Nigerian Major Seminary Centenary Celebrations Conclude, 40 New Deacons Called to “a more radical holiness of life”

“The ministry of serving the Church has been turned into a money-making campaign by some. You must resist such temptations and remain faithful to Christ’s mission,” he appealed. 

Archbishop Nwachukwu introduced the Deacons-elect to “spiritual codes” to guide their ministry. 

The first, “1199”, makes reference to 1 Kings 19:9, where God asks Elijah, “What are you doing here?”

The Catholic Archbishop urged the Deacons-elect to reflect on this question, saying, “Every day, ask yourself: John, what am I doing here? Stephen, what am I doing here? Be conscious of your mission and remain focused.”

The second code, “222,” is drawn from Mark 2:22, where Jesus speaks about new wine in new wineskins. 

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“Your newness must be genuine and rooted in Christ. You are not called to an Old Testament style of ministry based on tribal lineage, but to a New Testament Diaconate marked by spiritual quality,” he said.

As Deacons, the Catholic Archbishop said, “you are being sent into a world still plagued by prejudice, tribalism, and discrimination. You must rise above these divisions.”

In his homily, the Vatican-based Archbishop also called upon the leadership of the Church to abandon practices that encourage division. He said, “Let us stop this practice of asking, ‘Where is he from?’ Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem but is known as Jesus of Nazareth because he grew up there. The place where one grows and serves should define them, not their birthplace.”

Your Diaconate Ordination, he said, “calls you to move from being sons of the soil to being sons of God. You must embrace a new identity in Christ, leaving behind geogenic attachments and embracing theogony.”

“We need a new creation. The old ways must give way to a Church defined by unity, love, and mission,” Archbishop Nwachukwu emphasized. 

He introduced an additional code, “215,” inspired by Revelation 21:5: “Behold, I am making everything new” and encouraged the Deacons-elect to embrace their ordination as “a moment of renewal for themselves and the Church.”

“May you also be made new today. May your ministry bring about newness in the lives of those you serve,” he implored during the November 21 Diaconate Ordination that was part of the centenary celebrations of Bigard Memorial Major Seminary.

Founded in Onitsha in 1922, the national Major Seminary that was officially opened in 1924 and moved to its current location in Southeastern Nigeria in 1951 has been hailed for achieving “remarkable milestones” as the alma mater of four Cardinals, 14 Archbishops, 37 Bishops, and thousands of Priests serving across the globe.

In his November 21 homily, Archbishop Nwachukwu commended the Major Seminary for facilitating faith formation among Seminarians. He said, “Bigard Seminary has been a beacon of faith and formation for 100 years. It is a blessing to see this legacy continue with the ordination of these Deacons.”

“We thank the formators who have been used by God in the course of years for this great exploit. You are now responsible for continuing this marvellous work performed by your predecessors and for consolidating it on a structural and academic level, but especially with regard to human and spiritual formation. The quality of a country's Clergy depends above all on the quality of the training you receive,” he said.

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The Secretary of the Vatican Dicastery for Evangelization further implored, “May you lead this Seminary in a synodal way, marked with a sense of responsibility, the spirit of collaboration, and concern for understanding among the formators, who must constitute an educational community.”

Jude Atemanke is a Cameroonian journalist with a passion for Catholic Church communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Buea in Cameroon. Currently, Jude serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.