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BRIEF HISTORY OF CATHOLIC CHURCH OF THE ANNUNICATION 7TH AVENUE, FESTAC TOWN, LAGOS.



THE CHURCH AS AN OUT-STATION



Catholic Church of the Annunciation, Festac Town, Lagos, located at 7th. Avenue by 2nd. Avenue intersection, is an offshoot of Holy Family Catholic Church (HFCC) 22 Road, Festac Town, Lagos (the mother church).



As from 1990, the Mother Church started witnessing tremendous growth in the population of Catholic Church faithful. This created the need for another Catholic Church in Festac. The Basic Christian Community 14 of Holy Family Catholic Church , which stretched from 5th. Avenue to 23 road and down to 7th. Avenue, was selected as the nucleus of the new Church. Sir Joseph C. Orji who was the Coordinator of BCC 14, with the lay faithful in BCC 14 worked for realization of the new Church and acquisition of the site.



The then Parish priest of Holy Family Catholic Church, Rev. Fr. Anthony Fadairo, in April, 1998 acquired the present site of the Church. This was followed by the official naming of the Church as Catholic Church of the Annunciation and the blessing of the Church ground by the Metropolitan Archbishop of Lagos- His Eminence Anthony Cardinal Okogie. The Catholic Church of the Annunciation was to serve as an out-station of Holy Family Catholic Church.



By November 2004, a temporary church building was constructed by the succeeding Parish Priest of Holy Family Catholic Church – Very Rev. Monsignor Bernard Okodua. The building and development Committee of HFCC headed by Sir. Clement Iwuchukwu supervised the initial construction work of the temporary Church building . On the 2nd of October 2005 the outstation canonically came into being when very Rev. Monsignor Bernard Okodua celebrated the inaugural Mass in the temporary Church building.



With this inauguration the 7am Mass at the Holy Family Catholic Church which was celebrated in Pope John Paul 11 hall was moved to the outstation Catholic Church of the Annunciation. The 7am Mass at this out station has three special features, first it had a very vibrant Holy Ghost Choir, second it had a large Basis Christian Community(BCC),and because of the shortage of priest n it was supported with pastoral assistance from the Catholic secretariat Lagos. The Secretary General of the Catholic Secretariat, Rev. Fr. Matthew Hassan Kukah (now Bishop) was a very regular auxiliary Priest celebrating Mass for the new Christian community at the Outstation Church.



By the second Sunday Mass celebration in the outstation, the sitting space of the building became too small to accommodate the Catholic Community. Monsignor Bernard Okodua quickly granted approval for the construction of the overhang at the South wing of the building to accommodate more people. Parishioners enthusiastically donated about 500 additional plastic chairs for the extended sitting area. Inspite of this extension, there was still an overflow, as a result of which, the Parish Priest of Holy Family Catholic Church decided to have two Masses on Sundays. The 11:00 am Mass was again moved from the Holy Family Catholic Church 22 road to Catholic Church of the Annunciation 7th. Avenue. The Catholic Men Organization (CMO) of the Holy Family Catholic Church, headed by Capt. Augustine Okon, took it as a special project and played a special role in getting the new Church up and running on a firm footing.



THE CHURCH AS A QUASI-PARISH



In 2007, Catholic Church of the Annunciation constituted its Local Church Council (LCC) with Pharm. G. A. N. Osuji (FPSN) as the pioneer Chairman. The LCC was responsible for the maintenance and other development works. In 2008, Rev. Fr. Anthony Obadina, Cmf, was appointed as the Parish Priest of Holy Family Catholic Church. He fast tracked the development of the Outstation and worked resolutely towards its upgrading.



