Mother’s Day: Behaviours expected of Christian Mothers

Who is a Christian Mother? A Christian Mother is the woman who believes in Christian doctrine.  She cherishes the teachings of Jesus Christ and accepts Him as the only begotten son of God.  The mother in question can be biological or non-biological.  She is an adult female human being.  She bears the children of the family or raises a child by performing the role of a parent (here she is seen as a non-biological parent).  She is sensitive in fulfilling the main social role in raising a child (Ogbonna, 2011) as well as coordinating her environmental activities for the purpose of building peace.   Activities of Mothers’ Day Celebration This ceremony is a yearly recorded…

Ahiara celebrates Holy Childhood

The annual celebration of Holy Childhood Association (HCA) and Young Missionary Movement (YOMM) the world over, has come and gone with the members and the entire faithful of God admonished to follow Jesus Christ with faith and love. This admonition came from the PMS Director Ahiara Diocese, Rev. Fr. Jude Inweregbu in his homily at the Eucharistic celebration at Maria Mater Ecclesiae Cathedral Ahiara Diocese Mbaise to mark the occasion, Saturday, March 8, 2014. Earlier in an opening remark, the Vicar General of the diocese, Rev. Fr. Prof. Louis Asiegbu thanked the animators and the children emphasizing that the training which children receive here can give rise to priestly vocations.  Saying that the foundation given…

St. Hilary’s Parish Amaukwu Orodo marks 2013 Children and Youth Harvest

Catholics in Amaukwu Orodo Autonomous Community rolled out drums to celebrate the 1st Youth and Children’s Harvest of the parish after its inauguration.   Declaring the ceremony open, the Parish priest, Rev. Fr. Chris Osuji, thanked and welcomed all the youths and children of the parish and with joy commended the youths and children for being on native attire.   In his homily, Fr. Osuji thanked God for the life of his parishioners especially the youths and prayed for more favour, divine grace and wisdom on the youths.   Reflecting on the Readings, Fr. Osuji said that today is faith Sunday as the harvest was Harvest of Faith.  He spoke on how the seven brothers…

THE TEN ‘I’s THAT BREAK THE HOME (12)

EFFECTS OF INTIMIDATION IN MARRIAGE Married life with an abuser/intimidator is characterized by constant criticism over matters of small consequence, blames, false accusations, threats and malicious humour. According to the Psychologist Steven Stosny, Founder, Compassion Power in Washington D.C., “this behaviour is designed to make you feel unworthy, fearful, ashamed and mentally unstable”. The effects are numerous:   TENSION/FEAR: Any marriage relationship characterized by intimidation is filled with constant tension. Intimidation makes the victim fear his/her partner. Since the relationship in this case is one of master/servant, one party is always in charge, the other is like a personal aide. Many wives today simply dread their husbands, some husbands also fear their wives. They are…

When a Christian may be convicted for marrying more than one wife

We live in a country where both the rich and the poor marry more than one wife and no one raises an eyelid It is important to understand that the Christian marriage is based on monogamy. Adam had one wife, Eve, to the exclusion of any other woman. God also made for Adam, a wife, rather than wives. Thus polygamy is man made and influenced by a zealous desire to multiply and dominate the Earth in the agrarian era, when we depended on subsistence farming. A marriage celebrated under the Act is therefore monogamous. It follows therefore that a person who undergoes a marriage under the Act, and whilst it subsists, contracts another marriage commits…

August Meeting

As this year’s “August Meeting” draws near, a lot of anticipations and preparations are made in order to make it a fruitful one.  Women from all over the world, especially the married Igbo women flock back home for this annual meeting. It is during this meeting that decisions are made for the betterment of the Igbo women and the community at large.  This very meeting of theirs is taken very seriously, in the sense that anyone who fails to attend it pays a fine (especially those who have been mandated). The concept of the meetings evolved from the annual mass return.  The mass return were for every citizen – men, women, youth and children.  The…

80m under-aged children engage in child labour

The National Agency for Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and other Related Matters (NAPTIP) has said that about 80 million under-aged children are engaged in child labour in Nigeria. Mrs. Nkiruka Michael, the Agency’s Enugu Zonal Commander disclosed this during the Annual Women “August Meeting” in Afikpo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State recently. According to her, more than 180 million children globally are engaged in the worst forms of child labour, as survivors of child labour are under the control and mercy of their employers. Mrs. Michael went on to explain that such children rarely have access to education and are subjected to physical, sexual and psychological abuse at the hands of their employers…

