The retreat and revival at SS Peter and Paul Catholic Pro-Cathedral, Lagere Ile-Ife may have ended, the impression left behind will live forever in the Parish and within participants of the programme. It all started Sunday March 2, 2024. He was the celebrant at that Mass where he warned faithful against false prophets, self-righteousness and hypocrisy. He had told them that when false prophet calls for deliverance or blessing, victim always remain the same or even worse. He preoccupied the minds of parishioners ahead of the retreat, informing them that they will conquer, but only when their mortal self puts on immortality.

Reverend Father Christopher Uwadiale, C.Ss.R is a Redemptorist priest whose journey in the priesthood over his eleven years of ordination has been from one Marian shrine to another and not to a Parish. One will not be far from the truth if he is referred to as ‘’Chief Priest of Mary.’’ His Priestly journey with Virgin Mary can be traced to his devotion to Our Mother of Perpetual Help before, during and after his journey in the seminary.  He is currently the Director of Oke-Maria Pilgrimage Centre, Otan-Ayegbaju; Osogbo Diocese, Osun State. It was far from a surprise that the evening programme of Sunday March 2, which commenced the Marian retreat was attended as though a Sunday Mass. Some members related the rare massive turnout at the programme from Sunday evening to Friday evening as the result of his content during the Mass preceding the programme. 

The Redemptorist did not only educate parishioners on formation of devotion to Mother of Perpetual Help, he educated them clearly on all features on the ICON including the eye, ear, mouth, to the fallen sandals from Jesus’ feet. Fr Uwadiale emphasized that while earthly mother can go as deep as sucking mucor with her mouth directly from the nose of her child, Mother Mary can do more if called upon. To buttress his assertion, he tutored that, while Mary looks at her children with her eye, she listens with her ear while speaking little words with her mouth. According to him, whoever Mary intercedes for is favoured by God who write straight on crooked lines.

The Priest didn’t stop in his evidence of outcome of devotion to Mother of Perpetual Help, by revealing many who conceived through the devotion, a mother who got her baby changed from female to male; he went further to reveal the man healed from spinal cord injury after five years on wheelchair and several others - available to be contacted. He emphasized also on need to honour Mary.

In his opinion, the best way to honour her is to pray her prayer which is the rosary. Parents were encouraged to teach their children how to pray because the prayer of children is quick to be answered by God. While it was usually rare to achieve massive turnout on several retreat and revival programme by Parishes, parishioners were patient from the beginning to the end of the Marian Retreat without minding the time of departure.

The Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Peter Adeyemi thanked the spirit filled Priest while appreciating and encouraging parishioners to be massive at other parish event in same manner. In addition to other Marian devotional groups already existing in the Parish such as, Legion of Mary and Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Sacred Heart and Immaculate Heart; Fr Uwaliale revived the Blue Army of Block Rosary and St Gerald devotional Groups.