On 18th December, 2010, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Lagos, His Eminence, Anthony Cardinal Okojie, upgraded Catholic Church of the Annunciation to the status of Quasi-Parish with two Outstations attached to it; namely Church of Visitation, 1st Avenue, Festac Town and St. Joseph Catholic Church, Abule-Ado. Very Rev. Fr. Jerome Akinyemi was appointed the pioneer Priest-ln- Charge while Rev. Fr. Peter Williams, Cmf was appointed the Associate Priest-ln-Charge. The Religious Sisters of Charity (RSC), in charge of Nazareth School assisted the Outstation Church from its inception and have continued to offer pastoral assistance till date



Very Rev. Fr. Jerome Akinyemi inaugurated the Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) of Catholic Church of theAnnunciation, headed by Capt. Augustine Okon. The PPC had representation from the two Out- Stations. Very Rev. Fr. Jerome Akinyemi also constituted, registered and managed various Catholic Church Organizations and Societies for the Quasi- Parish. These included but not limited to the Laity Church Council (LCC), Catholic Men Organization (CMO), Catholic Women Organization (CWO), Catholic Youth Organization of Nigeria (CYON), Holy Ghost Choir, Voice of Angels Choir, Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary, St. Anthony of Padua, Legion of Mary, Infant Jesus, St. Jude Apostleship of Prayer, St. Vincent De Paul.



He also set up Committees for various responsibilities, such as Parish Human Resource Committee with Chief Damian Osuigwe as the Chairman; Security Committee with Mr. Benson Ohonbamu as the Chairman; Works and Development Committee (now Building Committee) with Mr. M, M. Adaba as Chairman; Maintenance Committee with Sir Sylvester Osin as Chairman, Parish Finance Council (PFC) with Mr. A. A. Adaba as Vice Chairman, and others.



INCREASE IN NUMBER OF MASSES



The population of the Church continued to grow. As a result of this, the Priest-ln-Charge had to increase the number of Masses and reprogram their timing. Four Masses are now celebrated on Sundays at 6.30am, 8.30am, 11:00am and 6:00pm; while on week days two Masses are celebrated every day at 6.30am and 6.00pm.



VISION OF THE CHURCH



The vision of the Church is "To create a Pilgrimage Church where those who earnestly seek God can have an encounter with Him through prayers and the Sacraments". This Church is fast becoming a pilgrimage ground. It hosts and holds spiritual activities for groups, associations, meditative individuals from within and outside the Quasi-Parish. The Church has hosted various archdiocesan and denary events and retreats. In order to encourage strong and frequent devotion to our Mother Mary, and bring to the fore the vision of a Pilgrimage Centre Church, the Priest-In-Charge, Very Rev. Fr. Jerome Akinyemi and his Associate Priest-ln-Charge, Rev. Fr. Peter Williams, approved the building of a Marian Grotto. With God’s grace, and strong connection from Lady Theresa Etok, the Marian Grotto was donated by family of Dr. Barth & Mrs. Jane Ebong. This family is not a Parishioner of Catholic Church of the Annunciation but is a strong promoter of unity of Catholic Church. This was a testimony of a strong will and obedience to God's call.



This Marian Grotto, a unique art work, has capacity for rotation for any devotee to see the face of our Mother Mary where ever he or she is sited. It was dedicated on 1st April, 2013 by His Grace, Most Rev. Alfred Adewale Martins, (D. D) the Archbishop of the Metropolitan See of Lagos. In pursuance ofthis spiritual transformation and growth, Very Rev. Fr. Jerome Akinyemi worked tirelessly to ensure that within six months of Catholic Church of Annunciation functioning as a Quasi- Parish, Catholic Church of Visitation, 1st Avenue, Festac was upgraded from an Out station to a Quasi- Parish. In December, 2013, St Joseph Catholic Church, Abule -Ado was also upgraded to a Quasi-Parish.



ACQUISITION OF PLOT FOR CAR PARK BEHIND THE GROTTO



In line with his foresight and desire for an accommodating Church environment, the Priest-ln-Charge purchased the plot of land behind the Grotto, measuring about 1,250 square meters. In his vision, the plot is currently used as car park so as to make the environment convenient to parishioners. It is also used for outdoor events. When the construction of the 2ND Avenue extension to Abule-Ado is completed, the drive way to our Church gate is described as a Close in the Survey Plan with the Federal Housing Authority(FHA). The Priest-In-Charge shall recommend a name for the Close.



