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Entire Catholic community of Achina in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State, the laity, the religious and the faithful, have concluded arrangements for the golden jubilee celebration of the priestly ordination of Michael Umenzekwe-Azike.
Speaking with newsmen in Lagos, Modestus Umenzekwe congratulated his uncle for upholding the Catholic faith and being a pillar of the church in Achina community.
He disclosed the event will be semi low key.
“The celebration is going to take place on April 21 at St Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, Achina. The Mass is billed for 9:30am. The entire Catholic church is expected to be there. “It is what I may call semi low key, in the sense that the celebration was being planned for November 2024, but the reverend father, for reasons best known to him and the church authority, called us last week and said the celebration has been shifted backward to coincide with the date he was ordained.
“So that made us start making contingency arrangements. Again, considering his age and strength he is close to 90, if I am not mistaken, we decided to do it. We will concentrate on very necessary things. After the Mass, he would retire to the family compound and entertain guests,” he said.
Before he entered the seminary, Umenzekwe-Azike was a civil servant based in Lagos.
“All of a sudden he decided that he would be a Catholic priest, despite the fact that his parents were pagans, he summoned the courage and the Catholic training centre, All Hallows Seminary, Onitsha, graciously admitted him, from there he ascended till he became a priest.
“Since then he has been doing the job he chose to do. He brought in the experience he has in the civil service, combined it with the vocational training, that is why he excelled. But he is on the quiet side, but he is thorough, very unassuming, he doesn’t play to the gallery, not materialistic and very disciplined. In short, his character and behaviour is synonymous with cleanliness,” Umenzekwe said.
Umenzekwe disclosed Umenzekwe-Azike is the type that works underground for the benefit of his community.
“He has helped so many people in our town and beyond to get admitted into the seminary, a greater number of them are today retiring from priesthood, people he trained. Even in the creation of parishes and all that, he worked underground to make sure various parishes we have in Achina today came to limelight. In other parishes he has worked, his footprints are there. He served at St. Mary’s Church, Osumoghu; St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Nnokwa; worked at Nkwerezunaka; St. Teresa Catholic Church, Obosi; Osumenyi; St. Pius X Seminary, Akwukwu; St. Joseph Catholic Church, Aguleri; St Mary’s Catholic Church, Ukpo Centre Nnewi; St John The Cross Egbo Nnewi among others.
