The Cross News

26/04/2024

Some pictures from the ongoing 2024 Annual Archdiocesan General Assembly with the theme: Intergreting Mental health into Pastoral Care in the Archdiocese of Kaduna

24/04/2024

OPENING MASS OF ARCHDIOCESE OF KADUNA 2024 GENERAL ASSEMBLY WITH HIS GRACE MOST REVD. DR. MATTHEW MAN'OSO NDAGOSO AT CATHOLIC SOCIAL CENTRE, INDEPENDENCE WAY, KADUNA

22/04/2024

Pictorial of Peter Obi's visit to St. Gerard's Hospital Kakuri, Kaduna on 22nd April, 2024.Details shortly.....

04/04/2024

DICASTERY FOR INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE
MESSAGE FOR THE MONTH OF RAMADAN AND ‘ID Al-FITR
1445 H. / 2024 A.D.
Christians and Muslims:
Extinguish the Fire of War and Light the Candle of Peace
Vatican City
Dear Muslim brothers and sisters,
Once again we greet you on the occasion of the month of Ramadan with a
message of closeness and friendship, aware of the importance of this month for your
spiritual journey and for your family and social life, which also embraces your
Christian friends and neighbours.
We are pleased to know that our yearly Message to you for Ramadan is an
important means of strengthening and building good relations between Christians and
Muslims, thanks to its diffusion through traditional and modern media, particularly
social media. For this reason, it would be beneficial to make this Message better
known among both communities.
We would have liked to share with you some considerations on a different
theme from the one we have chosen to address. Yet the growing number of conflicts
in these days, ranging from military combat to armed clashes of varying intensity
involving states, criminal organizations, armed gangs and civilians, has become truly
alarming. Pope Francis recently observed that this increase in hostilities is in fact
transforming “a third world war fought piecemeal” into “a genuine global conflict”.
The causes of these conflicts are many, some long-standing, others more
recent. Together with the perennial human desire for domination, geo-political
ambitions and economic interests, a major cause is surely the continuing production
and commerce in arms. Even as part of our human family suffers grievously from the
devastating effects of the use of these arms in warfare, others cynically rejoice in the
great economic profit deriving from this immoral commerce. Pope Francis has
described this as dipping a morsel of bread in the blood of our brother.
At the same time, we can be thankful that we also possess immense human and
religious resources for advancing peace. The desire for peace and security is
profoundly rooted in the soul of every person of good will, since no one can fail to
see the tragic effects of war in the loss of human lives, the toll of serious injury and
the throngs of orphans and widows. The destruction of infrastructure and property
makes life hopelessly difficult, if not impossible. Sometimes hundreds of thousands
of people are displaced in their own country or forced to flee to other countries as
refugees. Consequently, the condemnation and rejection of war should be
unambiguous: every war is fratricide, useless, senseless, and dark. In war, everyone
loses. Once again, in the words of Pope Francis: “No war is holy, only peace is holy”.
All religions, each in their own way, consider human life sacred and thus
worthy of respect and protection. The states that permit and practise capital
punishment are, fortunately, becoming fewer each year. A reawakened sense of the
respect for this fundamental dignity of the gift of life will contribute to the conviction
that war must be rejected and peace cherished.
Albeit with their differences, religions acknowledge the existence and the
important role of conscience. Forming consciences to respect the absolute value of
the life of each person and his or her right to physical integrity, security and a
dignified life will likewise contribute to the condemnation and rejection of war, any
war and all wars.
We look to the Almighty as God of peace, the source of peace, who in a special
way loves all those who devote their lives to the service of peace. Like so many
things, peace is a divine gift but at the same time the fruit of human efforts, especially
in preparing the conditions necessary for its establishment and preservation.
As believers, we are also witnesses to hope, as we recalled in our 2021
Message for Ramadan: “Christians and Muslims: Witnesses of Hope”. Hope can be
symbolized by a candle, whose light radiates security and joy, whereas fire,
uncontrolled, can lead to the destruction of fauna and flora, infrastructure and the loss
of human lives.
Dear Muslim brothers and sisters, let us join in extinguishing the fires of
hatred, violence and war, and instead light the gentle candle of peace, drawing upon
resources for peace that are present in our rich human and religious traditions.
May your fasting and other pious practices during Ramadan and the celebration
of ‘Id al-Fitr that concludes it, bring you abundant fruits of peace, hope and joy.
From the Vatican, 11 March 2024
Miguel Ángel Cardinal Ayuso Guixot, MCCJ
Prefect
Msgr. Indunil Kodithuwakku Janakaratne Kankanamalage
Secretary
DICASTERY FOR INTERRELIGIOUS DIA