CONCLUSION



Finally, the construction and presentation of this Building by Very Rev. Fr. Jerome Akinyemi is a demonstration of strong will power and wisdom to set before the world spiritual growth, love, work, service and fulfillment in the service of God, just as our Mother Mary in humility and patience accepted to present Jesus. As we admire this sacred place of marvelous beauty, of so much faith-filled contributions, we ask that God may raise new witnesses of holiness and present to Nigeria and the world the great services that the Church can and must offer to humanity; that the Church will remain an icon of beauty, a burning flame of charity, and a pathway, so that the world will believe in the one whom God has sent,Jesus Christ. May heavenly blessings and favours be upon all who worship here in Jesus name. Amen.



THE PARISH CHURCH BUILDING OF CATHOLIC CHURCH OF THE ANNUNCIATION



2014, the construction of the Church Building commenced as a positive and cost effective initiative of the Priest-ln-Charge, Very Rev. Fr. Jerome Akinyemi and the Associate Priest-ln-Charge, Rev. Fr. Peter Williams, Cmf. In their forthrightness, focus and vision for the physical transformation and beautification of the Church, they built this befitting permanent Church building. It has a Ground floor and a Gallery of six (6) stepped sitting levels. The Church building has a Chapel of Adoration, Conference Rooms, Offices and Control Rooms. The total sitting capacity of the Ground Floor and Gallery is about 2,500.



The Church is equipped with Visual Networking System. Visual Screens are installed on the two sides of the Alter for projecting Songs, necessary Bible Verses and Announcements during Masses. There is provision for Televisions positioned on outside walls of the Church building for those who may choose to sit outside the Church Hall. A state of the art Digital Sound System is also installed. In view of the security challenges facing the country, there is the need to monitor the movement of people within the Church and its environment. Consequently, Closed Circuit Television System (CCTV), comprising high definition outdoor Cameras with infra-red day and night capacity, 16 Channel Digital Video Recorders with adequate computer monitors are installed. These will cover the entire Church premises and the Parish House when it is built. All movements of people within and outside the Church Building will be automatically captured and recorded. The Church also has adequateFire Fighting Equipment in case of accidental fire outbreak. This is a necessary requirement of the Building Control Agency.



The Church Building is a magnificent achievement in architecture, engineering, art work and faith and marks an important step in a long history of hope, hard work, commitment and generosity that have gone on for about five years.



The support from parishioners, benefactors, philanthropists and well-wishers were enormous. This is based on the will of God. Almighty God calls on us to be more responsive by "doing His will" as our Lord Jesus and our Mother Mary did. In Gods will are unity, love, success, strength, peace, beauty, generosity and fulfillment. Very Rev. Fr. Jerome Akinyemi placed the Church Building project before God by the "Prayer for Our Parish Church Building" and the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary. God has built this befitting edifice of the Church in spite of our pains and challenges.



CONSTRUCTION WORKS



Very Rev. Fr. Jerome Akinyemi created a fifteen (15) member Works and Development Committee (now Building Committee) for Catholic Church of the Annunciation under the Chairmanship of Mr. Matthias M. Adaba. Other executive members of the Committee are Engr. Ejim Nkendilim Silvanus, Vice Chairman; Engr. l. Terese lhenachor (Mrs.), Secretary; Mr. Philip l. Okonkwo, Builder; Barr Ochei Chima, Legal Adviser; Mrs. Uchendu Bernadette N, Treasurer; and Mr. Julius Ayodele Ogunmiloro, Quantity Surveyor The assignments o the Committee were supervised by Rev. Fr. Peter Williams Cmf, the Associate Priest-ln-Charge. Upon his transfer to another Parish, the Priest-In-Charge directly supervised the assignment of the Building Committee.



