The Nigerian Priory Celebrates Its Tenth Anniversary

In ten years, the ministry has developed well, and in a progressive way, which is a guarantee of quality and seriousness. Priests serve seven Mass centers in addition to the priory.

The most important center is in Lagos, the New York of West Africa. If the priory welcomes just over 250 faithful on Sundays on a regular basis, the community of Lagos is not far behind with an attendance of 220 faithful.

It is from the rest of this community that the mission receives the most precious fruit of its apostolate: priestly vocations. Two of its young faithful are already enrolled in seminaries of the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) while two others are preparing at the priory to join them.

The federal capital, Abuja, receives a weekly visit but under difficult circumstances. The mission does not own the chapel, which is too small to be fitted out more than it is.

Moreover Abuja is in the Muslim part of Nigeria where social pressure and insecurity make life difficult for Catholics. However, the small traditional community of 80 faithful is developing nicely.

Onitsha, Port-Harcourt, and Oji River are also visited by SSPX priests. The first is visited every Sunday, and the others alternately. They have about 250 devotees in all.

In Port-Harcourt, the community of the faithful brings together about 60 young and truly faithful people. These young parents are currently building a church, with the very limited resources available to Nigerians.

To compensate for the lack of funds, they use their free time to carry out the work that is accessible to them, digging the foundations, molding the concrete blocks, etc. These devotees truly deserve relief because of their sacrifices and generosity in this project.

Finally, there are irregular trips to Accra in Ghana (English speaking) and to Cotonou in Benin (French speaking). Around a small core of Catholic faithful, a shifting number of curious people join with each visit.

The most important event of this past year was the move into a new building, built mainly thanks to donations from the faithful in Switzerland, but also from many others. The priests have thus been installed in a three-story house with a chapel, community places, bedrooms, and three classrooms.

Many projects still remain. The church of Port-Harcourt and the development of the third floor of the priory for the pre-seminarians and the pre-postulants brothers need completion.

Be assured that the priests, pre-seminarians, and faithful of the priory offer their rosaries daily for their benefactors. Thank you for any spiritual or material help.