By CSN Media
As Rev Fr Uchechukwu Obodoechina winds off his tenure as the Director of Church and Society, Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN), and Executive Secretary of Catholic Caritas Foundation of Nigeria (CCFN), some Catholic Bishops in Nigeria praised Fr. Obodoechina for his exceptional leadership during his years of service to the Church and the society.
At a thanksgiving Mass held at St. Gabriel Chaplaincy, CSN, on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, bishops, priests, staff of the CSN, CCFN and agencies of Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), friends and well-wishers, gathered to celebrate Fr. Uche’s eight years of dedicated service.
In his homily at the Mass, the Catholic Bishop of Katsina Ala Diocese, Most Rev. Isaac Dugu, highlighted Fr. Obodoechina’s commitment to Caritas’s growth and unity. He applauded the outgoing Executive Secretary of Caritas for sustaining the vision and unity of Caritas, emphasizing that Caritas has grown rapidly under Fr. Obodoechina.
“Caritas has grown from strength to strength under Fr. Obodoechina. Without any reservations, Fr. Uche is leaving Caritas better than he met it. He has sustained the unity in Caritas.”
The Chief Celebrant at the Mass and Catholic Bishop of Nsukka Diocese, Most Rev. Godfrey Onah, described Fr. Obodoechina as one who is like an angel to many people, and a sign of God’s presence in the lives of many. He described Caritas relevance in the country as an indication of the failure of government.
“The relevance of CCFN, throughout the country is to a large extent an indication of the failure of government. This is because most of what Caritas does would not have been necessary if we had a functional government. Fr. Obodoechina is an angel to many people. He is a sign of God’s presence in the lives of many people.”
Bishop Onah who is Fr. Obodoechina’s bishop, disclosed that he has no regret sending Fr. Obodoechina to the Catholic Secretariat: “I am here happily, it was not easy to let him go, but when the church calls, it is God who calls. After 8 years of service at the Catholic Secretariat, I have no reason to cover my face in shame for what Fr Obodoechina did, so I am here happily.”
In his response, Fr. Uchechukwu Obodoechina, expressed gratitude to God for the grace to serve at the CSN in the past 8 years. He thanked the Catholic Bishops of Nigeria for the confidence they had in him and equally appreciated his Bishop for the opportunity granted him to serve.
“I am indeed grateful to God for what he has done for me at the CSN in the past 8 years. I have enormous reasons to be grateful to God. I thank the CBCN for the confidence they had in me. I thank my bishop for allowing me to come here. It is not a send-off party, but a ceremony of gratitude. Dear friends, in your own private life, feel the need to always thank God.”
The thanksgiving Mass was followed by a grand reception at the Blessed Michael Iwene Tansi Hall, CSN, featuring presentations, cultural displays, and cake cutting.