The Consultants that worked with the Committee are Jako-Hamen Concepts, Consulting Architect, represented by Mr. Valentine Ehichoya; Prime Cost Consultants, Consulting Quantity Surveyor, represented by Mr. Paul C. Obi; Visiting Structural Mr. R Kahinde Engineer from Lagos Archdiocese, Shoga; and Visiting Architect from Lagos Archdiocese.



In view of the nature of the soil, the Consultant Architect recommended piling foundation. Conducted and approved by the Lagos State Lands Department. In view of the fact that 2nd Avenue, Festac, which will continue to Abule Ado, will be parallel to the Church Building, the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) was invited to advice on the height of the Road which will impact on the height of the foundation of the Building.



The Piling Contract was awarded to Elbuns Engineering Construction Ltd and the pilling works started on 24th March, 2014.



PILINGWORKS



The rite of Laying the Foundation Stone of the Church Building was on 1 5th March, 2015 by His Grace, Most Rev. Alfred Adewale Martins (D. D.) the Archbishop of the Metropolitan See of Lagos.



LAYING OF FOUNDATION STONE



The Building super structure is sitting on a 129 stout piles (columns), driven 26 meters (about the height of a GSM mast) into the earth’s hard core. The design, manpower and the materials used were of highest quality. As the piling works continued, Non-Destructive, Stability, Load and Integrity Tests were conducted by Lagos State Public Works Corporation. The substructure work of the foundation and the superstructure works of the building were done by Bosild Consults Ltd. The Superstructure works were done professionally and the Gallery floor adequately reinforced.



GALLERY FORMWORK/ REINFORCEMENT

As the substructure progressed, the Lagos State Building Control Agency also conducted regular inspection and upon completion certified the Building as Fit for Habitation.

FINISHED BUILDING

SANCTUARY/PARTGALLERYPICTURES

APPRECIATION



At this point, we appreciate all those who have made possible the beautiful edifice beginning from the initiators, Very Rev. Fr. Jerome Akiyemi, Priest-ln-Charge and Rev. Fr. Peter Williams, Cmf, the Associate Priest-ln-Charge. We also appreciate successive Associate Priests-in-Charge, Rev. Fr. Sylvester Eteme; Very Rev. Fr. Sylvester Onasanya and Rev. Fr. John Akhidue, who have contributed immensely to the success of the Building. We give thanks to the Building Committee Members, our Parishioners, marvelous Benefactors, great Donors and executors of the works. We also thank the Consultant Architect, Consultant Quantity Surveyors, builders, and the workers, suppliers of quality materials as well as all, who in many ways have given their time and priceless contributions towards the building of this edifice. It stands as a visible sign of an invisible God, to whose glory these spires rise like arrows pointing towards absolute light and to the one who is Light and Beauty itself, Jesus Christ.



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F.A.Q

Frequently Asked Questions

A. The simple answer is that the serpent (the devil) persuaded Adam that eating the apple would be to his benefit. Adam would “become like God” if he ate it. Sadly, Adam believed this lie and chose to disobey God who had told him not to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. This was the first sin and resulted in humanity falling from what we call Original Innocence. But to give a more thorough explanation, let’s consider the entire story in a broader way. First of all, did Adam actually eat the apple? Perhaps, but perhaps not. It’s important to understand that we should not read this story in a “literal” way. That doesn’t mean the story is not true. A good explanation of this comes from Cardinal Ratzinger (who later became Pope Benedict XVI) in his book “In the Beginning …: A Catholic Understanding of the Story of Creation and the Fall” (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing). In that book, Cardinal Ratzinger stated, “It has become clear that the biblical creation narratives represent another way of speaking about reality than that with which we are familiar from physics and biology.” He went on to explain that these stories “represent truth in the way that symbols do — just as, for example, a Gothic window gives us a deep insight into reality, thanks to the effects of light that it produces and to the figures that it portrays.” In other words, the story of Adam and Eve is true, but not necessarily in the way a science book is factual. A science book presents truth in a literal way, explaining the physical truths as they are in this world. The story of Adam and Eve presents truth in the form of a symbolic narrative. Whether or not Adam actually ate the apple in the literal way explained in that symbolic narrative is not important. What is important is the truth that the narrative presents. So what is the truth it presents? It presents us with the fact that our first parents turned from God in disobedience. The consequence was a fall from the original state of innocence and union with God for which God had made them. Therefore, the answer remains that Adam “ate the fruit” for selfish motivations because he believed the lie that disobeying God was better for him than obeying God. He was selfish and failed to trust the truth of God.

