Celebrations as principal Maryland Catholic Gram Schl marks 30 yrs of priesthood (video of dancing Rev Fathers)
Femi OGUNLANA
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It was praise and celebration galore Tuesday at St Anne Catholic Church, Police Barrack, Arinkinkin area, Ogbomoso, Oyo state, as the Priest-in-Charge of the church, who doubles as the principal of Maryland Catholic Grammar School, Ogbomoso, Rev. Father Dr Francis Femi Oladiipo marked 30th anniversary ordination as a priest. He is also the Vicar General of the Catholic Diocese of Oyo, ordained a Catholic priest in1994 by the Bishop Emeritus Babatunde Adelakun. He completed his priestly training and formation from the Seminary of Ss Peter and Paul, Bodija, Ibadan.
The event was attended by lots of enthusiastic people including family members, friends, fellow priests from as far as Port Novo in Republic of Benin, Lagos, Ibadan, Osogbo, Oke-Ogun area, Oyo and so on, who came to rejoice with a “Priest of Honour.”
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In his sermon Rev. Father Ferdinand Olabode congratulating Rev. Fr Oladiipo, emphasized the imperative of thanksgiving and imbibing the spirit of perseverance.
Fr Olabode charged the celebrant to continue to persist in upholding the godly virtues in order to remain a worthy vessel unto the Lord.
Rev. Father Prosper Oladikpo, a Beninoise from the West African city of Porto-Novo, Republic of Benin, heaped prayers on Fr Oladiipo, declaring, “You will continually receive God’s inspiration, you will be kept from mistakes, God will keep you from falling into whatever you are not supposed to do.”
He commended him for being steadfast, saying he led a delegation of two other priests and a Rev. Sr from Benin Republic because of how valuable the celebrant is to them.
The celebrant with family
Rev. Father Mathew Oladipo Badejo, who is the chairman of Body of Priests in Oyo Diocese, and who was once under the supervision of the celebrant during his own priestly formation, in his congratulatory message, said, “What we face as ministers is monumental, so, it is grace received from God that Rev. Fr Oladiipo is celebrating in the 30th anniversary as a minister of God”.
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Fr Badejo in a lighter mood recalled an aspect of Fr Oladiipo when he was their Vocation Director in the Diocese, noting, “As students in the Seminary, he was tough, we couldn’t move close to him, he maintains a strict stance, upright and disciplined.”
He however commended him for his charismatic nature, stressing, “he is a unifier; he unites the family of God, his human relationship is excellent, he seeks people, he visits people. I pray he will not fall from the grace or backslide. I congratulate him on behalf of our Bishop, Most Rev. Emmanuel Adetoyese Badejo and all our Rev. Frs in the Diocese of Oyo”.
Watch video of Reverend Fathers take to the dance floor
In his remark, Fr Oladiipo had words of appreciation for the Bishop of the Diocese, Bishop Emmanuel Ade Badejo, the retired Bishop Julius Babatunde Adelakun, the Priests and Rev. Deacon, Seminarians, the Sisters, members of St, Anne Catholic Church, the organizing committee of the anniversary, members of Bishop Adelakun Foundation, PTA executive of Maryland Catholic Grammar School, delegations from various places and so on, disclosing the mission had established a church and a school at a village in Oriire local government area in Ogbomoso, Elerepamo along Adebayo Alao-Akala Memorial High way (Ogbomoso – Iseyin way).
According to him, “the Diocese originally intended to start a church but the people of the community approached bishop Badejo and appealed that they wanted a school. And so it eventually became an annex of our primary school – Maryland Catholic Nursery & Primary School Annex – which has enrolled about 115 students within a year.”
The Reverend Father commending the teachers of the school for their perseverance and sacrifice and pledged to continue to improve their welfare while appealing for funds from the congregation to support them for the next one year, of which he disclosed a sum of about N300, 000 (three hundred thousand naira) is needed in the interim.
The congregation expressed love and admiration to the celebrant displayed in joining him in thanksgiving, praising God and so on, even as children showcased their skills and commitment in “Biblical assignments” given them by the clergyman.
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Fr Francis Femi Oladiipo who hails from Oyo city graduated from the Seminary of Ss Peter and Paul, Ibadan (with B. A. {Hons} in Philosophy from the University of Ibadan and acquired B.Th in Theology, from the Urbaniana University in Rome, Italy). After seven years of Pastoral work in the Diocese, he obtained a Grad. Diploma in Development Studies from Development Studies Centre, Dublin, then, M.A. in Theology (with a bias in Catholic Social Teaching) and PhD in Education (with a specialization in Civic Education) from Mater Dei Institute of Education, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland.
Since after his ordination in 1994 at St Benedict Cathedral Osogbo, he has been a pastor in some parishes, diocesan chaplain to some church organizations and coordinator to Justice, Development and Peace Movement of the Catholic Diocese of Oyo for more than 10 years. He has also been involved in training and in formation of many adults and young people including children in Nigeria and Ireland especially in the areas of faith formation and integral human development. He has contributed a number of scholarly books and papers to the field of knowledge. One of his publications is “Civic Education in Ireland and Nigeria: A Philosophical, Religious and Theological Understanding,” a 296-page book, freely distributed along with some of his other academic and pastoral publications at the event.
The programme was marked with cutting of a commemorative cake and entertainment of guests.
