By Joseph ODOEKWU
The Catholic Community in Naze Autonomous Community of Owerri North Local Government Area in Imo State will be looking forward to the June 23 date when His Lordship Bishop Lucius Ugorji will be installed as the Archbishop of the Owerri Catholic Archdiocese.
If there is one thrilling trend in the Catholic community in Naze at the moment, it is the fact that a son of the land will be installed to take charge of affairs when Your Grace, Archbishop Obinna who has voluntarily retired will leave the podium.
Naze is currently blessed with 3 parishes namely St. Jude Catholic Church-Naze, Christ The King Catholic Parish (Special Jurisdiction) in Ezeakiri and Holy Trinity Catholic Church (Special Jurisdiction) at Umuakali all in Naze Autonomous Community.
The installation of the Archbishop which will take place on June 23, 2022, at the Assumpta Cathedral in Owerri will probably be the first celebration, before the Naze Catholic Community continues with two later celebrations which may last till the end of the year.
Presently, the three parishes have come together to set up a Central Working Committee, charged with the responsibility of ensuring that Naze Community is well represented during the installation, while two other later celebrations come up which may be likened to be a formal “Home Coming” for the newly installed Archbishop.
The later celebration will be a formal celebration, where the installed Archbishop Ugorji will be expected to celebrate his first Mass as the Archbishop of the Owerri Catholic Archdiocese at St. Jude Catholic Parish the Mother Parish which gave birth to the other two and also the foundational Parish where he was nurtured spiritually before his ordination as a Priest in the Catholic Church on April 16, 1977.
Aside that, the incoming Archbishop Ugorji will also be received in a later date this year at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church (Special Jurisdiction) Umuakali, where he will also celebrate another Mass in his village. This celebration will be significant, because it will be right in front of his biological home at the Alaoma in Umuakali opposite the Ugorji compound. Preparations have also been intensified, with another Committee set up to ensure the success of this event under the able leadership of Sir Vincent Agoha, who is also a member of the Central Working Committee.
The common language amongst Catholic faithfuls in Naze Autonomous Community is team-spirit, as the event been celebrated is a one-in-a-life-time event which may take a very long time before another generation in Naze can witness such.
However, the team spirit and unity which the Catholic Community in Naze Autonomous Community will display will begin on Thursday, June 23, when all roads will lead to Assumpta Cathedral in three different flamboyant attires specially arranged by the Central Working Committee for purpose of homogeneity.
The Agenda online Newspaper have also gotten hints that several age-grades are gearing up towards the home coming which will take place after the installation, with plans ongoing as the day counts on.
When installed on Thursday June 23, 2022, Your Grace Archbishop Lucius Ugorji who has attained the fullness of a Priest will be 45 years, 2 months and 8 days old as a Priest, with 32 years being a Bishop. He is currently the President of Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria a position he was elected into upon appointment of Archbishop of Owerri Archdiocese.
