Rev. Fr. John Konyeke, has said that more people should be encouraged to go into priesthood as the world needs more of them.
Konyeke, made this known on Saturday in a message to congratulate Very Rev. Fr. Henry Emeke Ogonwa for clocking 25 years as a priest.
He noted that Ogonwa is the first Priest from Ejeme Kingdom, Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State.
According to Konyeke, with more Priests, the message of God will be louder.
Part of the message reads:
Very Rev. Fr. Henry Emeke Ogonwa,
First Priest of Ejeme Kingdom @ 25.
CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR SILVER JUBILEE IN THE PRIESTHOOD
Venerable brother, 25 years ago, you opened the Priestly way for us and remained resolute in the ways of God among your people and the people of God.
You stood for positive change these twenty five years. When people see you, they see the Church and through the Church they see CHRIST.
In St.Paul’s letter to the Ephesians 4, he speaks of the nature of your Ministry in these veritable words, “they are to order the lives of the faithful, minister to their needs and build up the frame of Christ’s body.”
This you have done these 25 years. We are grateful to you and to God who called you.
We need your encouraging voice more in this trying time to arrest the attention of men and women to follow Christ.
The more the Priests are out there, the more louder the message will be.
This is where you belong dear brother. Remain here.
We gather today at Mary Immaculate Parish Ogwashi-Uku to celebrate you and your classmates for haven stood still for God and His Church these years with dutiful service, purity of conscience and clarity of purpose.
Our present culture is a ‘noisy’ culture, people are searching for God and looking at wrong places. They need you to guide them.
To keep the sacraments for the next centuries, you are indispensable. Though, the priesthood can continue without you, it is incomplete without you.
As the Vocation in Priesthood continues to grow in silence and in an environment where the ear listens to God, you are needed, valued and appreciated dear Fr Henry.
The world needs pastoral heroes—-the PriestMan. Standing in truth with love—the priesthood, victimhood, servanthood and stewardhood.
Congratulations dear senior brother.
In union with the bond of Priesthood, I remain your Priestly brother.
Rev. Fr. John Konyeke
