HOMILY OF BISHOP EMMANUEL ADE BADEJO AT THE EPISCOPAL GOLDEN JUBILEE THANKSGIVING MASS OF MOST REVEREND FRANCIS FOLORUNSO ALONGE AT THE SACRED HEART CATHEDRAL, AKURE, ONDO DIOCESE, APRIL 20, 2024.

HOMILY OF BISHOP EMMANUEL ADE BADEJO AT THE EPISCOPAL GOLDEN JUBILEE THANKSGIVING MASS OF MOST REVEREND FRANCIS FOLORUNSO ALONGE AT THE SACRED HEART CATHEDRAL, AKURE, ONDO DIOCESE, APRIL 20, 2024.

2Tim. 4:7-8, 17-18; I have fought the good fight… Matt.16:13-19 Who do people say… on this rock…Psalm 33: From all my terrors, the Lord set me free…

Your Graces , Your Excellencies, Right Rev Monsignors, Very Rev Fathers, Religious Superiors Rev Frs, Other Consecrated Persons Distinguished dignitaries of Church and State, the Family and friends of our celebrant of these 50 years of Episcopacy, Most Rev Francis Alonge, Beloved people of God….Glory to Jesus… The Lord is good….

The extraordinary Gospel reading chosen for Bishop Francis Alonge’s thanksgiving Mass today from Matthew chapter 16, compels us to focus this homily, reflection first and foremost on one Person.. Jesus Christ of Nazareth, our Lord and Savior, the Alpha and Omega, who died and rose again, the beginning and the end who one day,almost a century ago in 1935 sent Francis Folorunso Alonge into this world, about three decades thereafter in 1963 called him to priestly

Life and a decade after that in 1974 made him a bishop. On a day like this, Focus must be on him who declared unequivocally to his disciples “ You did not choose me, no, I chose you and I commissioned you to bear fruits, fruits that will last”. (JN 15:16)

People of God, In that Gospel today Jesus asked his disciples.. “ Who do people say that I am….” All the disciples, except one clumsy man called Peter, sought for answers in what they had seen and known. You are Moses, Elijah, John the Baptist or one of the prophets… what the world had taught them. This Peter alone gave an answer that went beyond reason, reality, beyond worldly

Proof, but based and rooted only in faith and surrender and said: “:You are the Christ,the son of the Living God” . No wonder that Jesus picked him out for a task that goes well beyond human strength and capacity. “Simon you are a blessed man…Thou art Peter and on this rock, I shall build my Church…and the gates of the underworld…( Matt 16: 18-19) And tha promise is fulfilled till this day. I am fully convinced that this is where the inspiration came from for the great composer who sang: Great things happen when God wides with man…

Yes indeed, dear people of God, I believe that it is only a faith like Peter’ that has brought Bishop Folorunso Alonge all through these 89 years to this day…. God mixed with him and we are all testimony to the fact that great things have indeed happened through Most Rev Francis Folorunso Alonge who ceebrates50 good years as Bishop. God and tis chosen instrument deserve a round of applause….

And not just him, as Bishop Arogundade rightly noted yesterday, all our bishops Emeriti in this area…Living and dead… who took over the mantle of leadership of the a church from the missionaries , Baba Anthony Salu Sanusi, His Eminence Anthony Okogie, His Grace Felix Alaba Job, bishop Julius Adelakun, Bishop Fagun, Bishop Fasina, Bishop AyoMaria who led the church fruitfully, without scandals and still continue to serve and sustain the legacy. Igbagbo I duro Lori eje at Ododo Jesu. Don’t you see how God has blessed them.? What could have been their secret except Jesus Christ who transformed Saul to Paul and di Greta things through him.May his name be praised forever and ever.

If this homily were meant to be focused on Bishop Alonge, many who know him far better than me chronologically, physically, medically, emotionally, psychologically would have been asked to preach it. I think that his doctor, or Peter, his cook for many years or such others would have qualified ahead of me. I believe that I am called to highlight more the wonders of God, done in and through our bishop Emeritus for that is the right thing to do.

So, Today’s Mass must acknowledge God’s blessing of longevity ( which does not derive from the fact that word “long” occurs in Baba.s name. ….many Alonge’s never lived to adulthood) for abundant grace and unmerited love of God. Most of us have heard people in a fit of self adulation, say in Nigeria: “I am a self-made man”. It makes me laugh because In fact, no self made person exists. Bishop Alonge, whom we have known for different reasons for almost 90 years was known to God already before he was born. How fitting are those words of the prophet Jeremiah: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you came to birth, I consecrated you; I appointed you as prophet to the nations” (Jer1:5). As I said, Bishop Alonge is one of that “Special Edition” set of our Bishops emeriti who are now knocking on the door of 90…years an age which found no description in the popular psalm 90, verse 10n70 years h course of our life, 80;fr for those who are strong and 90 for those of the “Special Edition” group.