31/03/2024

Easter Message From Catholic Archbishop Of Kaduna. Revd. Dr. Mathew Man’Ososo Ndagoso

31/03/2024

2024 EASTER MESSAGE OF MOST REV. MATTHEW MAN-OSO NDAGOSO, ARCHBISHOP OF KADUNA

“Through him we have also obtained access by faith into his grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our suffering, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and, hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Rom. 5:2-5).
Dear brothers and sisters in the Risen Lord,
If anything, the Easter season which we begin today with the Resurrection of the Lord from the dead assures us of his abiding presence with us now and forever. And what better assurance have we than the fact that the Lord is with us always in whatever situation we find ourselves, good or bad. As the scripture says, if God is with us who will be against us (cf. Rom 8:31).
Mindful of the fact that the resurrection is the bedrock of the Christian religion, this is why the church offers us the Easter season to deeply reflect on the great favour and honour done to us by the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Consequently, during this season we shall in the liturgy especially through the scripture readings be reflecting on the evidence of Jesus rising on the first day of the week (cf. Matt. 28:1, Mk 16:2, Lk 24:1, Jn 20:1); the empty tomb (Lk 24:2-5) his appearances to different groups and individuals (cf. Lk 24: 13-19, Jn 20:26-29). All the post-resurrection appearances helped to deepen and strengthen the faith of those called to bear witness to it.
Like I said in 2019, “A major characteristic of the early appearances of Jesus was that he appeared to those most visibly affected by his agony and death; hence his appearances to Mary Magdalene and the other women at the tomb and the two grieve-stricken disciples on the road to Emmaus. In Mary Magdalene’s case she saw the person who gave her back her life and made it worth living died a tragic and shameful death on the cross. She could not imagine life without him. Similarly, the two disciples on the road to Emmaus saw no point in their continued stay in Jerusalem after their Master’s tragic and shameful death. Checking out of town was the only option they had. Their pathetic and hopeless situations drew Jesus to them.
In both situations Jesus appeared in disguise and in strange ways. However, regardless of the way he appeared he showed up in their moments of need. Jesus is always there in our moments of need and when he shows up in our lives he changes us and our situation and charges us to go and share our encounters of him with others. And this is our charge: “Go and tell my brothers” (Matt. 28:10). The question however is, how does one know that he/she has encountered the risen Lord?
“When your heart begins to burn with love, when you feel compelled to tell others about the Lord or share your personal experience of him with others you know you have met the risen Lord. When you make a fundamental option to make a u-turn in your live, you know that you have met the risen Lord. When you feel drown towards the ecclesial (believing) community especially in the celebration of the Eucharist, you know you have met the risen Lord. So, open your eyes and heart and let the risen Lord show and reveal himself to you.”
The Easter season therefore is meant to deepen our faith in the Risen Lord and, like the first disciples, to bear witness whenever and wherever the need arises.
As believers in the Risen Lord, during this hopeful, joyful and graceful season we are expected to manifest two fundamental Christian attitudes, namely, joy and hope. Joy which is rooted in the resurrection is a key element of the Christian life and one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. This is why St. Paul admonishes Christians to rejoice always in the Lord no matter the situation (cf. Phil 4:4, 1 Thess 5:16). As a fruit of the Holy Spirit joy reveals our faith and trust in God. If we live our lives deeply rooted in the Holy Spirit in spite of the problems, hardships, difficulties, sufferings we face we can be at peace and experience serenity because of the presence of the Risen Lord among us. The awareness of his presence in our difficult situation makes a huge difference. This is so, because faith in the risen Lord helps us to develop a positive attitude to life and an awareness of the many positive signs of God’s presence with us.
We see this positive attitude in the distressed and hopeless disciples on the road to Emmaus after their encounter with the risen Lord and strengthened by this encounter they returned to Jerusalem (cf. Lk, 24:33), the scene of the crime, so to speak, which they were running away from to become witnesses of the Risen Lord. Their encounter with the Risen Lord dispelled their doubts, fears and incredulity and, empowered and propelled by the Holy Spirit they became true and authentic witnesses of the Risen Lord thus by their life and ministry were able to bring the gospel to the ends of the earth (cf. Matt. 28: 18ff).
This encounter of the dejected and hopeless disciples on the road to Emmaus marked not only victory over sin and death but also, and even more so, the victory of forgiveness over revenge and hatred: “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do” (Lk 23:34). We too are empowered to be witnesses of his forgiveness, to continue his mission of healing and peace wherever we are.
For us Christians, Easter Sunday ushers in the beginning of new life of communion with the Risen Lord and with one another. Sunday therefore becomes a special day for us because it is the first day of the week, the beginning of new life. So, like Thomas, the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, Simon Peter, Mary of Magdala, we too can meet the Risen Lord and start life afresh. Each Sunday celebration invites us to be full of joy and hope whatever our situation in life. This is why St. Paul enjoins us to “Rejoice in the Lord always” (Phil 4:4).
Because of the resurrection of the Lord which is also victory over suffering even the worst situation of suffering, despair and the prevalence of evil as is the case right now in our country is redeemed and enlightened by the Easter victory of Jesus Christ, the giver of life who lives in our midst because he is Emmanuel and invites us to recognise him as such. Our Easter encounter with Christ should lead us to see and recognise him in those who suffer, especially the poor, the marginalized, the displaced and all the needy.