2013 World Breast Feeding Week kicks off in Imo

This year’s World Breast feeding Week with the theme, “Breast feeding support: Close to Mothers”, started in Owerri, on Thursday (August 1, 2013). Briefing journalists in his office on the objectives of the week-long global event, the permanent  secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr. Johnny Ihebereme said it draw attention to the importance of peer support in helping mothers to establish and sustain breast feeding. It is also to inform people of the highly effective benefits of peer counseling, unite efforts and expand peer counseling programme. The 2013 World Breast Feeding Week will encourage breast feeding supports irrespective of their educational background. It will identify local community support contacts for breast feeding mothers, those women can…

Religious Leaders in Central African Republic Pray for Peace

… As Rebel Forces Overthrow Government in Violent Coup Religious leaders of Bouar, Central African Republic have called for a day of prayer for peace on August 12th. Currently the country is in turmoil after Seleka, a rebel coalition, overthrew the government and installed rebel leader Michel Djotodia as president. According to Fides Agency, Fr. Aurelio Gazzera, a Carmelite missionary, the initiative was taken during the meeting of religious leaders held in Bouar on July 19. The meeting was attended by 31 people representing Catholics, Protestants and Muslims. The religious leaders also prepared a message that was read in the Protestant and Catholic churches, and mosques. “Our faith in God, whether we are Christians or…

National Outrage on the Pro Child Senate

“Nigeria is what it is because its leaders are not what they should be.” Chinua Achebe Nigeria was recently ranked as one of the foremost countries were children are killed for going to school following the Yobe message of 29 school children. More recently, the senate has made a downward review of the age of consent for girls from 18 years to advance religious sentiments. It is clear that under Islamic practices amongst fundamentalist Muslim countries, it is a stricture of law to validate the marriage of children often, between the ages of 8 to 13 years. A child is termed a woman when she experiences her first menstrual flow, a development that has become…

THE TEN ‘I’s THAT BREAK THE HOME (5)

REMEDIES TO INFIDELITY Avoid other bad habits: The worst way to conquer evil is by the aid of evil (Cf. Mark 3:20-30). Two wrongs cannot make a right. It is wrong for a couple to become addicted to another bad habit simply because the partner has taken to extra marital affairs. For instance, some couples indulge in alcohol and become drunk as palliative to the effects of infidelity. Some learn to keep away late also to solve such problems. Others too look for extra marital partners to fill in the vacuum created by their man or woman. Others still become gossip tools to pour out their troubled hearts. These are wrong methods to adopt. They…

FUTOWA HOLDS 3RD ANNUAL PRAYER SUMMIT

The Federal University of Technology, Owerri Women Association (FUTOWA) recently observed the 3rd Annual Family Day Celebration with a prayer summit in the company of FUTO staff and students and women of host communities. The occasion with the theme “THE FAMILY THAT PRAYS TOGETHER, STAYS TOGETHER” featured prayers on the various points such as prayer for FUTO community, the Vice Chancellor and family, FUTOWA president and executive members and families all over the world. Others were prayers for students against moral decadence, for peaceful co-existence on host communities, Imo State and Nigeria in general. Preaching the sermon at the service marking the occasion,  Rev .Fr  Dr. Jude Ike, FUTO Chaplain said that all he has…

Ladies of St. Mulumba pay hospital bills for 5 stranded patients

Ladies of St. Mulumba, Assumpta Sub-Council Owerri, have paid the hospital bills of five patients treated by the Holy Rosary Hospital Emekuku. The occasion was the 2013 charity visit to the hospital by the ladies during which they also presented various gift items for distribution to patients. The patients whose hospital bills were cleared were those who had recovered their health but could not be discharged because they and their relatives could not afford to pay their bills. The Ladies of St. Mulumba, Assumpta Sub-Council spent a total of N103,050 (one hundred and three thousand, fifty Naira) to clear the bills.  With this development, the beneficiaries would now be discharged to return to their families….

