In his welcome address at the ongoing Joint All Catholic Knights Summit (JACKS), the Director of Pastoral Agents department of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN), Rev. Fr. Augustine Okochi, appealed to Catholic Knights in Nigeria to always place quality over quantity in their drive to admit new members into their respective orders.
“I would like to appeal to you to please always place quality over quantity in your membership drive. I urge you to admit to your ranks, Godly men and women of integrity and honour, men and women of good conscience and good morals, men and women who are loyal to the Mother Church and stand by her teachings to humanity.”
Admonishing them on the need to manage their differences to better fulfil their mandate as salt of the earth and light of the world, the Pastoral Agents Director charged the Knights to go into the pastoral field as members of one family filled with love for one another to become more effective evangelizers.
Fr. Okochi appreciated the Knights for their services and immeasurable contributions to the development and growth of the Church in Nigeria and the society at large in the light of Catholic Social Teaching, and prayed for God’s reward upon their lives in this world and in the next.
The Secretary General of CSN, Rev. Fr. Zachariah Samjumi while welcoming the Knights to the Summit at the Catholic Secretariat, urged the Knights to initiate actions in defence of the Church instead of waiting for the Bishops. He charged them to infuse the Catholic values in whatever they do in life, even in areas of public service.
The Chairman of the occasion, Rt. Hon. Otis Anyaeji, appreciated the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) and the CSN for organising the meeting to gather all Catholic Knights in Nigeria to rub minds in defence of the Church. He stressed that as Knights of the Church, they should have a deep understanding of what it means to be a Catholic, its teachings and doctrine.
The opening ceremony which took place at the Resource centre of CSN, also witnessed a keynote address by the Bishop Chairman for the Laity, Most Rev. John Ayah, Goodwill messages from the Catholic Laity Council of Nigeria (CLCN), Catholic Men Organization (CMO), Catholic Women Organization (CWO) and CSN College of Knights and Ladies.