As we begin the joyful season of Easter, it is hoped that the change of heart we experienced during the Lenten season in preparation for Easter will enable us to start building a Nigeria of our dream, a new Nigeria. In other words, the conversion we have undergone during Lent should bear enduring fruits for the common good of all Nigerians and beyond. For this to happen we must begin life afresh. This is to say that to move our country forward we must start doing things differently. There are things we are used to doing that we need to stop doing now and start doing the things that we ought to be doing for the common good.
Dear brothers and sisters in the Risen Lord, we cannot afford to give up the struggle to help ourselves and make our country better and even greater. In other words, we should not lose hope in our country. We believe that like the proverbial Egyptian phoenix, our country will arise from the ashes of its present ruins; like the phoenix, it will rise from the pyre to a new and undying life. This is to say that like the Crucified Lord and the legendary Egyptian phoenix our country will resurrect with a new and vibrant life because our God who conquered death will do new things in our land (cf. Is. 43:19).
For this to happen, however, all hands must be on deck. We are all therefore called and challenged to arise for nation building. What our country needs today is radical change of structures especially of governance. To make our country regain its lost glory is a task that is incumbent on all Nigerians. We all know that because of the present difficult and challenging situation some have already taken action by “japaring”, some are precariously hanging on while others are looking around, may be, for the last time. Of crucial importance for us now is that those committed to staying and rescuing the country must now make up their minds to doing things differently and not continue with life as usual, mindful of the fact that we have no other country than this one called Nigeria. We must give it our all just as Jesus gave his all for the salvation of the world. Nigeria has been there for us, is here for us and will continue to be there for us “har abada abadin”. We must endeavour together to start writing a new and hope-giving chapter of the history of our country. In this task, every Nigerian has a contribution to make. The hardship we are facing now, rather than make us lose hope in our country should serve as a wakeup call for nation-building.
True, over the years the political class has failed and betrayed the trust of the citizens. However, while we call for a change of attitude and mentality towards governance by the ruling class, their failures need not kill our dreams for a better Nigeria. We must keep dreaming and working hard to realise the Nigeria of our dream and it goes without saying there is a sacrificial price to be paid as the Lord Jesus did.
The Risen Lord is not oblivious of our self-imposed hardship. He is in it with us the way he was with Mary Magdalene and the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. He is in a special way present with the many distressed and distraught communities of our Archdiocese such as Adama Dutse, U/ Barde, Karamai, Gonin Gora, Dogon Noma, Banono, Kajuru Station, Kudenda and many others who are not only aggrieved but despondent and feel fore-lone and abandoned and, like Mary Magdalene and the two disciples on the road before their encounter with the risen Lord rightly see no light at the end of the tunnel.
In spite of all these, the message of the resurrection to these communities is: Christ is alive! He is our hope. He is in you, he is with you and will never abandon you (cf. Pope Francis in “Christus Vivit”, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation to Young People and the Entire People of God, nos. 1 & 2).
This said, it is worthy of note that God uses human beings and events to help those in need, especially, those in difficult and challenging situations like the communities mentioned above. Consequently, we call on governments at all levels to do all within their power to help save all the communities besieged by armed bandits, kidnappers, insurgents, cattle rustlers, armed robbers etc. and make the environment safe for economic activities especially farming ahead of the 2024 farming season which is already upon us.
Again, like I said in 2019: “In a world that urges us to ‘move on’, regardless, Jesus asks us to give voice to our worries, our wounds and, most importantly, our hunger for him. We should therefore not be afraid to ask Jesus challenging questions like the disciples on the road to Emmaus because he wants to heal our wounds of anxiety and satisfy our hunger and yearnings for him. He wants to find us in that place where we are most vulnerable and open us to his presence.”
Hope as we may well be aware is the miracle of renewal that never lets us down because it has the capacity of making everything new in our life; for, it builds and rebuilds. All the disciples who worked with Jesus and saw him crucified, died and buried had their faith and hope shattered and dashed. They needed their faith to be rebuilt. The resurrection did that for them. You and I may not have been blessed with physical encounters with the risen Lord. This does not however mean that what happened to the disciples, namely, transformation cannot happen to you and me. For as Jesus said, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe” (Jn. 20:29).
During Easter season we have ample opportunities, especially, in the poor and needy, those on the periphery and the oppressed to encounter the risen Lord and share in his new life convinced that the power of sin over us has been broken by his victory over death. Thus we have become a new creation with him.
Hanging on the cross on Good Friday and in great agony Jesus cried out to the Father asking why he had forsaken him in his moment of need (Mark 15:34). With the benefit of hindsight, we believers know that the Father did not forsake him. We know that the Father was right there with him on the Cross. And we know that the Father was personally involved in his suffering and participated actively in it; hence, his victory through the resurrection. The anguished cry of Jesus on the cross is the anguished cry of all who suffer today and, indeed, it is largely the history of suffering humanity everywhere in the world and therefore that of God Himself. In the cross of Jesus God did not only identify with the poor, the excluded, the abandoned and the down trodden. He actually, once and for all, sided with the wretched of the earth and the hopeless. He opted for the poor. So, the Father was not a bystander when Christ hung on the cross. He was deeply involved. In like manner the Father continues to suffer with suffering humanity everywhere in the world.

