Fides Media Living the Faith
. . Igboukwu Deanery wins March Past Competition
By Ifeoma Ezenyilimba
As a follow up to the 2019 World Youth Day (WYD) Celebration concluded in Panama in January by Pope Francis, the Catholic Youth Organisation of Nigeria (CYON), Awka Diocese, on Divine Mercy Sunday, April 28, 2019, celebrated the youth event in a well-attended at St Joseph’s Pro-Cathedral Parish, Ekwulobia, Agauta L.G.A, Anambra State.
Leading in the concelebrated Holy Mass to mark the celebration, the Auxiliary Bishop of Awka Diocese, Most Rev Jonas Benson Okoye, noted that the event which was a day set aside for the youths with the Diocesan bishop, reflected the importance of the youths in the society. He maintained that a society or generation without the youths was as good as dead.
Bishop Okoye, who conferred the goodwill of the Awka Diocesan Bishop, Most Rev Paulinus Ezeokafor on the Catholic youths, tasked them on lives of faith and courage that were devoid of trepidation, saying that the living faith was the beauty of Christianity.
The bishop in his homily took the congregation through the life of St Maria Faustina (the apostle of Divine Mercy), and the encounter she had with Jesus Christ in a ball room dance which formed a turning point in her life.
He charged the youths to put their youthful energy into good use, and with hard work and lives of decency, be those youths that would change the world for the better.
The president, CYON, Awka Diocese, Comrade Izuchukwu Ezenwankwo through his address of welcome, solicited for donations in support of the CYON’s proposed Bottle Water Project at Ufuma, Orumba North L.G.A, Anambra State.
According to the president, the CYON would through the project, sustain the organization, and employ good number of the youths meaningfully.
Ezenwankwo, who berated political leaders for what he described as their inability to utilize the resources God blessed Nigeria with for the betterment of the masses, encouraged the youths to do their best and engage themselves rightfully for their means of livelihood.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the occasion, Hon. Okey Okoye, urged youths to identify and put into good use their God-given talents, saying that the youths were the hope of the Church and the society.
Okoye, who is the House Member- Elect for Aguata II Constituency, promised to sponsor a liturgical choir competition for the Awka Diocesan CYON for 2020 WYD Celebration. According to him, the competition would be a way to bring the youths closer to God.
Cultural dance by CYON Ebenebe Deanery for Awka Region, Wrestling contest by Nimo Region in which Enugwu-Ukwu Deanery won and thug war performance by Adazi Region as well as inter-deanery march past competition among others, were part of the event which had the president, CYON Uga Deanery, Uchenna Nnajieme, as the chairman of the planning committee.
In the march past competition, Igboukwu Deanery defeated the defending champion, Umunze Deanery to emerge the champion; Enugwu-Ukwu Deanery won the 2nd position and Umuchu Deanery, 3rd position, leaving other 20 deaneries behind.
