history

” I have always been fascinated by the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist
(Holy Communion), beginning from what the Catechism teaches: The
effects of this Sacrament:

(1) It brings us closer to Jesus Christ
2) It increases the life of grace in the soul
(3) Minimizes (reduces) our propensity to sin
(4) Gives us the pledge of eternal life

All through my growing and maturing years, I found this to be very real and practical ~
when I make a good confession, receive Holy Communion and relate to persons within the family, community, school, etc. I see a difference in my life, wishing death could come then, unlike when I am not in the state of grace.

And who does not want to have these benefits in his/her life?

At age 7, on seeing the first African Priest in my Town’s Catholic Parish Church ~ Msgr Moses Emerenini, of blessed memory, celebrate the Holy Mass,  and Benediction soon after Mass, I said to the hearing of my age/play mates: “if a black man can do what the white man does, I will do it…” This could be the genesis of my priestly vocation. On my Priestly Ordination day, August 23, 1986, many recalled that statement almost four decades ago.” In my daily Priestly ministry, I  remain grateful to God for His choice of my unworthy self, to be His priest. Celebrating the Holy Mass has always been the pivot of my day, without which something great and vital is missing and the day remain incomplete. When later I came to learn about Eucharistic Adoration, listen to some talks by Servant of God, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen and his devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, some Eucharistic fire was lit in me.  By God’s grace, I established the 1st Eucharistic Perpetual Adoration Chapel in my Diocese, when I was the Pastor of St Paul’s Parish, Anara, Imo State, from 1995- 1999. In 1997, with a Pontifical Mass, my late Bishop Anthony E. Ilonu, inaugurated this Divine Endeavour in 1997.  During my first visit to the U.S.  summer of 1998, I got monetary gift from a Parishioner of Blessed Sacrament Parish, Fort Mitchell, KY, who heard my story of this Adoration Chapel and wanted to be part of the success story. This helped us procure a new Monstrance for the Chapel.  A.M.D.G.

Rev. Fr Onyeabor, Ukachukwu S.A.