Of course, after God we must thank all those who have had anything to do with Bishop Alonge’s life up to this point; his family and friends. Yorubas say: Eko eleko, efo elefo ni alufaa nje sanra” There are so many to thank, home and abroad, dead and alive, without whom Bishop Alonge would not have been who he is today. May God rest his parents and the deceased members of his family and all who have died in perfect peace. We thank his family alive, the Church, and the people of God who nurtured his faith and provided the stage, the place, the environment in which Bishop Francis Alonge invested his life, time, talent and treasure at the service of God. Thanks to the Bishop of Ondo Diocese Bishop Jude Arogundade to the Clergy, the Religious Catechists and all the pastoral agents who have collaborated with Bishop Alonge all these years….This weekend on Sunday we celebrate the Good Shepherd Sunday. In reality, without the people of God, the good sheep there can be no shepherd and we could never experience the joy of today, celebrating this gentle shepherd through whom God has touched so many lives. Hebrews 5:1-2 declares: Every high priest is taken from among human beings and is appointed to act on their behalf in relationships with God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins…” So, thanks to you all the people of God for your prayers and your support andyour goodwill. May you not lose your reward. Amen.

Baba took over leadership from Bishop William Field in. 1976 with 11 parishes and closed his stewardship in 2010 with over 50. At the starting line he had only Msgr. Adegoke and a few others, I gather as the only indigenous priest among the missionaries. By the time he left, he had over 80 Nigerian priests. Talk about a man favoured by God. I could go on with the statistics but these form the easier part of what God worked with this man of faith. The letter of invitation sent out by Bishop Jude Arogundade reads in part: “Bishop Alonge is one who ‘has generously served the Diocese of Ondo and the Church in Nigeria as a shepherd tending the flock entrusted to him with diligence and great responsibility. Even in his retirement, he continues to give himself to us in various ways”. With a tribute like that, maybe I should go and sit down and thank Bishop Arogundade for writing this homily for me. But I will say some more…

We thank God for the number of people whom in your priestly ministry you taught the way of God, whom you baptized, confirmed, comforted and restored in the sacrament of penance of whom you blessed their unions and comforted in the sacrament of the sick and prayed for at their death…Thank God for the number of priests you ordained, thank God for the religious professed under your care and thank God for the lay faithful whose faith has been nurtured by your apostolate. Thank God for the. Churches, schools, hospitals, care homes families and other pastoral institutions you built and the grace of your presence representing the Church in Ondo Diocese and all over the world. If we were to count God’s blessings…innumerable … Ile a su ile a mo, Melo nika ro ninu ore ti Baba se…

Every such milestone achievement speaks about the effort you made to cooperate with God and the risks sometimes involved especially in the emerging mission Ondo Diocese of that time. In the first reading of today we hear a version of St. Paul’s valedictory speech to his disciples and the Christian community through Timothy. (2 Tim 4:7-8, 17-18) Paul told his story of how God stood by him and saw him through all his difficult times, saving him even from the lion’s mouth. Baba we know that even The psalm you chose for this occasion also expresses Volumes in the same way. The refrain of Psalm 33, “From all my terrors, the Lord set me free” is truly loaded. Yorubas say:. “Bi ode ba ro ise ro iya, toba pa eran, ko ni fun enikankan je” On the other hand, your expression is an encouragement and affirmation for all of us who are coming behind. thank you. Paul also expresses his readiness for the crown which awaits him… “I have fought the good fight… all that awaits me” (2 Tim. 4:78) But please tell me, does Baba look like someone going anywhere soon…. Baba mai loo ajantiele… baba maiku o ajantiele… Jowo mai lo o…Baba, don’t ho yet, stay with us a little longer…

I knew Bishop Alonge more closely when I was secretary for Communication at the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria at the same period in the late 90s and early when he was Chairman of the Communication Department of CBCN and Chairman also of Communication for the Bishops of the West African Region. CAMAWA. I doubled as Communication Secretary for the same regional body at the same period and so I worked with him over a number of years and did some international trips together. I got to know Baba Alonge beyond the sanctuary and the sacristy… “Sunmoni la nmose eni, eniyan gbe okeere niyi”. In,early so much from him, as many have said in these last few day ; architecture, English, music, church history, European history, thoroughness, table manners, good humour and especially prayer and ppatience. I would drive all the way from Lagos at top speed to get one or two letters signed, or a paper endorsed, having informed him ahead so I can go back on the same day. Baba would welcome me and invite me to have tea… On one occasion I returned to Lagos on the third day, well fed and well. Informed but with my schedules in crisis. You try hurry up a deliberate man like Baba Alonge and your outcome is pre determined.

But even long before then he made an impression on me… Let me share some experiences with you? We were about concluding further studies as priests in Rome with Fr. Pius Oludare and Fr. Jude Asanbe then. It was usual that when Bishops visited they would go out for dinner with their priests. I somehow got invited to their dinner and while at dinner Bishop Alonge raised the matter of needing a secretary. He then mentioned maybe Fr. Tai Oludare who retorted sharply like a possessed man: “Me? Not on your life, not at all”. I was embarrassed and tried to call him to order. He did not budge. tTo my surprise, Bishop Alonge calmly took it in his stride and the topic changed. As things turned out Fr Oludare returned home and became. Bishop’s secretary for the best of 7 years, probably till date, the longest serving. Bishop Alonge’s equanimity showed me that, yes, in the Church you have a right to your opinion, but not to your obedience. fr and I never discussed how that came to be until last night If I were in Bishop’s place, I would never choose that kind of a priest as secretary… but then it is Bishop Alonge we are talking about here.