No. Jesus’ death was because of our sin. Had sin never entered the world, Jesus would not have had to die. This question, however, can only be answered in a theoretical way since Adam and Eve did sin, as have we all. For a more thorough explanation, you can read Chapter 4 of “My Catholic Faith” here. Though this question is difficult to answer in a short and simplified way, let’s consider an analogy. Let’s say that your parents ate poison. The result of this poison is death. The only cure for this poison is to receive a transfusion of new and healthy blood from someone not affected. By analogy, you could say that Jesus entered the world without any effects of this “poison” so that He could offer the divine “transfusion” to Adam and Eve and all their descendants affected by the poison of sin. Thus, the blood of Jesus is what heals us as we receive His blood poured forth from the Sacrifice of the Cross. We receive His saving blood by accepting Him into our lives, especially through the Sacraments and faith. But this question brings up another more interesting question. If Adam and Eve (and all of us who descended from them) never sinned, would God the Son have become human? Would He have taken on human flesh through the Incarnation through the Virgin Mary? Though the death of Jesus was on account of our sin, His Incarnation (becoming human) was not solely so that He could die for our sin. The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains that one of the primary reasons for His Incarnation was “in order to save us by reconciling us with God.” The Catechism identifies three other reasons: “so that thus we might know God’s love;” “to be our model of holiness:” and “to make us ‘partakers of the divine nature’” (See CCC #457-460). Some speculate that even if there were no sin, God would have become flesh so as to fulfill these other effects of the Incarnation. Perhaps that’s a bit deep and is only speculation, but it’s beautiful to reflect upon nonetheless!

The short answer to this question is “No.” Let’s explore further. Most likely you are asking this question because some Scripture passages seem to suggest that Jesus had brothers and sisters. For example, here are two such passages: Mark 6:3 – Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” Matthew 13:55-56 – Is he not the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother named Mary and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? Are not his sisters all with us? Should we conclude from these passages that Jesus had brothers and sisters in a literal way, meaning Mary and Joseph had other children in addition to Jesus? Certainly not. Below is a brief answer to this question that is taken from Chapter 3 – The God-Man and His Mother of the book My Catholic Faith! The Virgin Mother Scripture is quite clear that Mary conceived Jesus in a virginal way – by the power of the Holy Spirit. Additionally, it is the constant teaching of the Church that she always retained her virginity. She had no other children and never engaged in the marital act with Joseph. Sometimes this is confusing since there are references in the Scriptures to Jesus’ brothers and sisters. But this language was commonly used in reference to cousins. This shouldn’t confuse us if we understand the language of the time. In fact, this language is still a common practice in other cultures of our day. People from various African countries commonly refer to those within their own village as their brother or sister when they are with them outside of that village. God’s plan was that Mary have one Son for various reasons. It was especially so because we are all called to become brothers and sisters of Christ through spiritual adoption. Therefore, if Jesus had had blood brothers or sisters, it would have undermined his spiritual brotherhood with them. It would have made their relationship with Jesus different. God desires this deeper spiritual relationship with all people. Mary is the only blood relation to Jesus; thus, she shares a special bond with Him that no one else does. It had to be that way if God were to become true man. Interestingly, even Mary’s deepest bond with Jesus does not come as a result of her physical blood relationship. It comes, first and foremost, by her spiritual motherhood. She is united with her Son primarily by her perfect faith and obedience. It is this bond that surpasses the natural one.

