TRADITIONAL Western Catholic liturgy and exuberant, colourful Nigerian and Sudanese song and dance melded together to provide an unforgettable celebration for the ordination of two African priests in a packed Brisbane’s St Stephen’s Cathedral on June 29.
For newly ordained Fathers Stanley Okechukwu Orji and Ladu James Yanga, it was the culmination of years of prayer and dedicated study at Banyo’s Holy Spirit Provincial Seminary and the start of a new life as Christ’s priests.
Voices from the African choir gave extra “horsepower” to such traditional Western hymns as All People That on Earth Do Dwell.
In a sense, this boost in energy symbolised how the increasing numbers of African faithful are contributing to new life in the Brisbane archdiocese.
The presence of Fr Yanga’s mother, Kolorina Martin, was one of the miracles of the day.
Federal Government Immigration Department red tape had unravelled at the last moment to permit her entry to Australia from South Sudan.
For Fr Orji too it was time of special happiness as his mother Justina Orjiwulu and sisters Imelda and Cynthia had come from Nigeria to attend the joyous event.
Archbishop of Brisbane Mark Coleridge’s words of Calling and Presentation unleashed an outburst of joy and pride in both families and the community at large.
“Relying on the help of the Lord God and our Saviour Jesus Christ, we choose Stanley and Ladu, our brothers, for the Order of the Priesthood,” he said.
Clapping, cheering and joyful members of the African community greeted the announcement.
Archbishop Coleridge said in his homily “after that acclaim any homily will be anti-climactic”.
He captured the significance of the ordination.
He said in a recent interview, the journalist made the claim “that the Catholic Church never changes”.
“I replied in fact the Catholic Church is changing all the time,” he said.
“The interviewer said to me ‘Give me one shred of evidence that the Catholic Church changes as you claim it does’.
“And I said ‘Well consider that in a few days time I am going to ordain two men to the priesthood, one of them from South Sudan and the other born in Nigeria, so take that.
“This is something which my predecessors who lie buried behind me would never have dreamt and even just a few years ago it would have seemed incredible.”
“This is the Church universal, not just the Church of these shores.”
At the Presentation of the Gifts, the presence of eight Nigerian seminarians from the seminary singing a traditional Igbo hymn Ona emerem ihe oma highlighted the increasing universality of Brisbane archdiocese’s community.
