The presence of the Catholic Bishop of Osogbo Diocese, Most Rev Dr. John Akinkunmi Oyejola in Ile-Ife, Tuesday 14 January 2025 was to declare open a vision announced on Sunday 24 January 2019. Approximately five years after, the 40 rooms multi-million Naira ultra-modern “House of Gold Shopping Complex,” a project of SS Peter & Paul Pro-Cathedral, Lagere - located on the parish’s burial ground site at Mayfair, Ile-Ife, Osun State; became a reality.

At that time, the then Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Paul Akintayo Akinyode envisioned the construction of the project. The Parish commenced the foundation before his departure in January 2020. The current Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Dr. Peter Oluseyi Adeyemi continued the project when hope seems to be delayed as it was hard to ascertain how long the project may last due to scarce of humongous required resources.

The project received acceleration after raising funds at the installation of Parish Chiefs which took place Thursday 8 February 2024, four years after his resumption at the Parish. God’s intervention, donations from the parish Chiefs and benefactors, sagacity of the Parish Priest, efforts of the Shopping Mall committee, including the unwavering supports of the entire parishioner have kept the project continuously in motion. At the event, according to Bishop Oyejola “there is no any Church for over 1600 years, all Churches are just arising from needs not because they know the faith. So, you are lucky to have your faith, doing this kind of a thing. It is there to serve the people and even to serve you.” According to him, the Catholic Church is not there to put burden on anyone; stressing further that if there is a means to embark on a project without soliciting for support from members, the Church will do so, recalling how the founding fathers started the Church.

Bishop John Oyejola further iterated that the Church is for both the rich and the poor; but those who have resources are always welcome to support the work of God. He added that the Catholic Church is there to serve everyone indiscriminately, irrespective of tribe, race, faith or religion. He urged the faithful to cooperate with and trust their priests because their job is to lead the faithful to God.

Bishop Oyejola was however elated that the Church is not owing debt as a result of the project; contrary to a rejected proposal to borrow fund from bank when the mission for the vision of project was to commence. According to him, the Church live on charity, however, there is need for accountability and transparency. Although the first floor of the mall is yet to be completed, rooms have been occupied and paid in advance till the next five years. Fr Adeyemi envisioned total completion of the project latest by March 2025. In other words, the project will be completed about a year after achieving acceleration from foundation level.

The Otun Asiwaju Okunrin Ijo, Chief Lawrence Olajire Awowoyin officially welcomed the Bishop to the event. He noted that the portion of land housing the shopping complex was still a cemetery before the construction. According to him, initiating the project was a thought that generated due to the approval of Mayfair-Lagere-Iremo to Ilesa road dualization by the Federal Government in 2011, which would affect part of the cemetery. He stressed that the edifice has created job opportunity while complementing the growth of business and commercial centres for the economic growth of the Church and Ile-Ife as a whole.

The Parish Pastoral Council chairman, Prof. Marcus Bola Eleruja in his votes of thanks appreciated the Bishop for approving the construction of the project, he also appreciated efforts of all the Priests who made move toward the mission. According to him, Rev. Fr. Festus Komolafe, several years back thought of need to have a structure on the site, Fr. Paul Akinyode put the idea on paper and started the foundation while Fr. Peter Adeyemi continued and completed the heavy part of the mission. He appreciated the entire wonderful parishioners of SS Peter & Paul, the religious, the Church Chiefs and benefactors - without forgetting the shop owners who paid in advance to support the project.