Umuaka Igbo Taa visit Nnorie Parish

As Umuaka Igbo Taa continue their work of re-orientating Igbo children, they visited St James Catholic Parish,Nnorie in Ngor-Okpala Local Government Area where they were warmly recieved by the Parish Priest,Very,Rev Fr. Anslem Ekeh and the Parishioners. After the Mass, the president of the group  Chidi Opara – Ibeleche spoke to the children and youths, charging them to be proud to speak and live Igbo and when those in the cities return to display foreign culture, they should correct them in love and help them to feel at home. “As many of them now wish to return,we should recieve them and not chase them away with various forms of harassments.” The President went ahead to…

OGUTA STATE CONSTITUENCY RE-ELECTION: Why I am not excited

On the 29th of June 2013, there will be a re-run election for the representative of Oguta State Constituency in the Imo State House of Assembly. This is as a result of the nullification of the election of Hon. Eugene Dibiagwu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by the court. The front runners in the election, the PDP and All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA)/yet-to-be registered All Progressive Congress (APC) have been campaigning and mobilizing in a very big way. The battle line seems to be drawn between both parties. On the side of the PDP are Senator Hope Uzodinma, Rt. Hon Emeka Ihedioha, Senator Author Nzeribe etc. while Governor Rochas is leading the other side…

New Yorkers Welcome Defeat of Abortion Bill

“A Remarkable Victory for Unborn Children” Here is a statement from the New York State Catholic Conference, which represents the Bishops of New York State in public policy matters: The failure of a last-ditch hostile amendment to try to effect passage of the Abortion Expansion Act is a remarkable victory for unborn children, as well as vulnerable women and girls who so often face unrelenting societal and family pressure to abort. The result is, quite literally, the answer to prayer. More accurately, it is the answer to millions of prayers by men, women and children of every faith from every section of the state who believes in the inalienable right to life of the baby…

SOLAD Flags off 2013 Immunization Week

Lady Chioma Ogoke the Sole Administrator Ehime Mbano LGA last week kicked off the Maternal and new born child- health week at Umuanunu-Umunumo Health centre. She was represented by the Chairperson lady Chinwe Ubah who personally applied Oral polio vaccines, vitamin A and general immunization drug against the five child killer diseases which include Cholera Hepatitis B, Measles, Malaria, Yellow fever and Tetanus. Comrade Eke Godson Chinedu, the disease surveillance and notification officer, Ehime-Mbano LGA Urged parents to report cases of fever and body rashes to his office for investigation. He enjoined them to ensure that cases of suspected polio, yellow fever, and ceriebral spinal mengitis and ‘çholera any nearby health centre so as to…

Community denies kidnap of 18 pupils

Leaders of Ngor Autonomous Community in the Ngor-Okpala Local Government Area of Imo State, have described as false and misleading, newspaper reports (not THE LEADER) that a commercial bus driver (name withheld) and a female teacher (name withheld) were intercepted by eagle-eyed security men as they were conveying 18 abducted pupils. According to newspaper reports, the children who are pupils of Umuohie Primary School in the Ngor-Okpala LGA, were being ferried to Rivers State before the abductors were caught. In a reaction to the news, the President General of the community, Mr. Justus Ugochukwu Okoh, who told our correspondent that he followed up the case from Umuneke Police Station to the State Criminal Investigation Department…

Family of six die in fire explosion in PH

Tragedy struck in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, when a fire explosion claimed the lives of a couple and their four children while sleeping. Sunday Sun learnt the fire incident, which cause was yet to be ascertained at press time, occurred about 1.45am. Head of the family was said to be a commercial taxi driver while his wife was a petty trader. The victims, who were living at No. 17 New Estate Road, Railway Quarters, near the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), hailed from Anambra State. An eyewitness said the children were three boys and a girl. Sunday Sun gathered that survivors of the family were their two daughters cur4ently sitting for the West African Examination Council…

Italy’s First Black Cabinet Minister, Faces Death Threats

But Cecile Kyenge says she’s not afraid and challenged Italians to respond to such intimidation themselves to prove that Italy isn’t racist. Kyenge, a Congolese-born doctor who has lived in Italy since 1983, has been the target of racist diatribes ever since she was named integration minister in April. She has been called “Congolese monkey,” and a member of a “bonga bonga government.” Last week, a local politician from the xenophobic Northern League party was expelled from the party after she suggested on Facebook: “Why doesn’t someone rape her (Kyenge), so she can understand what victims of atrocious crimes feel?” The official, Dolores Valandro, was implying that immigrants were responsible for violent crime in Italy….