Day Catholic group celebrated annunciation feast in Abuja 

Fred Ezeh

 A Catholic group, Knight of Saint Mulumba (KSM), Abuja metropolitan zone, last week, gathered at Our Lady Queen of Nigeria Catholic Church, Garki, Abuja, to celebrate the feast of annunciation. The theme was: “Keeping Wholly the Triunity of Our Humanity.”

Feast of Annunciation is an annual event in Catholic calendar that used to commemorate the activities that heralded the conception of Jesus Christ by Blessed Virgin Mary. It was a date that the Angel of God (Angel Gabriel) delivered the message to Blessed Virgin Mary that she would conceive and birth a child who would be the Saviour of the World.

Catholic community in Abuja led by members of the Knight of Saint Mulumba, celebrated the event with rosary procession, mass and other activities that refreshed the minds of the people on the importance of the remarkable event. The event began with prayers, followed by rosary procession and ended with Holy Mass celebrated by Rev. Fr Raphael Okanumeh of the Abuja Catholic Archdiocese.

Fr. Okanumeh reminded the congregation of the great significance of the feast of annunciation, and encouraged members of KSM and other parishioners to observe the day with consciousness of appreciation, thanksgiving and sober reflection.

He informed the congregation that the Catholic Church attaches so much importance to the Feast of Annunciation, hence the series of activities usually lined up to commemorate the event.

KSM Supreme Physician, Prof. Charles Eregie, charged Christians particularly Catholics to ponder on the salvation implication of the action of Jesus Christ, in their quest to achieve the true “Christ-likeness.” Represented by KSM metropolitan physician of Abuja, Aloysius Ebedi, he said the feast was even more relevant in the Lenten season, which afforded Catholics the opportunity to meditate.

He thus asked Christians particularly members of Catholic faith to uphold the sanctity, dignity and quality of life at all stages and forms, from conception to natural birth, while also protecting the environment and all God’s creation.