St. Leo's Ikeja @ 50

St. Leo's Catholic Church Ikeja Lagos is in a festive mood. She is celebrating the 50th anniversary of her existence. And with open arms, she is inviting all and sundry to the merriment. 

This was made known to newsmen on Thursday, August 25, by the Vicar General, Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos and Episcopal Vicar of Ikeja Region, Rt. Rev. Monsignor (Dr.) John Aniagwu.

Torchlight News was there and reports.

Aniagwu who is also the parish priest of St. Leo's Parish was represented at the media briefing by his Associate, Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Omoroke, SMMM and other members of the Planning Committee.

According to the Vicar, it was a success story for the parish with a very humble beginning, having started in a make-shift Assembly hall of the then Southern Police College, Ikeja. 

Created in the month of September 1972 by the then Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Most Rev. John Kwao Amuzu Aggey, he said, St. Leo's Catholic Church could be likened to the proverbial mustard seed, which was planted and had grown, in leaps and bounds, with membership strength of about 8,000 parishioners.

He further said that the Church had given birth to other parishes and Outstations such as St. Benjamin's Olowora, St. Timothy's Ojodu, St. Francis' Oregun, Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Ogba, and two Outstations, the Blessed Cyprian Michael Tansi Agidingbi and Pope St. John Paul's Mass Centre, Adeniyi Jones. 

He enumerated other achievements of the Church to include the feeding, accommodation, employment, health care and education of indigent members, free legal aid as well as the provision of a 24-hour intermediate level medical services in its 32-beds Medical facility.

"Many activities have been lined up to mark the Golden Jubilee, beginning with a three day special prayer christened, Triduum of Prayer, which started on Wednesday, August 25, 2022."

"Other activities include special programme for children and youths, sick and home-bound parishioners, special requiem Mass for all deceased members of the parish since inception, group wedding, and Sacrament of Confirmation to about forty-five candidates by the Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Most Rev. (Dr.) Alfred Adewale Martins."

"The Golden Jubilee programme will be brought to a close with a grand finale on Sunday, 4th September, 2022. The activities on that day will kick off with the Golden Jubilee Mass at 10 a.m., to be concelebrated by the Archbishop of Lagos, Most Rev. (Dr.) Alfred Adewale Martins."

In his contribution, the Chairman, Planning Committee for the anniversary, Taiwo Obileye, said the celebration was an occasion for a great re-union as mammoth crowd of parishioners, guests and friends of the parish were expected.

He also assured  that adequate security measures had been put in place to ensure safety and hitch-free celebration.

St. Leo's Catholic Church was at inception under the pastoral care of the Society of African Mission (SMA) priests. They ran the parish for nineteen years and were succeeded by the priests of the Congregation of the Missions, also known as the Vicentians. 

In 1995, the parish came under the pastoral care of diocesan priests of the Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos.

The 78-year old Msgr. John Aniagwu holds the singular honour of being the longest serving parish priest of St. Leo's Parish to date, having put in twenty-seven out of his 51 years of priesthood in the pastoral care of the parish.