The Road to St. Maria Faustina Catholic Church

What a beautiful and memorable evening as a family of Ten (10) namely (i) Pa Vitalis Nwoko (ii) Augustine .O. Ifada (iii) John Onuagbu (iv) Paulinus Onwuzurike (v) David Onyebinama (vi) Uche Okpala (vii) Simeon Asita (viii) Vincent Adejumo (ix) Humphrey Okpara (x) Chief Peter Mbaeri gathered to have their monthly prayers as usual in May 24,2013. Then one of our brothers drew our attention to the fact that no matter how we come together as Catholic Charismatic Renewal based Christians to pray, the Church will not recognize us, unless we form an arm of a small Christian Community in the Parish (St. Michael Catholic Church, ketu).

The second motivating factor was that we were never comfortable as Catholics seeing other fellow Catholic joining other Churches around us either as a result of ill-health or lack of faith.

This suggestion was agreed by all, hence we immediately arranged and sent a Four-man representative to meet with our Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Sebastian Ngene who is always ready to listen and care for the flocks God has entrusted unto him. After Listening to us, he directed us to one Mr. Mike Okuadiachi who was then the Co-coordinator of Small Christian Community in the Parish. Then, Mr. Mike Okuadiachi in company of Mr. Christopher Akpasubi visited our community for an on-the-spot assessment whether or not we indeed need a small Christian community.

As God will have it, they did not only recommend us for a Small Christian Community, but right there asked us to be looking for a Church land, that we are big enough as a community to have a Church closer to us.

From that moment, we were encouraged by their observations and recommendations. Hence the Ifada Small Christian Community was given birth to and took off in March, 2014 with 46 members attending, as Messrs. Okogwu Ikechukwu and CAf Nnachi were assigned by the church as facilitators. While one of our elders, Pa Vitalis Nwoko is always on hand to give us fatherly advice at a given time. On the 4th September 2014our present leaders of Ifada Small Christian Community who had been doing so wonderful were elected namely: Mr. John Onuegbu, Mrs. Tine Akpojotor’ and Mr. Victor who relocated back to his village after about two months of election. Our Small Christian Community was inaugurated on the 5th February, 2015.

As if all above were not enough, a family among us donated us donated a plot of land to the church. A year after our inauguration as a Small Christian Community, we informed the Parish Priest Rev. Fr. Sebastian Ngene of this wonderful gift to the Church by one of our members. And that at the same time, we are in need of money to acquire a larger parcel of land for a future church.

Through, several unsuccessful attempts had been made, we are still appealing to individuals, corporate bodies and the church to assist us in this evangelical effort.

After several discussion, on the 16th February, 2016 our Parish Priest release fund to us to put up a temporary structure of 13.2sqm for a mass centre. About two week later, on the 28th Feb, 2016 the very first mass ever celebrated at the mass centre by the Parish Priest himself, Rev. Fr. Sebastian Ngene, curiously without any altar server or lectors. But the members attendance of 143 were enough impression to our Parish Priest who immediately approved an extension of same size of the structure already put up. This is how the structure for our Mass Centre we are seeing today came in to being.

All works on the mass centre till date were direct labour under the close supervision of Pa Vitalis Nwoko, A.O. Ifada and John Onuegbu. It is worthy to mention also the encouragement and advice of Mr. Christopher Akpasubi, one of the leaders of the Co-coordinators of Small Christian Community in the Parish.

All the completion of the additional structure as approved and financed by the Parish Priest Rev. Fr. Sebastian Ngene, the official take-off of mass at the Centre was again celebrated by the Parish Priest, but this time around with the Vice Chairman of PPC Dr. Leo U. Anaikor, other members of the PPC, praise and worship of CCRN, Church Wardens lead by their Chairman, Mr. John Osamoh and other dignitaries graced the memorable event on 3rd of April, 2016 and then the Parish Priest Rev. Fr. Sebastian Ngene formally declared it a Mass Centre.

Then, three months of our existence of Mass Centre, His Grace Bishop Adewole Martins name our Mass Centre as “ST. MARIA FAUSTINA CATHOLIC CHURCH” (Patroness of Divine Mercy). To God be the Glory.

Having been together for a period of two months, members of the church then unanimously agreed to have her 1st ever Harvest/Bazaar just seven months after our inauguration which today (27/11/2016) we are celebrating.

We welcome you all. Hip Hip Hip Hurray!