He added, “I am pleased to announce to you that on Saturday 6 July 2024, we shall inaugurate the Year of Prayer in our Diocese at the Maria Mater Ecclesia Cathedral, Ahiara.”
The Nigerian Catholic Bishop underlined the importance of prayer, which he described as “the goal and source of all catechesis and pastoral action in the Church.”
Prayer, he said, is the means by which the Church expresses her love for God and fulfills the greatest commandment.
“As St. Augustine rightly puts it, ‘true prayer is nothing but love.’ Through prayer, the Church discovers the needs of others and is empowered to act with justice and mercy,” the Bishop of Ahiara said, and added, “On a personal level, prayer is the raising of one’s mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God.”
The Local Ordinary of Ahiara Diocese since his installation on June 20 expressed optimism that the Year of Prayer in the Diocese of Ahiara will help the people of God to rediscover the need for daily prayer in their lives.
“As we join with the Universal Church in this pilgrimage of prayer, it is a privileged time in which to rediscover the value of prayer and the need for daily prayer in our Christian life,” he said, and added, “It is a time to discover how to pray again, how to educate the people in prayer, and how to live an effective, fruitful and prayerful life.”
Bishop Nwobi said the calendar of activities of the Diocesan Year of Prayer would be made available soon and invited the people of God under his pastoral care to actively participate in the activities of the initiative.
He added, “I commend you all to the maternal care and intercession of our dear Mother and Patroness, Mary Mother of the Church, that the grace and peace of God may abide with us.”
Agnes Aineah is a Kenyan journalist with a background in digital and newspaper reporting. She holds a Master of Arts in Digital Journalism from the Aga Khan University, Graduate School of Media and Communications and a Bachelor’s Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communications from Kenya’s Moi University. Agnes currently serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.
