Bishop Audu Commissions Saint Sylvester Catholic Estate

…Inaugurates Eucharistic Ministers.
The Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Lafia, in Nasarawa State, Most Reverend Dr. Mathew Ishaya Audu weekend commissioned the Saint Sylvester Catholic Estate containing almost two hundred (200) plots of land located in New Nyanya in Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, belonging to parishioners, an initiative of the Church Council, designed to bring worshippers together in God’s worshipping community.
The development is coming just as the Bishop also inaugurated about twenty-two (22) Eucharistic Ministers who are to help distribute the Holy Communion within their respective parishes.
Speaking at the venue of the Estate commissioning, Bishop Audu commended the initiative of the Church Council of Saint Sylvester Independent Mission, noting that the idea of having an estate to accommodate worshippers was a welcome development and urged the parishioners to close ranks and use the opportunity to strengthen the bond of relationships amongst themselves and gain God’s salvation.
Bishop Audu, who in his characteristic manner of humility turned down a request to have the estate named after him sought the permission of the Church Council to instead name the two zones of the estate after Saint Sylvester and Mary, Queen of the Apostles respectively.
He thanked parishioners of Saint Sylvester’s Catholic Church under the leadership of Reverend Father Lawrence Soja Anyembugu for their commitment, dedication and loyalty, stressing that his prayers for them was ti gain salvation after their sojourn on earth.
Speaking earlier at the occasion, the Chairman of the steering committee of saint Sylvester’s Catholic Estate, Mr. John Egweni who conducted the Bishop on tour of the proposed estate said the initiative to have an estate was borne out of the desire to get the worshipping community in one umbrella to increase the bond of relationship, adding that the parishioners have love amongst themselves.
He used the opportunity to request the Bishop to use his good offices to persuade the Ministry of lands and survey in Lafia for early processing of the title documents, most importantly the Right of Occupancy to enable them gain full control of the land.
Meanwhile the Bishop inaugurated 22 Eucharistic Ministers at the premises of Saint Sylvester’s Catholic Church to help the presiding Priest of the Independent Mission distribute Holy Communion in line with instructions from the Vatican.
The ministers were commissioned to work strictly within their area of jurisdiction as anything to the contrary will be visited with sanctions and even outright withdrawal of such privileges, the Bishop Audu warned.
Earlier in his address, the First Vice-Chairman of the Parish Pastoral Council, Mr Lawrence Nda Dedeba intimated the Bishop of the several developmental strides brought about by the parish priest which include; a befitting office complex housing one of the best Chapels in the Diocese, borehole, toilet facilities, gate House, apart from acquisition and fencing of lands in the outstations of the Parish.
Mr. Dedeba particularly expressed happiness in the wisdom of the Bishop to undertake the inauguration of the Eucharistic Ministers in Saint Sylvester Catholic Church and assured the Bishop that his request for more plots for the Church in the estate would be speedily looked into.