ST. PETER’S SEMINARY OKIGWE HOME OF HOMES @ 31 BY OGUJIOFFOR PAUL IKECHUKWU FR

ST. PETER’S SEMINARY OKIGWE HOME OF HOMES @ 31 BY OGUJIOFFOR PAUL IKECHUKWU FR

Better be in a home than a house, for in a home you find a house, but in a house you seldom find a home. In the home you found that there are lots of sacrifices to make the home sound in various ambient but above all to walk in the light and to be enlightened as a cooperate identity found in an encapsulated form of a human person and his personality. This home cannot be great if there are no persons to teach and imbibe the basic moral cum spiritual principles and strictly cultivate them into the clear or cloudy minds, hearts and body of a human person. A home becomes what it ought to be when the teacher teaches by example and corrects immediately any scandal that may arise within the course of trying to form the inmates; for any delay may crumble the endeavours that the teacher might have exercised towards his accompaniment to the persons under formation. Both the teachers and students ought to be aware that for a home to be a home they cannot lose sight of the fact that many crosses, sufferings, persecutions, lack of acknowledgment of efforts or ungratefulness must abound but we cannot be discouraged for the Holy Scripture says: Sufficit tibi gratia mea, nam virtus in infirmitate perficitur. Libenter igitur gloriabor in infirmitatibus meis, ut inhabitet in me virtus Christi. Propter quod placeo mihi in infirmitatibus meis, in contumeliis, in necessitatibus, in angustiis pro Christo; cum enim infirmor, tunc potens sum  – “My grace is, enough for you or what you need, for my power is greatest when you are weak.” I am most happy, then, to be proud of my weaknesses, in order to feel the protection of Christ’s power over me. I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and difficulties for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Cor.12:9-10.

In this our home (.ST. PETER’S SEMINARY OKIGWE) each of us received these special things as a particular individual or as a group or class (insults, beatings, floggings, scolding, punishments, praises, acknowledgments, appreciations, encouragements, gifts, prizes, cares, concerns and above all sincere love that ought to exist between Father-Son or Senior-Junior Brothers relationship) that helped us become what we are today, Ad Mayorem Dei Gloriam. Ipso facto, each individual person, groups, sets or classes owe a profound gratitude or thanksgiving to GOD ALMIGHTY who made it possible for us to be part of this family and home, St. Peter’s Seminary Okigwe. Therefore, we appreciate the sincere efforts, love and sacrifices that the past and present rectors with their team of formators have contributed in no small measures to us all. Let us at this juncture mention some of their names: Msgr Luke Onyekachukwu ILONU (pioneer rector 1981-1999), Fr Godwin NWACHUKWU R.I.P, Fr Michael Nkwachukwu EBOH, Fr Maurice JIWIKE, Fr Ukachukwu Sebastine A. ONYEABOR, Fr Ephraim NWACHUKWU, Fr Kenneth EKEUGO, Fr Placid IHEDURU, Fr Michael Ajuzieogu AGBAYI (rector 2002 till date), Fr Benedict EJEH, Fr Kenneth CHUKWU, Fr Kenneth KURUMEH, Fr Paul Chinemerem ODOEME (rector 1999 - 2002), Fr Cyriacus ONYENAUCHEYA, Fr Geoffery Maduabuchi EBOH, Fr Paul Ikechukwu OGUJIOFFOR, Fr Lawrence Olivia EJIOFOR, Fr Isdore Chidi OCHIABUTO, Fr Anthony Ifeanyichukwu UMEOBIKA, Fr Joseph Emeka IKERIONWU, Fr Gabriel OFFOR, Fr MarkJohnVianney Eberechukwu OKORO, Fr Joseph ANUMNU, Fr Peter ANYANWU, Fr James Maduabuchi ONYENANI, Fr Lucis KWEKWE, etc. We also owe gratitude to our rectors and team of formators in St. Peter’s Seminary IHITTE (now St. Thomas Aquinas Seminary IHITTE) for their sacrifices and love to us, who actually underwent through IHITTE as well, the pioneer rector Fr Kevin MADU, other rectors and the incumbent rector Fr Martin OSOROBI under whom the seminary got autonomy and its present name: St Thomas Aquinas Seminary IHITTE. A special mention ought to be made of REV FR CLETUS EHIEM, because since ever I was admitted in the seminary as a junior seminarian up till this moment, Fr Cletus EHIEM has been a regular confessor to the seminarians and the formators, no matter wherever he was posted, he had been constant in the administration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) to this our home. He was also a special confessor to the our late emeritus Bishop Anthony Ekezie ILONU, the contemporary saint and un-bloody martyr of our time, though many refuse to believe or see that, only to burst it out with great passion of respect at his death. As the pioneer Bishop and with his immediate younger brother Msgr Luke Onyechukwu ILONU as the pioneer rector gave this our beloved home the name ST. PETER’S SEMINARY OKIGWE. The love and serenity of this home prompted our incumbent Bishop, Most Rev Dr. Solomon Amamchukwu AMATU to live together with the seminarians and formators for over a year before he packed in to the Bishop’s Court at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral Site Okigwe.

As alumni of this great formation home let us always be conscious of these words: Ipse autem Dominus noster Iesus Christus et Deus et Pater noster, qui dilexit nos et dedit consolationem aeternam et spem bonam in gratia, exhortetur cordad vestra, et confirmet in omni opera et sermon bono – So then, our friends, stand firm and hold on to those truths which we taught you, both in our preaching and in our letter. May Our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and in his grace gave us unfailing courage and a firm hope, encourage you and strengthen you to always do and say what is good 2 Thess.2:15-17.

Therefore, beloved brothers of same family and home, let us be aware of the fact of, North, South, East or West that home is the best. Let our nostalgia for our beloved home be on the increase that we may continue to appreciate her sincere and undiluted efforts to us. Make the best of home as well wherever fate sees you, be it as an ordained or lay faithful for our common vocation is our journey towards sanctity for the Holy Scripture said: Estote ergo vos perfecti, sicut et Pater vester caelestis perfectus est – You must be perfect just as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matt.5:48.