Father Ogbenna elevated to Superior General of Holy Ghost Fathers
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An Umuezeala born Catholic Reverend Father Henry Chinenye Ogbonna has been elevated to the position of Superior General of the University Sons Assumption USOA Congregation. For those who may not be familiar with the organization, USOA is a Catholic Congregation of Religious Men of the Clerical Institute. The apostolate is Christ centered Counseling to the students of the universities and other tertiary institutions in Nigeria. The organization also carries out other missionary and pastoral works as the need applies to particular dioceses and regions. Rev Father Ogbenna is the first Superior General of the Catholic institution.
The elevation of Rev Ogbenna took place in April during the first general chapter of the organization where the very Reverend Ogbenna was elected as the first Canonical Supreme Moderator, otherwise referred to as Superior General.
Rev Father Ogbenna who is the Parish Priest of Holy Angels Parish Dagbala, Akoko Edo State disclosed the good news to Umuaka Times last week in a brief chat he had with the newspaper.
In the Catholic Church, there are two major divides though not really exclusive in their functions. They are Diocese and Missionaries or Religious. While the Bishop is the head of the Diocese, the Superior General is the Head of the Missionary or Religious. This group includes priests usually identified as Holy ghost, Spiritans, Augustinians, Dominicans, Vincentians, Assumptionists, Jesuits, Paulines and more, they all belong to the class of Religious.
Umuaka Times exclusively gathered that it was the Missionaries that brought Christianity to Nigerian before the advent of Dioceses. This group serves the church anywhere without boundaries, while diocesans are limited within their diocese except with special arrangements by their bishops.
The highly spiritually exalted position, occupied by Father Ogbenna lasts for a period of 6 years and renewable once after the completion of the first tenure.
It can be recalled that Reverend Ogbenna was ordained a priest on 22 February 2014.
While commenting on his new position, the happy priest told Umuaka Times that “It is a call to serve, just as every Christian is called to be at service to one another, only that it is a more demanding and tasking position.”
When asked how he came about the position, the man of God from Umuagba Umuezeala Uba disclosed thus: “I did not ask for or pray for it. I only prayed that God will choose for us at this beginning a solid member who would lead the new Congregation in the spirit of the Founder, the charisma and apostolate of the institute.”
Umuaka Times also tried to ask Father Ogbenna what his promise to his fellow members and Christians would be. Hear him again: “Upon the choice of my humble self, I resolved to be available for God’s use for the good of the institute. To humbly serve and remain firm in securing the laws of the church, the Congregation and of course insist on the commands of God as far as our body is concerned. To unleash the passion and love of God which our apostolate promises to University students all over the world.”
In his conclusion, the priest asked his fellow Catholics and Christians to always remember him in their prayers for God to give him the Solomonic wisdom to stand firmly in his new position.
