Dear Sisters and Brothers in the Lord:
TO ALL PRIESTS AND RELIGIOUS WORKING IN THE ARCHDIOCESE OF LAGOS, AND THE LAY FAITHFUL
- POPE’S INTENTION FOR SEPTEMBER 2024: For People Living on the Margins of Society: That each one of us will hear and take to heart the cry of the Earth and of victims of natural disasters and climatic change, and that all will undertake to personally care for the world in which we live.
- ARCHBISHOP’S INTENTION FOR SEPTEMBER 2024: For All Educational Institutions: We pray for all educational institutions that they may realize that they are cradles for sound learning. May the teachers understand more deeply their duty as moral guardians and may students be docile in learning and keep to the moral teachings they receive.
- ANTHONY CARDINAL OKOGIE FOUNDATION ANNUAL LECTURE: The Anthony Cardinal Okogie Foundation Annual Lecture comes up on Thursday, 10th October, 2024 by 10:00 am prompt.
- SEASON OF CREATION: The Season of Creation 2024 is upon us, starting with the World Day of Prayer on September 1st through to October 4th, the Feast day of St. Francis of Assisi. The Catholic Church and the entire ecumenical family will come together under this year’s inspiring theme: “Hope and Act with Creation (Rom. 8:19-25)” in which the Apostle explains what it means for us to live according to the Spirit and focusing on the sure hope of salvation which is born of faith, i.e. newness of life in Christ. According to Pope Francis, “to hope and act with creation, then, means above all to join forces and walk together with all men and women of good will. In this way, we can help to rethink, among other things, the question of human power, its meaning and its limits.”
We witness real hope in action if we draft and implement plans for meaningful change in our lifestyle. Restore, Reuse or Recycle is the response appropriate for those who hear the cry of the earth. Let us overcome especially the syndrome of single-use plastic and styrofoams that clogs our gutters and eventually harm life in the ocean, where they end up eventually after they may have led to environmental disasters such as flooding etc. Let us all strive to be responsible stewards of creation through sustainable actions to care for the earth – our common home.
The cries of the Earth and those that are suffering beckon us to a life lived in integral ecology. Through September 1st to October 4th, therefore, let us explore how these cries call us to action and inspire hope within our communities. We cannot afford to turn a deaf ear to the cries of the hungry in the land and a blind eye to the ecological degradation engendered by human actions.
- OCTOBER ROSARY PROCESSION/REPARATION PRAYER FOR PEACE IN NIGERIA: In line with our annual program, we invite all Catholics to our annual October Rosary Procession/Reparation Prayers for peace in Nigeria. This Archdiocesan procession will start from the National Stadium, Surulere and end at the Marian Shrine, St. Agnes Catholic Church, Maryland. Date: Tuesday, October 1st, 2024. Time: 7:30am. Let us all respond to Mary’s call to prayer & reparation. May God bless our dear country with Justice & Peace.