It was a moment of jubilation, joy and Thanksgiving at St. Gregory, Moniya, Ibadan on Saturday 29th June, 2024 as Archbishop Gabriel Abegunrin dedicated the Church’s Newly constructed Church building and at the same time confirmed 60 candidates. 

The atmosphere was agog with ecstasy as the people beheld the very beautiful edifice that was put in place as a place of worship in the community. 
The Archbishop has therefore reminded all that the best is to be given to the Lord. God is the giver of all good gifts; we must never hold back to give back to Him that which is the best.

In his homily, Very Rev. Fr. Anthony Omolade, the Archdiocesan Chancellor recognized that the achievement that all were gathered to witness is a fruit of years of persevering labour, planning, and expenses. He noted the place of the temple in the Old Testament as the place of sacrifice, worship and blessing. The chancellor admonished the people of God to have great reverence for the house of God as it is God’s dwelling place of meeting with His children. His homily reads in part: “The dedication of a Church building is an age-long tradition in the Catholic Church. It means to set aside certain things for God’s service. The fundamental elements are the celebration of the Eucharist and a special prayer of dedication. The central ceremony of dedication is the solemn consecration of the main altar into which is placed the relics of a martyr, which recalls the fact that in the early days of the Church, Mass was said on the tomb of martyrs. The burning of grains of incense is a token of the endless prayer and worship which will be offered there to God by priests. The anointing of the walls, in 12 different places with the holy oil of chrism which represent the apostles upon whom the Church was founded. Each place anointed will be marked with a cross, and a candle holder. Once this is done, the Church is set aside from secular or profane purposes and used exclusively for the worship of God.”  

Fr. Anthony mentioned with thanks the tireless efforts of pastors who have worked in St. Gregory and her present Pastor, Fr. Anthony Ogunyale as each of them has made their individual impacts leading to the beautiful edifice that is being dedicated. He called on the Parishioners to make their Church a place where everyone is welcomed and given solace. In His words “Let your Church be a place of refuge for the needy, where those who approach the sacrament of Penance obtain pardon for God’s mercy for offences committed against him; where those who seek holiness find the fruits of grace which the Spirit produces in the faithful.

In one word, it is a place for the celebration of the sacred sacraments of the Church. The sacrament of confirmation to be celebrated shows that you have begun already to fulfil the purpose of our dedication. With the reception of this sacrament, these candidates will become soldiers of Christ with special strength of the Holy Spirit to spread and defend the faith, through their words and actions. Let your Church be a place of compassion, kindness, lowliness, and meekness. Indeed, the present deplorable situation of our country is in need of hope. Our people suffer from economic, political, social and psychological deprivations. In fact, life has taken a hard and strenuous dimension for the populace. Even, the supposed houses of God that should serve as places of respite have become dens of exploitation. Our people need hope. Like Christ, we must be marketers of hope to our people.”

Speaking on behalf of the parishioners, Mr. Ayo Badejo, the PPC Chairman appreciated the Parish Priest, Fr. Anthony Ogunyale as they presented Him a gift as a token of their love and gratitude. Mr. Alamu John, who spoke on behalf of the children of the Parish recognized the hands of the Lord in the epic history made in St. Gregory. He noted the instrumentality of the Parish Priest in bringing about this dream come true. He appreciated the elders of the Church who have being the back bones from time immemorial. He admonished the youths to challenge themselves and keep up their prayers so that they may excel in their dealings and so become useful at home.

In his appreciative speech, Fr. Ogunyale recognized the efforts of the priests who had worked in the parish before him. He noted that many of them would have loved to be around but for a reason or the other. He thanked the priests, consecrated persons and liturgical functionaries who came to grace the occasion. Very specially, He thanked the parishioners for their supportive energy which has birthed the great achievement.

He further challenged them not to be tired but to continue to harness their time, energy and resources for greater things and more importantly to build themselves as a people of God. He identified the selfless assistance of Mr. John Alamu who supported a great deal to make the Church looks as beautiful as it is.   
The Archbishop reminded the people of God of the nature of St. Gregory Church, a dedicated Church with the tabernacle. Hence, He enjoined them to give due reference to God through a proper disposition and gesture anytime they enter the Church. He challenged the people not to relent in giving their resources to the growth of the Church. The best, the Archbishop said should be given to the Lord. He noted the growth that is being recorded in that axis of the Archdiocese and commended all those who are involved in the development. 

To the confirmands, His Grace reminded them that they have become adults, hence He called them to love the Church, grow and remain in the Church. The Archbishop encouraged the parents to allow their children become useful in the Church. He prayed for all that God gives all the grace to be available to work for Him.