With the resurrection of Jesus from the dead dawned the sure hope of the final victory of good over evil. However, for us and for our world, the victory is incomplete and the cross of Jesus reminds us of this fact until he comes again. Without the cross, life is meaningless and our suffering meaningless. Only the cross of Jesus makes sense of our suffering. Consequently, like Jesus, it is ok to cry out to God in times of distress and even complain to him as a loving and caring Father, knowing that even his Beloved Son did the same in spite of being God himself.

Finally, our hearts go out to all the victims of banditry, insurgency, herders/farmers clashes, kidnapping for ransom and indeed to all who are suffering as a result of hardship imposed on the country by harsh government policies. We pray for the safe release or rescue of those still in the kidnappers’ den, a happy repose of the souls of the dead and consolation for the bereaved. It is worthy of note that situations of normal or abnormal suffering can offer a profound way to appreciate and experience the Resurrection.

In our suffering and hardship let us bear in mind the fact that it is in our daily lived experiences that we experience the impact of the Resurrection of Jesus. Consequently, whoever you are and whatever your present predicament in life is, the Resurrection of Jesus ought and should say something to you whether you are suffering material or spiritual deprivation. Hope and trust in God for the Lord is Risen indeed, ALLELUIA!

HAPPY EASTER.

________________________________________________
Most Rev. Matthew Man-Oso NDAGOSO
Archbishop of Kaduna

30/03/2024

Hardship: HVCF Distributes Food Worths N3m To Over 270 Vulnerable Households In Kaduna

BY JULIET EKWENUGO

A Non-governmental organization, Hope for the Village Child Foundation (HVCF) has distributed food items worth N3m to over 270 children and women in Kaduna communities as part of their efforts to reduce the rate of malnutrition in the State.

The deputy director, HVCF, Rev. Sr. Juliana Ekwoanya during the distribution of the items on Wednesday in Kaduna at HVCF centre said the gesture was part of their activities in helping the vulnerable to mitigate hardship.

According to her, the objective was to provide essential foodstuffs to those in need especially women and Children and to alleviate hunger in the communities.

