhabitants, Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa and has the largest economy on the African continent. The country is one of the most important oil-producing nations in the world.

Nowhere else in the world do so many Christians and Muslims live together in a single state as in the West African nation. Religion plays a major role in the lives of the people of Nigeria. This aspect alone is often used to quickly interpret conflicts and crises. However, the causes often lie elsewhere.

The vast majority of Nigerians live in abject poverty. Unemployment is high, corruption has taken on serious dimensions. Struggles over the distribution of grazing land and access to water quickly erupt into violent conflicts and are increasingly coloured by ethnic and religious tensions. Islamist groups such as Boko Haram spread terror. There has been a sharp increase in attacks and kidnappings. The state is failing to distribute resources fairly and protect its citizens.

The British colony of Nigeria gained independence in 1960. Around 400 ethnic groups live in the nation created on the colonial drawing board. The largest are the Hausa Fulani in the north, the Yoruba in the southwest and the Igbo in the east. After long periods of authoritarian military rule, Nigeria returned to democracy in 1999 with flawed electoral processes. In addition to widespread poverty, the major challenges include governance deficits, corruption, an economic crisis, a tense security situation and terrorist attacks.

Sources: missio, BwZ
Photo: natanaelginting (Flag of Nigeria)

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