By Rev. Fr. (Dr.) Emmanuel Obadjere
On Saturday, December 14, 2024, the Clergy, Christ’s Faithful, friends and well wishers from all walks of life will converge at Ascension Catholic Church, Ekpan, to celebrate with the Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Jude Igho, as he marks his Silver Jubilee as a Catholic priest.
Being a priest for a day is enough reason to thank God, let alone twenty-five whole years. It is therefore right and just to give thanks to God who called and has brought him to his silver Jubilee year.
In his book, FAITH AND THE FUTURE, originally published in 1970, Joseph Ratzinger (who later became Pope Benedict XVI) speaks of the kind of priest needed in the future church:
“The kind of priest who is no more than a social worker can be replaced by the psychotherapist and other specialists; but the priest who is no specialist, who does not stand on the sidelines, watching the game, giving official advice, but in the name of God places himself at the disposal of men, who is beside them in their sorrows, in their joys, in their hope and in their fear, such a priest will certainly be needed in the future.” (P.116)
Those words written by this great author of theological classics, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, 29 years before Rev. Fr. Jude Igho was ordained a Catholic priest, can correctly be said to find expression in him. For, as observed by Pantaleon Iroegbu in his 2004 work KPIM OF TIME, “what we mentally conceive as the future, e.g. tomorrow, may soon, at times suddenly, become a now.” (p.169)
The personage and priestly ministry of the Rev. Fr. Jude Igho in the past twenty-five years, like that of his co-celebrant and several others, fulfil the sacerdotal desidaratum envisioned by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger for the future Church.
Ordained in 1999 alongside two others, Fr. Edmund Emakpor and Fr. JohnMark Ikpiki (of blessed memory), Fr. Jude Igho first served as a curate in St. Patrick Parish, Sapele, before being posted to Christ the King Parish, Okpara, hIs first stint as a Parish Priest. At that time, Okpara Parish comprised several outstations, stretching from Urhodo to Okurekpo; from Orhoakpor to Kokori and its villages. His background as a member of the Emmanuel Urhobo Catholic Joint Choir (an indigenous Choir with focus on Catholic liturgical songs and rural evangelisation), Seminary formation and personal development etc, had prepared him very well for the priestly ministry he would undertake.
ABILITY TO CONNECT
As his ministry unfolded in Okpara Parish, Fr Igho’s passion for the salvation of souls, his compassion for the downtrodden and his determination to strengthen the Catholic faith in Christ’s Faithful were very much evident and these endeared him to Parishioners. With Pauline zeal and pastoral ingenuity, the young Fr Jude Igho unleashed his youthful energies in rural ministry, faithfully keeping to his Mass schedule at the outstations and spending time afterwards with the lay faithful to interact with them, especially the aged, asking about their children and general welfare. Amazingly, he came to know majority of his flock by name, including their children or immediate family members. This aroused a feeling of a personal connection to his ministry and Christ’s failthfil in the outstations, mostly children and the aged, looked forward to his monthly visitation with joyous expectation. Simply put, he was available to his flock!
COLLABORATIVE MINISTRY
Fr Jude imderstands the power of collaborative ministry and he deploys that pastoral tool masterfully. For instance, while in Okpara Inland, he prioritized the welfare of his catechists and provided from his meager resources whatever could enhance their efficiency. My father served under him as Parish catechist before he retired in 2008, after 45 years of active service.To date, alongside his predecessors, he relishes his work experience with him.
Apart from the Parish catechist, the Religious Sisters of Charity who worked in Okpara at that time were also engaged for regular visits to the remote outstations to conduct service and provide Catechesis. Parish Seminarians on holidays were not left out! We would usually come around on Saturday night and be deployed to remote villages on Sunday to conduct service and teach catechism. Fr. Jude Igho’s predisposition to teamwork, humility, and soft-spokeness even while being firm on principles, made him a model to young Seminarians. His pastoral initiatives in the Parish resulted in spiritual renewal and fostered cohesion in the Parish community.
A UNIQUE FISHER OF MEN
Fr. Jude Igho’s charitable activities extended beyond the bounds of his ecclesia community, reaching non Catholics and non Christians alike. At a time, the reception of new converts became a regular and delightful spectacle in many of the Churches in the Parish. His ability to reach out and establish friendship made him a darling to many. Scarcely was there any stakeholder in Agbon kingdom, whether in the political, religious, royal or community spheres, who didn’t accord him some recognition and honour. He has this special gift of humour and smile that diffuse apprehension about his presence, break defenses and predispose his listener to the Gospel he bears. He is a fisher of men who, as Fulton Sheen states, understands that, more than the use of hook, he is “to increase Christ’s fold whether they be fish or lambs, both ‘by hook and crook’ (Treasure in Clay p.93). He is a priest the breadth and grandeur of whose love seek to embrace everyone. Always seeking ways to foster social friendship wherever he works, Fr Jude Igho lives by a relational modus taught by Pope Francis in his encyclical on Fraternity and Social Friendship: “Our love for others, for who they are, moves us to seek the best for their lives. Only by cultivating this way of relating to one another will we make possible a social friendship that excludes no one and a fraternity that is open to all” (Fratelli Tutti 94).
