A Devout Muslim, Ahmed Raji (SAN), has donated an Assembly Hall to the Catholic Diocese of Oyo at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Isalu, Iseyin. He, however, commended the church for not discriminating against people of other faiths.
The modern 400-seater assembly hall, built to replace the former 80-year-old edifice, which collapsed due to age, was named after Archbishop Gabriel ‘Leke Abegunrin, the Catholic Archbishop of Ibadan Archdiocese and Metropolitan of Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province.
The mass for the blessing and commissioning of the hall had Abegunrin as the chief celebrant, while Bishop Emmanuel Badejo concelebrated with Rev. Fr. Martin Badejo, the Parish Priest of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Iseyin and Rev. Fr. Anthony Fasola.
In his speech, the donor of the hall said the rationale behind his commitment to working with the Catholic Church, listing the church’s long-standing tradition of humble service which has endured for centuries, its remarkable strides in the development of the society and humanity at large and the unparalleled foresight of the church in the service of humanity and especially of the Iseyin community, as his reasons for his gestures.
The SAN, who had in 2022 donated a state-of-the-art operating theatre building and equipment to Our Lady Catholic Hospital, Iseyin, described the hospital, which is one of the health institutions of the Catholic Diocese, as a real beacon of grassroots healthcare since his childhood.
He noted that the church, preaching the gospel with all she possesses, had saved many lives and helped many through her medical and educational institutions respectively.
The Muslim faithful then advised Catholics, especially the youths, not to abandon the church and to jettison the ‘japa’ trend, which has proved to be a scourge to the grassroots and the society at large, as it takes away the necessary manpower needed to build the society.
The Bishop of Oyo Diocese, Most Rev. Emmanuel Adetoyese Badejo, in his homily at the Mass, which was celebrated after the blessing of the hall, reminded all present of the need to seek the good of others.
The bishop lauded the zeal of Raji for inter-faith relations, saying that the kind gestures of the erudite lawyer towards the Catholic Church are an appreciation of the church’s sacrifice and dedication to integral human development, solidarity and the common good. He, therefore, charged all present to keep working for the good of their neighbours and the society without caring about race, creed or status.
In his remarks, Most Rev. Abegunrin, having earlier received the keys to the hall named after him, expressed delight at the honour done to him. He also thanked the Catholic Diocese of Oyo, the Bishop of the Diocese, Most Rev Emmanuel Badejo, and especially to the donor of the hall, Ahmed Raji (SAN) and the entire Iseyin Catholic Community.
