Jacob BABALOLA (Staff Writer)

The Provincial Superior of African Province for St. Joseph of Murialdo, Very Rev. Fr. Andrew Dumbuya, CSJ has pleaded for prayer for vocation to enable the Congregation gets confrere from Ibadan and most especially from St. Anne Catholic Church, Ogbere, Ibadan, where the Congregation has been contributing great assistance to the parish since the relocation of the Congregation to Ogbere area in 2024.

The cleric made the plead during his remarks after celebrating the first Sunday Mass of the year in the parish, alongside Rev. Fr. Arnaud Aniou, CSJ on 4th of January, 2026 .

The priest who appreciated the Parish Priest Rev. Fr. Stephen Balogun and the entire parishioners for accepting his brothers in the community stated that the Congregation is yet to have a confrere from Ibadan and pleaded that the parishioners joined in prayer for vocation from Ibadan and most especially from St. Anne parish, Ogbere.

Sharing reflection on the feast of Epiphany being celebrated on the day, Fr. Dumbuya said “God loves us such that He came into our midst to start the work of salvation and as He is today manifesting Himself to us that He is the One, everybody is included in this work of salvation.”

The priest who added that many in our society today are helpless stated that the Light that is coming (Christ) can overpower any form of darkness, hence Christians should not be discouraged, for he who has God has everything. He therefore admonished Christians to live with faith, kindness and justice; be it in their homes, working places, or anywhere they found themselves as true witnesses to the Light.

       Fr. Dumbuya warned them against becoming scandals to people around but rather allow themselves to be guided by God, like the wise men. He listed three things needed to be done by Christians to include courage to search, humility to ask and readiness to change their way of life.

He enjoined Christians to embrace ‘good’ as revealed by the openness and love of the Magi; who bowed down and worshipped, apart from giving gifts and not ‘evil’ as represented by Herod’s fear and desire to control.

The Provincial Superior tasked all that the good news we have received must be shared to others, having become priests, prophets and kings by the virtue of our baptism. He prayed to God for courage and strength to be able to carry out our functions well, since what brings us together is faith in Jesus Christ.

Like the popular saying: “To whom much is given, much is expected”. It is therefore not an overstatement to look forward to registering confrere from St. Anne Parish, Ogbere, Ibadan, into the Congregation considering how effective and supportive both the priests and seminarians of the Congregation have been to the parish in every aspect of the liturgy.