Fr Amakodike thanks Akalites, narrates his journey to priesthood.
4 min read
The soft spoken Rev Fr Damian Ikechukwu Amakodike of Society of Divine Vocations SDV, who was ordained a priest on August 22 by His Lordship, the Bishop of Orlu Diocese, Rev Dr Austin Ukwuoma of the Holy Trinity Cathedral Orlu, has granted his first interview after his First Mass of Sunday 23 August 2020. The new priest who spoke to Umuaka Times on a day after his First Mass narrated to Umuaka Times, his rigorous journey to priesthood.
The priest who was full of joy and praises to God, told Umuaka Times that it was never an easy task considering all he went through to become a messenger of God as a priest. He ascribed his success and resilience to the grace of God because a lot of events tried to discourage him.
According o the new priest, Rev Fr Damian Ikechukwu Amakodike, his journey to priesthood started in 1996, immediately he finished his secondary school education. As a fresh graduate of secondary school who was also a Mass servant, he took his first step and applied to the Augustinians for admission. His application arrived very late “after admissions for that year have been completed.” He had no other option than to wait for the next admission. As he was on the waiting era, he joined his uncle who was into business to train himself as a businessman. He was with his uncle till 1999 when he started his own business, after some years of training and business apprenticeship
Rev Amakodike told Umuaka Times that he was a businessman up till 1993 in Plateau State and this gave him an opportunity to learn and master Hausa language properly to the extent that he can celebrate Mass in Hausa language. While doing business, he still nursed and worked hard to realize his ambition of being a priest.
In 2004, he applied again to be admitted into the Catholic vocational institution. After a long wait, no response came from the institution and in 2005, he sent another application to the same institution, Augustinians. This time around, young Ikechukwu was lucky to get a response and thereafter, invited for an interview. At this time, he got a response and was invited for an interview. On the appointed date, after praying for days, he went for the interview and came out successfully but was again rejected. What must have gone wrong? According to the authorities then, his age has crossed the age limit required for the admission. Still determined and not deterred, he was still focused and ready for the priesthood. A priest who had followed his activities then, advised him to further his education and with the successful furtherance in education, the age limit issue would be a thin of the past. This piece of advice went down well with Ikechukwu as he immediately enrolled at the Adeniran Ogunsanya Collage of Education and graduated in 2009.
This feat achieved, signaled the end of an era and the beginning of another for the young Amakodike. After his graduation, the priest told Umuka Times that he sent over 35 applications until God answered his prayers and the rest eventfully became history.
Talking about his First Mass, the priest described the event as the happiest day of his life and he was indeed jittery. The reason for being jittery was that “blessing the bread and the wine to become the Body of Christ and beholding it in my hands was something divine.”
On his advice to his junior colleagues still in the formation process, he appealed to them to always be prayerful, focused and maintain good Christian relationship with those that will give them the necessary advice and spiritual empowerment they need to have. He went further and appealed to them to make obedience and hard work, a part of their tasks and assured them that with all these, they will triumph at last.
Concerning those who have been instrumental over the years in his dream and activities that made him a priest, Father Amakodike gave a sound vote of thanks saying;
“First of all, I want to thank God who choose me and called me. I want to thank my family for accepting me to answer the call of God. I want to thank in a special way, all my teachers from nursery school to the end of my formation in the seminary school.”
“As I remember the departed among them, especially the late Mrs Nganwuchu, She taught me at Hilltop Primary School. She was my teacher in primary 1. Her influence in my life, I can never say enough of it. II thank her and I pray that her soul will rest in peace. I thank in a special way the vocationist family that admitted and formed me to become a Catholic priest today. I thank my home parish, St Mary’s Catholic Church and the entire Catholic community in Umuaka for the support they have given me and their prayers. I thank my own people Umuezeala Uba in a special way for the support and love. Those at home and the entire Umuaka sons and daughters in Diaspora, am grateful to you all. You do not know me and for your love that you have for God and his church, you went extra miles, despite the Covid19 situation that has affected the economy of the world. I thank everyone and my brother who is interviewing me from Umuaka Times for this honour.”
Before the Umuaka Times reporter left the home of the Amakodikes, he tried to have an audience with Mrs Rose Amakodike, Mama Father, but the woman was very busy at the moment.
Umuaka Times celebrates with the family and the entire Christian community in Umuaka for this great opportunity God gave them.
Just now you can branch out from your daily understanding. The best thing you can do is become relevant with yourself and faithful with your own morals. Generally this will lead to a mistaken and unproductive life.