Simon SENAYA

The parishioners of St. Gabriel Catholic Church, Mokola, Ibadan, convened an extraordinary town hall meeting on Sunday, May 11, 2025, coinciding with the universal Church's celebration of Good Shepherd Sunday. The event, held in the Church hall immediately after Holy Mass, brought together members from all statutory organizations within the parish for a day of reflection, learning, and communal engagement.

During the Mass, the Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Eseola, eloquently highlighted the significance of Good Shepherd Sunday, explaining its placement after the Easter season. Fr. Eseola emphasized the analogy of Christ as the Good Shepherd, guiding His flock towards spiritual nourishment. He stated, "Those who are led to green pastures are those who listen to and follow the Shepherd's voice. Conversely, those who stray in their beliefs, toil, and become lost in the world are those who don't listen to or follow the Shepherd's voice."

Drawing from scripture, Fr. Eseola urged the congregation to heed Christ's voice, reminding them, "As Christ is our Shepherd, we're encouraged to listen to Him and follow Him, for He's the only One who can lead us to the living water our souls thirst for (John 4:10-14, Psalm 23)."

The day's program continued with a highly impactful and motivational talk on "Anger Management: A Path to Marital Bliss, Peace and Understanding" delivered by Dr. Sylvester Ezechinyere Eze KSM. Dr. Eze meticulously outlined various forms of unlearned anger prevalent in human experience, including Trait Anger, State Anger, Internalized Anger, Externalized Anger, Passive-Aggressive Anger, Chronic Anger, Episodic Anger, and Hostile Anger. Through vivid illustrations, he elucidated the characteristics, triggers, and manifestations of each type of anger.

Dr. Eze poignantly detailed the detrimental consequences of uncontrolled anger, emphasizing its potential to fracture families, create financial instability, damage self-esteem, lead to social isolation, inflict emotional scars, erode love, encourage substance abuse, impair learning and concentration, cause memory loss, and ultimately result in trauma, distress, and even death.

Drawing wisdom from the Holy Bible, Dr. Eze provided scriptural guidance against the destructive nature of anger, referencing Psalm 37:8, Proverbs 29:11, James 1:19-20, Ephesians 4:26-27, and Proverbs 22:24-25.

Offering practical solutions, Dr. Eze urged parishioners to embrace and practice effective anger management techniques. These include cultivating positive communication, employing deep breathing relaxation techniques before reacting to triggers, practicing forgiveness, engaging in relax face therapy, exercising together, and fostering an environment of gratitude and appreciation within relationships.

In his concluding remarks, Dr. Eze stressed that while the feeling of anger is often innate, its expression can be consciously nurtured constructively. He encouraged participants to utilize learned skills for managing anger, leading to improved mental health, stronger marital bonds, and greater inner peace.

The town hall meeting also featured significant presentations from the leaders of various parish organizations, including the Catholic Men Organization (CMO), Catholic Women Organization (CWO), Catholic Youth Organization of Nigeria (CYON), Young Catholic Workers (YCW), and the Holy Childhood Association (HCA). These reports highlighted the activities, challenges faced, and recommendations for the future growth and development of the parish. The ensuing discussions fostered a spirit of collaboration and led to the channeling of actionable steps towards parish advancement.

This town hall meeting marked a significant celebration, first for St. Gabriel Mokola, demonstrating a proactive approach towards fostering communication, addressing pertinent issues, and strengthening the bonds within the parish community.

The Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Eseola, expressed his profound appreciation to the leaders of the various organizations for their dedication in organizing the event and commended the impressive turnout and active participation of the parishioners.