On Monday 11th of November, the Memorial of St. Martin of Tour, Archbishops, Bishop, Priests, Religious and Lay Faith within and outside of the Catholic Archdiocese of Ibadan, gathered on the hallowed ground of St. Patrick Catholic Church, Orita-Basorun, Ibadan, for the blessing and unveiling of the Newly Erected Grotto of St. Joseph.

 

In his opening remark, Archbishop Gabriel Abegunrin who was the Chief Celebrant at the Holy Mass welcomed everyone and thanked the family of Mr. Ayo Fawole who donated the grotto to the parish. Archbishop Abegunrin remarked that with the Grotto of St. Joseph along with that of the existing Grottos of the Blessed Virgin Mary; St. Patrick, Basorun Parish has become a real Pilgrimage Centre. Archbishop Abegunrin congratulated Mr. Ayo Fawole on his 84th Birthday Anniversary, as well as Archbishop Felix Alaba Job on the Honorary Doctorate conferred on him by Veritas University, Abuja of recent.

The homilist, Most Rev. Peter Kayode Odetoyinbo, the Bishop of Abeokuta Diocese, noticed that at the celebration of the Year of St. Joseph, the Church made us to reflect the role of St. Joseph in salvific mission of Christ.

Devotion is an act of the Holy Spirit. With the declaration of the Year of St. Joseph, the Holy Father inspired by the Holy Spirit, encourages the faithful to increase their devotion to St. Joseph.

Bishop Odetoyinbo encouraged men to pay more attention to devotion. He charged all men to increase their devotion to St. Joseph. In the same vein, he urged all present to increase their devotion to St. Joseph and all other Saints in the Church.

The Bishop of Abeokuta encouraged all, men and women to always work together on a mission to evangelizing the world. He enjoined CMO to pay more attention to St. Joseph like the CWO do of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The Grotto of St. Joseph is not only a place of prayer to men, the homilist emphasized. He therefore asked all to seek the face of God by visiting the Grotto of St. Joseph. 

Furthermore, Bishop Odetoyinbo enjoined all to do devotion to other Saints in the Church as he prayed for Mr. Ayo Fawole on his 84th Birthday. He also congratulated the Basorun parishioners and urged them to take St. Joseph as a role mode.

Bishop Odetoyinbo also prayed for all present at the occasion as well as for all who will come on Pilgrimage to Basorun Parish in future.

There was birthday Thanksgiving dance to the Altar by the Fawole’s, Archbishop Abegunrin, Bishop Odetoyinbo, Priests, Religious and the Lay faithful. They were all prayed over by Archbishop Emeritus of Ibadan, Most Rev. Dr. Felix Alaba Job.

There was the blessing and the unveiling of the Grotto of St. Joseph by Archbishop Gabriel ‘Leke Abegunrin. After the blessing, the Archbishop used the opportunity of the gathering to thank everyone once again for the glorious way his 75th Birthday was celebrated.