TO ALL PRIESTS, RELIGIOUS AND THE LAY FAITHFUL IN THE CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF IJEBU-ODE.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord:

Grace and Peace of the Lord be with you.

1. The Month of February: I heartily welcome you to the second month of the year, the month of February, 2022. In this month, we continue to grow in love and peace in our Christian journey of faith in the Ordinary Season, as we anticipate the great season of Lent in the early part of the month of March. This month begins with the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord (February 2), a day we celebrate the gift of consecrated persons to the Church. As a Diocese, we shall be celebrating the consecrated men and women collaborating with us at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Ogbere. It shall begin with the Holy Mass at 10.00am Let us remember to pray for all consecrated persons on this day.

• Pope’s Intention for the month of February, 2022: For Religious sisters and consecrated women: Let us pray for them, thanking them for their mission and their courage; that they may continue to find new responses to the challenge of our times.

• Bishop’s Intention for the month of February 2022: For Catechists, Lay leaders and Evangelizers: That all lay teachers of faith in the Diocese may be renewed in their commitment to spread the gospel message of Christ and the Catholic doctrine.

• Synod 2021-2023: As a Diocese, we shall continue to participate actively in preparation for the 2023 Synod on Synodality. The third phase of our participation which is the Diocesan pre-synodal meeting will come up on 12^th February, 2022. It shall begin with the celebration of the Holy Mass at St. Sebastian Cathedral, Odo-Egbo, Ijebu-Ode

Venue: Bishop Sanusi Memorial Hall, Odo-Egbo, Ijebu-Ode

Time: 10.a.m

NB: All Priests, Religious and representatives from the different deaneries are expected to be present at this meeting with the reports from their various deanery assemblies.

• Annual Marian Pilgrimage 2022: Following the challenges posed by the continued official restrictions to very large gatherings due to the Covid-19 pandemic and its emerging attendant variants, the 2022 Annual Diocesan Marian Pilgrimage to Iwopin will not hold. However, we shall as a Diocese observe our Marian devotion at Deanery level in place of the Pilgrimage, on 4^th to 5^th February, 2022, with the following details:

THEME: The Theme for Our Devotion this year is “MARY OUR MOTHER AND COMFORTER OF THE AFFLICTED”. This theme will be used in all Deaneries for their devotion.

NATURE OF THE PROGRAMME: The programme will take the exact format of the annual pilgrimage but on Deanery basis.

Deanery venues: Ijebu-Igbo Deanery: Oke-Maria, Ijebu-Igbo; Ijebu-Ode Deanery: St. Sebastian Cathedral, Ijebu-Ode; Esure Deanery: Most Pure Heart of Mary Church, Esure; Iloti Deanery: Christ the King Catholic College, Odolewu; Ogbere Deanery: Our Lady of Fatima Parish, Orita J6; Iperu Deanery: Our Lady Undoer of Knots Grotto, Iperu; Sagamu Deanery: City of the Immaculate, Sagamu.

ANIMATION/COLLECTIONS: Parishes are to divert the effort and resources usually spent on transportation to Iwopin to animate and support local transport that will facilitate good attendance from all the stations under each parish.

Note: All collections taken at this programme should be paid into the account of Ave Maria Pilgrimage Center, UBA, 1022812598. The collections will be used in renovating the Pilgrimage center for the Diocese.

COVID-19 PROTOCOLS: All Deans and Parish Priests are to ensure that all Covid-19 protocols for public gathering are strictly observed at the event.  These include but not limited to; a) Wearing of face masks by all in attendance. b) Washing of hands before admittance into the venue of the programme, c) Use of sanitizers as already directed and especially before receiving communion in the hand, d) Ensuring safe social distancing in the seating arrangement of the venue.

REPORTS: Parish Priests are to submit a detailed report of the event to the office of the Vicar for Pastoral Affairs within one week of holding the event.

• Diocesan Prayer Crusade for Priests and Religious: This is a reminder to the appeal to families within our Diocese to adopt a Priest/Religious for prayer throughout the Year 2022. A family that is within our Diocese, may freely choose and adopt a Priest whom they would be praying for on daily basis throughout this year. Let us all remember to pray for our Priests and Religious daily.

• Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes: We shall begin our monthly Novena in this month, for the intentions of our Diocese and healing of our world from Covid-19 virus and its emerging variants. May I request that we take up the Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes which will begin on February 2^nd to 10^th, 2022, a day before the memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes (February 11). All Parish Priests, Superiors and Chaplains are to kindly ensure that this novena is done in all Parishes, schools, convents and formation houses across the diocese.

• Ave Maria Pilgrimage Center, Iwopin: We renew our call and request your generous support towards the renovation of the Ave Maria Pilgrimage Centre. We sincerely appreciate all those who have contributed generously towards this project. We remind individuals, families, societies, parishes and stations who are yet, to support this course of rebuilding our Pilgrimage center with your kind donations. Remember, God loves a cheerful giver (2 Cor. 9:7). The account details are as follows:

Account Name: Ave Maria Pilgrimage Center, Catholic Diocese of Ijebu-Ode

Account Number: 1022812598

Bank: United Bank for Africa (UBA)

• Construction of a Diocesan Chancery Building: The building of our Diocesan Chancery is ongoing and we have made great progress. We therefore, renew our humble request to Parishes, Institutions, families and benefactors, within and outside the Diocese, who are yet to make their contributions, to financially support this project. We recognize and acknowledge all the contributions and donations already received. May God reward and replenish all our benefactors abundantly.