I had another particular experience of Bishop Alonge’s humaneness when during our trip to Montreal in Canada. In Montreal, I dutifully helped Bishop Alonge to carry his brand-new laptop onto the train along with my own bag and put it in the overhead baggage space. On arrival at our destination, we all carried our bags and left the train which sped off. Minutes later, I found I had not retrieved Baba’s laptop from the train He did not either, since I had taken charge of it. We made desperate efforts but the laptop with all other valuables in the laptop bag, probably with money in it, was never found. That incident ruined Baba’s trip to Canada irreparably. I apologized profusely but that did not change anything. The remarkable thing was that after the initial alarm at the loss, Baba Alonge dismissed the incident and never said one more word about it till this day except occasionally when I raise it. Nor did it colour our relationship ever since…Baba see ni oro pe “Oran to ba lo mo ni lorun ko see fi ada ge, isepe to ba ko si ni loju ko see fi abere yo” I find that kind of equanimity not given to many. Yes things may. Go really wrong as they sometimes will, at that time ask the Holy Spiritan for calm and serenity and move on. In fact, for all the years, I worked as Director of Communications many Bishops believed that I was from Ondo diocese because of our relationship. Baba a dupe pupo. Thank you

Thank you, Bishop Alonge for being a true father of Ondo diocese then in all these years… thank you for the education of the Clergy a legacy which is continuing and has put Ondo among the front runners in that regard judging from the number serving in Church institutions all around.

Thank you. For being always surrounded with books, those already read and those yet to be read. I know that readers of books are leaders, even more than the watchers of movies and video clips. No wonder you built so many schools, no wonder you served as Secretary to the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) for many years. No wonder that you were elected Chairman for Communications for the West African Regional Conference of Bishops (CAMAWA) and for the Continental Episcopal Committee for Communication (CEPACS) as well.

Bishop Alonge, as an encourager, I cannot forget that despite your love for the music of the classical composers of John Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, you still played my poorly produced musical CDs and others in your car and encouraged us to keep at it. Desperate that we do not lose the heritage of our classic Church hymns you fished out a copy of the old Yoruba hymnal from the archives of the SMA fathers in Rome and single handed reprinted the old hymn book with angels on the cover and distributed it around. Many choirs have greatly benefitted from that gesture. Thank you very much.

Bishop Alonge and his Bishop contemporaries often remind me that none of us must think he is ever too old to impact life or the youths. As we speak Bishop Alonge is still building an e-library for the use of the younger generation, when many people half his age don’t even care what an e-library is. Surely, he is not doing it for himself. Bishop Michael Fagun has recently digitalized the Bible for us in our phones and computers. Bishop Adelakun still writes spiritual reflections regularly on social media. These are “no gree for anybody” leaders and that is why they stay young at heart. A wise man said: “If wrinkles must be written in your life, let them not be written on your hearts, because the soul must remain young if it must stay productive. My fellow priests, some of us like to declare to the world how old we are so as to attract respect and privileges. That is not what to do. Better to make the years count, than to count the years. Work for the youth and the future and you will forever be young. Draw inspiration from the words of the letter to the Hebrews not to begin to think that things were easier with our predecessors while we are having a harder time. The letter reads: “Let us beware then: since the promise never lapses, none of you must think that he has come too late for the promise of entering his place of rest. We received the gospel exactly as they did…” (Heb 4:1-2).

Today Our country has many claiming to be born again, filled with the Holy Spirit, working under anointing but stealing the country blind, robbing their own people of every resource and hurting. The poor the ignorant and the weak. Baba Alonge became Bishop in this country when it was easy to possible money to fool people, to acquire property… but did not. He taught, educated people, sponsored people, encoutraged and trained people and taught them the way of God…One young singer once looked at NIGERIA and asked all of us a rhetorical question SHEY NA LIKE DIS WE GO DE DEY…? Ask yourself that too.

This celebration is an invitation to us all to rethink our values. You that have built houses upon houses, bought castles and mansions,acquired land upon land, with properties unending , having foreign and domiciliary account upon account in every currency and every bank…Tell me now, To what avail.? As we Yorubas say: “Olowo kole tan ile tun seku, oju ti olowo” I call on all in positions of leadership to repent and rescue the fatherland, this country. Tell me, how many people beyond your close family have you helped, empowered, supported, educated, promoted? What have you achieved for the common good? That is the measure of your worth before God and humanity. What will be recounted of you? . Opolopo lo nkoro jo, lai meni ti o lo won gbeyin…..

Baba, I prAy, May that crown of life which you so desire be granted you gloriously one day when you arrive at the kingdom. But for now, Manet nobiscum….Stay a little longer with us … Ad Multos Annos… All glory, glory, glory to the Lord… … Aseyisamodun Baba Alonge!