These two questions are actually hard to answer with accuracy. In many ways, the answers remain a mystery. From a theological perspective, we can say that God chose Mary to be the mother of Jesus because she, herself, was the Immaculate Conception. This means that she was the only fitting mother for God in the flesh. Mary was conceived in the womb of her mother in a miraculous way in that she was conceived without sin. God chose to bestow upon her a “preservative grace,” meaning, God preserved her from all stain of sin, including Original Sin, at the moment of her creation in the womb of her mother. Of course, He did this so that she would be a fitting vessel for God the Son to become incarnate in her womb. The grace that preserved her came from the Cross of her Son Jesus, but it transcended time so as to free her at the moment of her conception. Thus, her Son was her Savior, even though He had not yet been born in time. If that’s confusing, try to ponder it for a while. It’s a great mystery of faith and a deep one also. Additionally, Mary chose to remain free from sin throughout her life. Just as Adam and Eve were born without sin, so was Mary. But unlike Adam and Eve, Mary never freely chose to sin throughout her life. This made her the perfect vessel for the Son of God. Her body and soul were perfect, making her the perfect instrument. But this only answers your question from one perspective. You might also be wondering, “But why Mary?” This is a question that is hard, if not impossible, to answer. It’s most likely a matter of God’s mysterious will. Perhaps God, who can see all things and knows all people even before they are born, looked at all women from all time and saw that Mary was the one who would never freely choose to sin. And perhaps for that reason God chose to gift her with the Immaculate Conception. But this is ultimately a mystery of faith that will be revealed only in Heaven. As for your second question, “Why was she so young?” this might be easier to answer from a historical perspective. Today, in the twenty-first century, it’s uncommon for a fifteen-year-old girl to marry and have a child. But it wasn’t that way back then. When Mary had Jesus, she was seen, not as a dependent child, but as a young woman ready to start a family. So it’s always important to try to understand the culture of the time when considering questions of history.

Strictly speaking, the Bible does not explicitly say, “Pray the rosary and other devotions to Mary.” Nor does it explicitly say, “Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet.” But, of course, that’s a somewhat obvious answer. The real answer to your question has to do with the biblical foundation of those practices. So let’s take a look at that. There are numerous ways that devotion to Mary is found in the Bible. Here are some of those ways. First, the Rosary, which is the most common devotion to our Blessed Mother, is primarily Scriptural. On each bead of the rosary we pray the words of the Angel Gabriel to Mary, as well as the words of St. Elizabeth to Mary. “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you.” And, “Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb” (Luke 1:26-46). Additionally, we pray the “Our Father” prayer, which is directly from Jesus, and the “Glory Be” prayer, which is echoed in Scripture many times. So, yes, the Rosary is biblical in that sense. We are primarily repeating passages from Scripture. Additionally, in praying the Rosary, we are to meditate upon one of twenty different Scriptural stories during each of the twenty decades. So the prayers are Scriptural and the meditations are Scriptural. Second, devotion to Mary in general comes to us from the fact that Jesus lived the Fourth Commandment perfectly. That Commandment says, “Honor your father and mother.” Jesus honored His mother perfectly, and we are to imitate Jesus in all He does. Therefore, we are to honor His mother, too. Third, at the Cross Jesus said to the Apostle John, “Behold, your mother.” And in giving Mary to John, the Church has always seen that Mary is given to all of us. We are all to behold our mother in the person of Mary. Fourth, Jesus gave Peter the Keys to the Kingdom of Heaven and said that whatever he binds on earth is bound in Heaven (Matthew 16:19). He gave Peter the gift of infallibly leading the Church into all truth. We believe that this gift of infallible teaching did not stop with Peter but was passed on through the ages to all his successors, the popes. The popes have definitively taught, through countless ages, the value of honoring our Blessed Mother. So though this last point is not a direct biblical call to honor our Blessed Mother, it is an indirect biblical command through the teaching of the Church founded by Christ in the Scriptures. It would require a book to detail all the ways in which Mary is spoken in the Old and New Testaments. Hopefully, the thoughts above help. Regarding the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, the same basic principles apply. Though this Chaplet is not mentioned in Scripture, the message and meditations are deeply Scriptural in every way. “For the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.” This is the heart of the Chaplet and the heart of the Gospel message. In truth, there could not be a more Scripturally-based prayer than this. The Scriptures reveal God’s mercy, His gift of salvation, and our need for it. The Scriptures point to Jesus’ saving sacrifice as the source of salvation, and this Chaplet acknowledges that truth and calls upon that grace. The last point to make is this. Be sure to use the Bible in the way it was written. It was not written as a strict and complete roadmap with a direct answer for every question. Yes, it does answer every question and gives us the necessary message of salvation. It is the fullness of revelation from God. But Jesus never said to us, “Here is my Bible. Follow it and only it. Do not do anything that is not explicitly spoken of in these pages.” No, what Jesus did is to start His Church through the foundation of the Apostles. And from that Church, the Bible was also given. But the Bible must always be read in union with the Church and Her teachings through the ages.