To support this project of building a befitting Chancery for the Catholic Diocese of Ijebu-Ode, kindly make your donation(s) to the following Bank Account:

Account Name: Catholic Diocese of Ijebu-Ode

Account Number: 0131027016

Bank: FCMB

1. ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. The Bishop will not be available in his office in the month of February. The Vicar General, Very Rev. Msgr. Victor Ajayi shall take up administrative responsibilities in the Diocese during this period. He will be available in the office on Mondays and Thursdays only to attend to important and urgent matters. Kindly give him your co-operation and collaboration.

1. Special Collections: Let us remember to collect these special collections for the month of February: Laity collection (February 13), and Pontifical Mission Society (P.M.S.) National Office collection (February 20). Priests should kindly ensure that they are remitted on time to the Chancery for proper collation.

1. Catholic Women Organization of Nigeria: There shall be the meeting of the Catholic Women Organization of Nigeria, Lagos Ecclesiastical Province on 6^th February, 2022, at CWO Centre, Epe garage. It will begin with the Holy Mass at 10.00a.m

1. Education Department: The respective dates for our Primary and Secondary Schools midterm breaks are:

Nursery and Primary Schools – 10^th and 11^th February, 2022.

Secondary – 11^th to 18^th February, 2022.

All Heads of Schools, Staff, Parents and students should be reminded of this date.

• Holy Childhood Association: The following activities of the HCA will take place this month:
• HCA Animation visit to St. Thomas Primary School, Ibefun on February 11,2022
• Love Outreach (Valentine visit to Children Homes) on February 12, 2022.
• HCA Animation Visit to St. Anne, Itasin Imobi on February 26-27, 2022.

• NCDPA Meeting: This is to inform all members of the Nigerian Conference of Diocesan Priests Association, Ijebu-Ode Diocese of their meeting which will take place on Tuesday, February 15, 2022, at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, Iloti, 10:00am. All those concerned should take note.

• Catechesis and Religious Education: The training programme for the ministry of Catechist in the Diocese will take place on February 11, 2022 at Catechetical Centre, Motubo, Ijebu-Ode. Time: 10.00a.m

This month’s refresher program for all Catechists/Agents of Evangelization shall come up on 25^th February, 2022, at St. Anthony Hall, Ejirin, Road.

• Lay Apostolates Department: The Director, Rev. Fr. Matthew Oguleru of the department will be meeting with Presidents and Secretaries of all societies, associations and lay groups in the diocese on February 19, at Bishop Sanusi Memorial Hall, Ijebu-Ode at exactly 10.00a.m.

1. Family and Human Life Apostolate: The level one training of Marriage Counsellors in the Diocese will come up on February 19, 2022, at Most Pure Heart Catholic Church, Esure. There shall be couples’ forum on 20^th February at St. Sebastian Cathedral, Ijebu-Ode. The department’s Consultors Bi-annual Meeting will come up on 26^th February, 2022, at Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Odo-Aye. All concerned should take note.

• Presbyteral Council Meeting: The meeting of all Priests working in Ijebu-Ode Diocese will come up on Tuesday, February 22, 2022 at St. Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Kajola, at 10:00am. All Priests are expected to be in attendance as Diocesan Budget 2022 will be presented.

• Catholic Youths Organization of Nigerian: There shall be a leadership seminar for all CYON Diocesan Executives and Coordinators, Secretaries, PROs, Parish Presidents, Secretaries and PROs, Leaders of NACC, NFCS and HCA on 26^th February, 2022, at 10.a.m in Esure Deanery.

• Transfer: 
• We heartily welcome the following Sisters posted to the Diocese to join in our Pastoral work: Sr. Anthonia Akinoyekan, SSMA – St. Felix Nursery and Primary School, Esure; Sr. Catherine Kalejaye, SSMA – Holy Child Nursery and Primary School, Ogbere and Sr. Margaret Yusufu, SSL – Abbe Louis Bautain Retreat Centre, Ijebu-Itele.

• We wish to profoundly appreciate Sr. Christiana Ishola, SSMA, the former headmistress of St. Felix Nursery and Primary School, Esure, who is now on transfer outside the Diocese. we pray and wish her well in her new assignment.

• Bereavement: We announce, with deep sympathy the demise of Pa. Patrick Anyanwu, the father of Rev. Fr. Andison Anyanwu, the parish priest of Holy Trinity Parish, Awa-ilaporu. May God grant him eternal rest and consolation to the family.

Thank you as I wish you a blessed and fruitful month of February.

Most Rev. Francis Obafemi ADESINA

Bishop of Ijebu-ode Diocese.