Bro. Paul ISAMA SVD

It was with joy and in the spirit of the Jubilee Year of Hope that the Consecrated Persons of the Archdiocese of Ibadan made a pilgrimage to Our Lady Queen of Nigeria Marian Grotto Eleta on 8th October, 2025. This pilgrimage was marked with the following activities: A ROSARY PROCESSION; ADORATION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT; CONFESSIONS; TALK and MASS

The talk was anchored by Sr Margaret Fagbamigbe SSMA. In her reflection, she quoted Romans 5:1-5; “And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit whom he has given to us”. Further on, she said; “the Jubilee of hope affords us the opportunity to be tangible signs of hope to our brothers and sisters experiencing crisis at this time.  In the midst of problems, hope gives inward direction and purpose to believers, with hope set in motion, believers are empowered to offer kindness. We are here on a pilgrimage with purpose.”

The highlight of the Pilgrimage was the celebration of the Holy Mass presided by the Archbishop, Most Rev. DR. Gabriel ‘Leke Abegunrin; ably represented by Rev. Fr. Christopher Ojikutu. The good will message from the Archbishop lauded the Consecrated Persons for their invaluable presence and contributions to the growth of the Church in the Archdiocese of Ibadan. He further buttressed on the importance of the Jubilee year of hope which began on 29th December 2024 with the opening of the Holy Door of hope at St. Mary’s Catholic Cathedral, Oke Padi and it is expected to culminate on 6th of January 2026 on the feast of the Epiphany.

According to him; “hope is confidence in God’s promise even when we walk in the shadow of death. We are signs of hope to the people of God. We are expected to radiate this hope. The world so lost in vice and hopelessness, look on the Church for hope”. He encouraged all to take the advantage of the pilgrimage to gain plenary indulgence by visiting designated sights within the Archdiocese such as the Marian Grotto at Eleta, making a Sacramental confession, receiving Holy Communion and praying for the intention of the Holy Father.

The homily was delivered by Rev. Fr. Kingsley Okereke of the Schoenstatt community. In his homily, he said “We gather in this Archdiocesan Grotto to be part of the Jubilee year celebration, it is a sacred moment, a divine interruption on our journey so that we can reflect together, renew together, rejoice and celebrate together. The Jubilee is a reawakening of the eternal call that first led us to say “here I am Lord”.  Quoting an extract from the bull of Pope Francis, he further said “Pilgrimage is a course of fundamental element of every jubilee event, setting out on a journey is traditionally associated with our human quest for meaning in life”.

On a final note he added “our life of hope is  prophetic  to the hopelessness of the world, we remind the people of God that hope is not optimism, it is not naïve positivism but confidence in God’s promises.

In conclusion, the President of the Consecrated Persons for the Archdiocese in the person of Sr. Winifred Diagboya OLA, in her vote of thanks, appreciated the Archbishop for drawing up a robust program of activities to mark the Jubilee thus making it an all-inclusive celebration that touched on diverse facets of human endeavors ranging from Arts, Vocations, Professions, Church groups and affiliates, acknowledging their significance in shaping our lives as Christians. She further thanked all Religious who graced the occasion. The pilgrimage ended with a love feast shared by all present.