The premises of the Claretians Headquarters, East Nigeria Province, New Owerri was agog on Sunday October 27, as the Congregation celebrated her Family Day and Feast of their father founder, St. Anthony Mary Claret.

The celebration brought together, Many Claretian priests, Rev. Sisters, Rev. Brothers, Lay members, benefactors and benefactresses including students and staff of Claretian schools in the province.

The occasion coincided with a thanksgiving Mass in honour of St. Anthony Mary Claret, Founder of the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary popularly known as the Claretians.

In his homily during the Mass held in the ultra-modern St. Anthony Mary Claret Chapel, the Provincial Superior, Very Rev. Fr. Simeon Nwobi (CMF), called on Christians to imbibe humility which he said is a heroic Christian virtue.

Reflecting on the Gospel, taken from Lk, 18:9-14, Fr. Nwobi said the parable of ”Two men who went up to the Temple to pray, one a Pharisee, the other a tax collector,” was to caution Christians who trusted themselves that they were righteous and despised others.

Comparing the prayers of the Pharisee and the tax collector, the Provincial Superior said the Pharisee was full of himself and confident of his righteousness, not bothering about the grace of God while the tax collector was full of humility and of total repentance for sin, “He stood off at a distance and would not raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed: ”O God be merciful to me a sinner.”

Fr. Nwobi warned that a position one holds in the Church is not a guarantee of attaining heaven. ” So don’t think  because you are a Bishop, Priest, Knight of the Church etc, that you will have direct entry to heaven”, he cautioned.

He advised Christians to imbibe the exemplary prayer style of the tax collector, “His prayer was short but to the purpose and it was answered.

On the Founder, Fr. Nwobi thanked God for the gift of St. Anthony Mary Claret and commended the Claretian Family and their collaborators for the work of evangelization.  He however solicited more collaboration in the training of seminarians.

After the Mass the Claretian family moved to the lawn at the Provincialate for cultural dances and other forms of entertainment by the various schools.

The Provincial Secretary, Rev. Fr. Nathaniel Ekeh (CMF) in a brief chat with The Leader said though the Feast of St. Anthony Mary Claret is usually celebrated on October 24, the Province shifts it to the next Sunday ( if Oct 24 does not fall on a Sunday) to coincide with the Family Day, which he described as a day of relaxation for the entire Claretian family.

Lay Claretians from Enugu and Owerri Zones attended the Family Day in their large number.

Among the Claretian priests who celebrated the Mass was the founder of the Claretian Congregation in Nigeria, Rev. Fr. Christian Ihedoro (CMF) and the former Parish Priest of St. Maria Goretti Parish, Ikenegbu, Rev. Fr. Hilary Dachelem (CMF), who is now the Director of the Congregation, North of Nigeria..

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