She noted that the food items is expected to help cushion the effect of economic hardship on the lives of members of the beneficiaries.

She, however, lamented about malnutrition among children in the communities, saying a lot needs to be done on food insecurity in the country.

Sr. Ekwoanya said "this charitable efforts not only offers immediate relief but also foster a sense of community empathy and support, helping to create a stronger, more compassionate society that takes care of it most vulnerable members".

She further said that by distributing the food items, the beneficiaries will have access to nutritious meals and can meet their basic nutritional requirements, she added.

The deputy director also urged well meaning Nigerians and government to assist those in need, saying there is urgent need to take action against food insecurity.

According to her, the items distributed include 12 bags of 100kg rice, 10 bags of 100kg beans, 10 bags of 100kg maize, 5 bags of onions, 2 cartoons of maggi and salt worths N3m.

She further noted that the beneficiaries we're drawn from Chikun, Igabi and Kajuru LGA of the State.

A 15-year old Miracle Moses who spoke on behalf of the beneficiaries lauded the HVCF for their support and humanitarian interventions.

ENDS

29/03/2024

LIVE BROADCAST OF GOOD FRIDAY STATIONS OF THE CROSS WITH HIS GRACE MOST REVD. DR. MATTHEW MAN'OSO NDAGOSO AT ST. JOHN'S CATHOLIC CHURCH, TAFAWA BALEWA WAY, KADUNA

29/03/2024

LIVE BROADCAST OF GOOD FRIDAY STATIONS OF THE CROSS WITH HIS GRACE MOST REVD. DR. MATTHEW MAN'OSO NDAGOSO AT ST. JOHN'S CATHOLIC CHURCH, TAFAWA BALEWA WAY, KADUNA

26/03/2024

LIVE BROADCAST OF CHRISM MASS OF THE CATHOLIC ARCHDIOCESE OF KADUNA WITH HIS GRACE MOST REVD. DR. MATTHEW MAN'OSO NDAGOSO AT ST. JOSEPH'S CATHEDRAL, IBRAHIM TAIWO ROAD, KADUNA.

23/03/2024

Join us as we stream live the Holy Week activities.

13/03/2024

ARCHBISHOP NDAGOSO VISITS VICTIMS OF ADAMA DUTSE ATTACK
By Fr. Stephen Onyema
Download document with pictures
Here👇👇

https://archkd.org/sites/default/files/PICTORIAL%20ARCHBISHOP%20NDAGOSO%20VISITS%20VICTIMS%20OF%20ADAMA%20DUTSE%20ATTACK.docx


On Sunday morning, February 18, 2024, the Adama Dutse Community in Kajuru Local Government of Kaduna State was attacked by unknown assailants who killed 11 persons, 7 injured and left ample destruction of community homes and property.
In response to the attack, Archbishop Ndagoso, the Catholic Archbishop of Kaduna, led the team of priests and laity of the Archdiocese on March 8, 2024 and was received by the community members at the village square of Adama Dutse.

Archbishop Ndagoso also inspected St. Julius Catholic Church and the 28 houses which were all burnt down and foodstuffs were also destroyed and everything that people need to survive in those houses that were affected were all destroyed by the bandits during the attack. The Archbishop thanked security agencies for their quick response that morning, saying that without their quick intervention, the damage would have been worse.
According to the Archbishop, the security personnel need to be empowered by the government with modern arms and technology to combat terrorist activities in the country.
He called on the government to secure the lives and property of its citizens so that they can go back to their farms which is their major means of livelihood. “This is an agrarian community and most of the foods we eat come from the rural communities. Therefore, we are only reminding the government of their responsibilities”.


Ndagoso tasked government to live up to their campaign promises and make the country better.
“Nobody has any excuse to leave this country worse than the way he met it; you promised Nigerians that you are going to make the country better therefore, do whatever it takes to make it better. It has been said time and time again that if you are there and you can't do it, you know the honorable thing to do, but if you remain there, you have to do whatever it takes to secure our lives and make the country better”.