Confession might be one of the most difficult parts of our faith for some. For others, Confession is something they deeply look forward to. Your question is a good one. Let me offer some thoughts. First of all, it’s true that “God knows everything.” We call that omniscience. So, yes, He knows everything you’ve done, and He knows whether you are sorry for that or not. But there is a big difference between God “knowing” what you did and His act of forgiveness. For example, if you sinned against a friend with whom you were very close and then felt sorry for that, it’s possible that your friend would realize, just by knowing you, that you were truly sorry. But that doesn’t mean that you can just presume your friend’s goodness and forgiveness. The best thing to do, in this situation, is to actually sit down and tell your friend you are sorry and to have your friend tell you that you are forgiven. This very human exchange brings about reconciliation. So it is with God. God is all merciful and wants to forgive us all our sins. But for true reconciliation to take place, God wants you to actually say those words and then to hear the words, spoken by the priest, that you are forgiven. So Confession is not only about God forgiving us, it is also about reconciliation with God on a human level. What’s important to understand is that God offers us forgiveness in His way. He forgives us through a human being. Who is that human being? It’s the Father’s Son who became one of us. Jesus is the one who offers God’s forgiveness, and Jesus is both fully God and human. But how does Jesus do that now that He has ascended into Heaven? Before He ascended, He gave His divine power of forgiveness to His first priests, the apostles. They, in turn, passed that power onto others, who passed it on to others, down through the ages, all the way to our present age. Priests, despite the fact that they are imperfect themselves, have the spiritual power of Jesus to actually speak His words of forgiveness to others. Therefore, when a priest says. “I absolve you” we must hear Jesus Himself, as the human face of God, saying those same words to us. Why did God choose to use priests to dispense His forgiveness? Honestly, we really don’t have a perfect answer to that question. Sure there have been wonderful writings and reflections and teachings on this subject throughout the history of the Church. But, in the end, we will only fully understand this mystery of how God gives us His forgiveness when we are in Heaven. For now, we must simply follow what Jesus taught and receive His forgiveness in the way we know He offers it. On a psychological level, I, as a priest, have seen so many people benefit from actually hearing those words spoken from my mouth. So many times I have seen people come into the confessional scared and ashamed, and walk out freed and at peace. So it really works. Make sure you give it a try soon!
Testimonial

What people say about finlance planning

The parish is the presence of the Church in any given territory, an environment for hearing God’s word, for growth in Christian life, for dialogue, proclamation, charitable outreach, worship and celebration

Pope Francis

The Pope

Belonging to this parish is about much more than finding a place to attend Mass each Sunday. It’s about finding community, a place to plant spiritual roots, and to commit ourselves to being involved. I love this Parish.

Jonathan Okafor

Parishioner

I have been going to Catholic Church of the Annunciation Festac since I was 7 years old, being one of six children in East Utica. My mother always made sure we all went to church. Coming from a large family, my mother, of Polish descent, made sure we all went to Mass and religion classes. Father Berton and Sister Canessia come to mind while growing up at church.

Ben Stokes

Parishioner
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