How beautiful on the mountains, are the feet of the messenger announcing peace, of the messenger of good news, who proclaims salvation and says to Zion, 'Your God is king!' (Isaiah 52:7). It was more than beautiful to see the sons of Lavigerie arriving at St. Paul's Catholic Church, Fadan Kagoma, diocese of Kafanchan, Kaduna State, Nigeria. We came to witness to the priestly ordination of Jonathan Wyok Bahago on Saturday 26th June 2010. The attendants will remember not only this ordination but all the events surrounding it.

We were all in Kafanchan before the day of ordination. The family, friends, parish of Jonathan gave us a warm welcome. On Friday 25th June, we went to visit the Bishop of Kafanchan Diocese, Most Rev. Dr. Joseph D. Bagobiri. Our provincial, Fr. Francis Bomansaan thanked the Bishop for accepting to ordain Jonathan at his parish. The Bishop stressed the honor he had to receive us in his diocese; he took time to explain to us about the work going on in the diocese. He was happy of the big number of vocation in his diocese. He hoped that the ordination of Jonathan will produce more fruits for all of us. He wished to see Missionaries of Africa coming to work in the diocese, especially with Brothers who could teach different techniques to the people of Kafanchan.

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The evening we went to visit the chief of Fadan Kagoma. While we were learning how to greet him, some of us finding already difficult to make it, his Royal Highness received us without all those protocols as he simply shook our hands to greet us. We had an enriching cultural encounter where he told us how his primarily concern was the youth as he fights against laziness. As a Christian he told us how the tradition does not infringe on his faith. God is my only support, he told us.

For, as the rain and the snow come down from the sky and do not return before having watered the earth, fertilising it and making it germinate to provide seed for the sower and food to eat,… (Isaiah 55:10) so it has been with Jonathan's ordination: a rain started the eve of his ordination, it continued on the day of ordination without disturbing the whole celebration. We needed this rain to call to mind the work of rain and that Nigeria was not infertile! The last Nigerian Missionary of Africa to be ordained was on September 6th 1997. It is the best family planning you can think of! 13 years after, Jonathan has just germinated and will provide seed for the sower and food to eat. Dennis and Victor, MAfr, looked closely as Jonathan entered in the Church wearing the stole over the left shoulder to come out with the stole over the shoulders! Both Dennis and Victor will be ordained on 21st August 2010 in Jos.

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The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to do his harvesting. Start off now, but look, I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. (Luke 10:2-3) These were the first words the bishop addressed to Jonathan and Douglas; Douglas was ordained as a diocesan priest of Kafanchan. Some other words of the homely of His Lordship Bishop Joseph D. Bagobiri need to be underlined: 'God does not call perfect people,… your availability to God is more needed! … Saint Peter and his colleagues were not educated, they did not do philosophy, but they were AVAILABLE. (…) The priest radiates God wherever he is. God is the only treasure people want to see in the priest. (…) Do not be afraid to spend time with God as you find always a list of activities to do. (…) Priesthood is not something we do, it is something we are.' His Lordship continued to tell the ordinands that nothing should distract them: purse, haversack, sandals, greetings on the road … (Cfr. Luke 10:3)

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About ninety priests joined the bishop to impose their hands on the two ordinands. The joy of having these two priests were shared not only by the Church but also by the whole community of Fadan Kagoma represented by its chief and the whole Kaduna state represented by its Governor.

The first mass came up on Sunday 27th June 2010. We celebrated Jonathan with great joy. May the same joy accompany him in Tunisia and wherever God will want him! Be apostles, nothing but apostles.

Serge BOROTO ZIHALIRWA,
Stagiaire MAfr at St Thomas Parish, Agbowo-Ibadan