The Catholic Archbishop of Owerri Archdiocese, Most Rev. Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, has called on Christians to live holy lives both within and outside the Church, stressing that holiness must extend beyond the altar into everyday conduct.
The Archbishop made the call on Thursday, January 8, 2026, during the dedication of St. Columba Catholic Church, Umuofor-Amaimo, in Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo State.
The dedication, which marked the first church dedication in the Owerri Archdiocese for the year 2026, took place during a 10:00am Mass celebrated inside the newly completed church. In his homily, Archbishop Ugorji expressed gratitude to all those who contributed to the successful completion of the project and emphasised the sacredness of the consecrated building.
“We give all thanks, glory and praise to God for the success of this building, and we also thank the building committee, engineers, contractors, architects, and all professionals who had a hand in the success of this project,” he said.
According to him, the church has now become a place where the faithful encounter God and must therefore be treated with reverence.
“Today, this building has become a place of worship where parishioners will communicate with God and seek His mercy. In doing this, we must remember that the church is holy, and those who worship here must keep it holy and also be holy in their daily lives,” the Archbishop added.
He cautioned against the misuse of the church for non-spiritual purposes, warning that its sanctity must be preserved.
“The church is not a place for traditional or community meetings. Everything within this church is sacred, and profane things should not be brought into it. Also, avoid bringing politics into the church; it should be left out,” Ugorji insisted.
While explaining the sanctifying process a building undergoes before dedication, the Archbishop drew a parallel between the consecration of the altar and the spiritual purification required of Christians.
“We use chrism for cleansing and purifying the altar during church dedication. It is the same chrism used during infant baptism, confirmation, ordination and other sacraments. This shows that human beings need purification for society to grow in the fear of the Lord,” he said.
Archbishop Ugorji also charged parents and guardians to take responsibility for the moral upbringing of their children, particularly in the face of growing social media influence.
“Three places were traditionally responsible for training a child—the family, the church and the school. But today, social media has emerged and exerts huge influence on children. Parents must guide their children on its usage and bring them up in the way of the Lord. When a child is disrespectful, he should be cautioned,” he stated.
Expressing concern about moral decline in society, the Archbishop observed: “About 94 per cent of Nigerians attend church services every week, yet there is a breakdown of order and lawlessness. The values of the Gospel must be transferred to the outside world, and everyone must be involved in spreading the Gospel because it is a collective responsibility.”
The prelate commended the Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Ohiri, and Ezinwa Chief Chijioke Nwachukwu for their roles in completing the church building from the last lintel to the gallery. He also prayed for the repose of the souls of contributors who did not live to witness the dedication.
Speaking with our correspondent after the ceremony, Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Ohiri described the event as a moment of overwhelming joy.
“This is a dream come true. I am the happiest person on earth, and I give God the glory,” he said.
“I made up my mind to make this event the first outing of the Archbishop for the year because many parishioners who returned home for Christmas were still around. That was why we worked towards the first week of January.”
On the challenges of executing the project, Fr. Ohiri explained that although the foundation was laid in 2019 under a former parish priest, the project was abandoned until he resumed duty.
“In 2022, I took the bull by the horn and continued the project until it was completed in 2025,” he said, thanking God for the grace to see it through and encouraging other priests handling similar projects to remain focused.
Also speaking, Rev. Fr. Paul Nwachukwu, the sixth indigenous priest from the Umuofor-Amaimo community and Coordinator of the Dedication Committee, described the role as a privilege. He paid tribute to past and serving indigenous priests and praised Rev. Fr. Ohiri for completing the project during his tenure.
“I am privileged to coordinate the planning of this dedication. I thank Chief Chijioke Nwachukwu for supporting the completion of the church and our Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Ohiri, a man of grace. Though other priests witnessed the project, it was completed during his tenure,” he said.
Chief Chijioke Nwachukwu, who financed the completion of the church building, expressed joy over the dedication.
“I feel great today, and I am happy that God’s presence is now in my community,” he said.
“Today marks a new beginning for the Umuofor Community and Amaimo as a whole. God has a special place for the Catholic Church, which is why I grew up in the faith and intend to remain a Catholic until the day God calls me.”
He urged those with the means to continue supporting God’s work, assuring that there is always a reward for contributing to the growth of the Church.
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