Bishop Camillus Umoh inaugurates The Year of Prayer in Ikot Ekpene Diocese 6th July 2024

Bishop Camillus Umoh inaugurates The Year of Prayer in Ikot Ekpene Diocese 6th July 2024

In an official statement issued by the Local Ordinary, to the clergy, religious and laity of the diocese dated July 1, 2024 the Diocesan Prelate convokes the entire Catholic Faithful to join the Universal Church in the Year of Prayer which is a preparation for the Jubilee Year 2025 as declared by the Holy Father Pope Francis… He also in the same statement appointed Fr. Moses Sade as the an official delegate/Coordinator for the year of prayer in the diocese.

The full text reads thus:

“Greeting in the name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ!

The Holy Father, Pope Francis has announced 2025 as the great Jubilee of Hope. This year is to be preceded by the year of Prayer in the second part of 2024 in preparation for the Jubilee Year. I am pleased to announce to you that in union with the universal Church, we will inaugurate the Year of Prayer in Ikot Ekpene Diocese, on Saturday, 6th July, 2024, which will end on Saturday 30th November, 2024.

This Year of Prayer will be a time of spiritual renewal, reflection and growth for the Church and also for our Diocese, and I invite all of you to join me in this journey of prayer. Fortunately this day coincides with the ordination of our new priests and deacons for this year.

As we all know, prayer is at the heart of our relationship with God, and it is through prayer that we deepen our faith and draw closer to Him. During this Year of Prayer, I encourage all of you to make prayer a priority in your lives. Let us through the celebration or participation at daily Masses, personal prayer, the recitation of the Rosary, Adoration of Blessed Sacrament, and other forms of prayer, make a commitment to spend time with our Lord each day of this year and always.

In addition to prayers, we shall endeavour to study the Second Vatican Council Documents, specifically the Constitutions (Sacrosanctum Concillium, Lumen Gentium, and Gaudium et Spes).

As we embark on this journey of prayer, let us also remember to pray for our Diocese as we prepare to host the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) next year. I encourage you all to pray for the needs of our country, Nigeria, our State and people of good will. May our prayers be a source of healing, hope and strength for all those in need.

As we join the Holy Father and all Christians in the Church to pray, I am already convinced that God will do great things in our lives during this Year of Prayer. Let us continue to pray for one another and our beloved Diocese, trusting in the love and mercy of our Lord and saviour, Jesus Christ.”

As seen in the statement above, the Bishop will also in the same event of the inauguration of the Year of Prayer, raise three deacons to the presbyterate order and five men to the diaconate order for service in the diocese of Ikot Ekpene and the Church at large. The three new priests will include: Revds: Fabian Johnson, Gregory Usoro, and Jerome Akpan while the five deacons will include: Moses Sampson, Emmanuel Akpan, Emmanuel Christopher, Peter Asuquo and Simeon Akpan. We pray that the Good Lord who began the good work in them, calling them to His vineyard, will bring it to completion. Amen.

Stay tune for updates and info about the upcoming activities for the Year of Prayer.
You can also visit the diocesan website @ ikotekpenediocese.org