SELFLESS SERVANT
Describing Clemens Maria Hofbauer, the Bohemian baker’s apprentice who later bacame a saint, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (Benedict XVI) says of him:
“He was a man who loved, who placed himself at the disposal of mankind with an unstinting and unflagging passion ” (FAITH AND THE FUTURE p.112). Similarly, Fr Jude Igho is moulded in that caste. In all things, as exemplified in Okpara, he puts himself last and in accord with ecclesiastical teaching, allows his priestly ministry to be shaped mainly by “salus animarum”. This is also the reason why Fr Jude worked hard to see to it that, notwithstanding other mundane considerations advanced from some quatres, the long awaited creation of Kokori Parish came to fruition in his time at Okpara Parish. As noted by that dogmatic theologian of prodigious intellect, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, “it is only with the heart that one can see properly… Only he who gives himself creates the future. The man who simply tries to instruct, who wants to change others, remains unfruitful” (Faith and the Future p.112). Fr Jude Igho is a man with a heart!
PHYSICAL BUILDINGS
Granted that physical structures cannot be the sole measure for determining success in ministry, it is praiseworthy that Fr Jude always complements his spiritual duties with steady advancement of infrastructure in every Parish where he serves. For example, amidst the paucity of fund, Fr Jude completed the rectory at CKC, Okpara, started by his venerable predecessor, Fr Anthony Anamali and furnished it for habitation. He had barely moved into it when transfer came and he began preparation to resume as Cathedral administrator. What surprised many parishioners was that even with his imminent departure, Fr Jude continued work on the parameter fencing and painting, a development that made many to tease him with the cliche: “oyibo kpo, jo ki flower?” (Can the whiteman be planting flowers on the eve of departure?). He just wanted to leave the place better for his successor. And he continued thereafter, giving his best to Parish projects everywhere.
Whether at the Sacred Heart Cathedral, Warri, where he gave the event centre what can be described as its most strategic push so far and built a three bedroom bungalow for the then Cathedral Catechist, Uduwere, at his hometown of Oginibo with the assistance of his parishioners, or at St Theresa Parish, Ubeji, were he inspired a great many in the faith (i remember the long convey that excorted him from there to Isoko that year); whether in the challenging terrain of Uzere where he succeeded me and continued work on the Church building, or in Umutu where his pastoral initiatives at the Basic Christian Communities resulted in great spiritual reawakening; whether at Ascension Parish, Ekpan, where he had just completed the magnificent church building and hosted its dedication by the Diocesan Bishop, or as head of the Health Conmission where he, alongside his Assistant (Fr. J. Bolokor) under the guidance of our Bishop, just brought to realisation the establishment and take-off of the St Francis Catholic College of Nursing and Midwifery, Okpara Inland, Fr. Jude Igho has proven to be a servant with a kind heart, leaving indelible footprints wherever he has served in the past 25 years. It is heartwarming to note that the Nursing and Midwifery College is not only well equipped with state -of-the- art facilities and fully accredited, but also already in full session. No doubt, the project represents a significant milestone in the provision of quality health care for all.
PRIESTLY FRATERNITY
In his work Treasure in Clay, the American Archbishop and tele-evangelist, Fulton J. Sheen presents his auto biography which chronicles his early years, vocation to the priesthood and pastoral activities. While recounting his first experience as a new Bishop in Rochester Diocese in 1966, (which he said brought him new joy), the Archbishop notes: “The priesthood is the greatest fraternity in the world. No introduction is necessary to another priest; there’s nothing to live up to; nothing to live down. The mere fact that he’s a priest means that he’s a brother” (p.169). This is the attitude of Fr Jude towards his priest brothers, and it also accounts for his extensive network of priest friends across rhe globe. If today, the Warri Diocesan presbyterium is outstandingly flowering in priestly fraternity, then in addition to crediting our elders who initiated and nurtured it into a tradition, Fr Jude reckon as one of its greatest promoters. His strong prayer life, commitment to duty and respect for everyone, his avuncular and benign dispositions crisply reveal in him a “father figure” and model of faith, for which he is belovingly held in such high esteem by his younger brothers. I count it a rare privilege to have had the opportunity to nominate, not only his immediate predecessor, but himself as the president of the Warri Diocesan Priests Association. Since his election, he continues to carry on his duty to the satisfaction of members, leaving no one in doubt that he is a leader who cares. Again, he has prioritised the welfare of members by undertaking a review of the Association’s constitution as regards welfare packages and the deepening of solidarity with each other in moments of joy and sorrow.
CONCLUSION
Dear Fr Jude Igho, I congratulate you on the auspicious occasion of your silver Jubilee celebration. It is indeed a significant milestone that is what marking with ejiro r’Oghene and akperio. Personally, I thank you for the financial support and provisions you used to give whenever we were set to return to the Seminary. I.am sure Fr. Peter Aghwaremuaire (and even seminarians and priests who have worked with you) could have better words to say. Thank you for your good works. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Please, continue to be that faithful and wise servant whom the Lord placed over his household …(cf.Lk 12:42). May God bless you and grant you more fruitful years in His vineyard. Through Christ our Lord. 👏