“St. Paul will admonish us thus: ‘You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons,’” he said, and added, “And so, we cannot partake of worship here and later take part in any demonic sacrifice. That would mean living double standards of life.”
The Local Ordinary of Abuja since November 2019 recalled the key message of the Archdiocese of Abuja’s 5th annual General Assembly last November, in which he urged Nigeria’s Catholics to deepen their personal spiritual lives and align their faith with the teachings of the Church as they grapple with difficulties in life.
He recalled that in the assembly, it was observed that “some Catholics don’t see the church as a place of encounter with God but continue to wander everywhere looking for powerful preachers and miracle workers seeking what they left here in the church, outside the church.”
“This church, now consecrated, is a visible sign of God’s presence among us,” Archbishop Kaigama said in his homily during the dedication of St. Joseph Mukasa, Gidan Mangoro Church, and reiterated, “Here, the sacraments will be celebrated; here, prayers will be lifted up; here, sinners will find mercy, and the faithful will be strengthened.”
He however clarified that St. Joseph Mukasa church building itself is not the Church.
“We are the Church,” the Archbishop of Abuja said, and added, “This church must not be a mere building; it must be a home for the poor, a school of discipleship, and a light in the community.”
“We consecrate this building as a house of God, a dwelling place of His presence among His people, and a commitment to worship the Lord in spirit and in truth,” he said.
The true dedication that matters is the dedication of our hearts to the Lord, Archbishop Kaigama emphasized, adding that a church dedication is also a moment of the consecration of a people.
The Nigerian Catholic Church leader, who started his Episcopal Ministry in April 1995 as Bishop of Nigeria’s Catholic Diocese of Jalingo went on to laud the generous contribution of the parishioners of St. Joseph Mukasa, Gidan Mangoro who he said had been actively involved in the construction of their dedicated church.
The Local Ordinary of Abuja appealed to the people of God under his pastoral care to remain united, especially in evangelization, and in completing Church projects.