While condoling with the people of the community, the Archbishop urged them to stop agonizing and start organizing and take their destiny into their own hands by defending themselves in any way they could.
The Archbishop also noted that the incident happened during first Plenary of 2024 of the Catholic Bishops of Nigeria in Abuja, which made the him send Very Revd. Fr. Daniel Kyom, the Dean of Rimau Deanery, Fr. Emmanuel Okpara the Parish Priest, Revd. Fr. Joshua Achir, the Coordinator of Justice and Peace Caritas
[JDPC], and Fr. Stephen Onyema the Director of Communication and those on ground to assess the level of the attack and damage and report to him.
“I am here to be sure and verify the things they told me, and everywhere there’s emergency we have an outfit, an arm of the Church, at the local level we call it JDPC and at the national level we call it Church and Society, they respond to emergency situations. They came here and did the assessments, to know what the community needs immediately especially those affected”.
“It is in response to the needs assessments done by the JDPC, our emergency response team that I decided that we come here and give them the little assistance we can give”.

The Archbishop also expresses joy that the people have resolved not to go to anywhere since this is where they were born and here they will die.

Responding on behalf of the community Mr. Anthony Peter, the mai wa'azi (the teacher of faith), thanked the Archbishop for the visit and provision of relief materials to the community, saying that they are not going to run away or leave their ancestral land, no matter the situation. He called on the Government to come to their aid.
Some of the relief materials given by the Archbishop include: Zinc (20 bundles), Mattresses (20 pieces), Rice - 10 bags (50kg), Maize – 10 bags, Garri - 3 bags, Beans - 2 bags, Palm oil (75 litres) and sacks of clothes.

08/03/2024

Pictorial: Most. Rev Matthew ManOso Ndagoso visited Adama Dutse Community in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, on 8/03/2024 .Details shortly.

21/02/2024

Very Rev Fr. Daniel Kyom the Dean of Rimau Deanery leading prayers at a mass grave of 11 persons killed in Sunday attack at Adama Dutse village.

20/02/2024

The Catholic Archbishop of Kaduna Archdiocese, Most Reverend Matthew Man-oso Ndagoso on Tuesday lambasted elected politicians in Kajuru Local Government and Kaduna State for keeping …in..http://crossnews.com.ng/content/breaking-news-catholic-archbishop-blasts-government-bandits-kill-11-burnt-28-houses-kaduna

By :Nicholas Dekera The Catholic Archbishop of Kaduna Archdiocese, Most Reverend Matthew Man-oso Ndagoso on Tuesday lambasted elected politicians in Kajuru Local Government and Kaduna State for keeping quiet after the gruesome killing of 11 people and burning of 28 houses in Adamawa Dutse village, I...

20/02/2024

Photo News : Group of armed men attacked Adama Dutse community, in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, on 18th February, 2024. Details shortly.

20/02/2024

17/02/2024

2024 Lenten Message of Most Rev. Matthew Man-Oso NDAGOSO,
Archbishop of Kaduna
"But when he came to himself, he said... I will arise and go to my father,
and I will say to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before
you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your
hired servants. And he arose and came to his father" (Lk. 15: 18-20).
Each year we undertake the Lenten journey, a journey of return to God, the church's most intense penitential season to help us prepare well for the celebration of the paschal mystery with renewed hearts and minds as we contemplate and recall the great events that gave us new life. During this season we are challenged to reconsider whether our life focused is on God or on ourselves and to also reconsider the path we are on right now in life and try to answer the call of God to return to him.
We started this journey by marking ourselves with ashes, one of humankind's most penitential symbol. The ashes which are eloquent signs call us to the reality of the present state of our lives and a readiness to at least try to see our lives as God sees them, to value in our lives what God does and to try to purge our lives of everything that has been wasted, vain and foolish. Lent is a sacramental sign of conversion which invites Christians to embody the paschal mystery more deeply and concretely in their personal, family and social lives by fasting, prayer and alms-giving (cf. Pope Francis, 2019 Lenten Message).
The penitential journey we have embarked on during this season of grace is meant to lead us to reconciliation and forgiveness, a journey which becomes an `exodus' as we move from our self-absorption to the freedom of the children of God and experience the joy of being forgiven and renewed through the gift of God's mercy.
The Lenten journey is not just about the sacrifices we make alone, it is and even more so about discerning where our hearts are directed, towards God or to ourselves. The Lenten journey is a time to reconsider the path we are on in order to find the right path that leads home. And we all know that the road that leads us back to God begins with our coming back to our senses like the prodigal son, accepting our sinful situation, taking the humble but courageous steps of returning to the Father in the Sacrament of reconciliation trusting in his merciful love and forgiveness. And we do this mindful of the fact that it is in life's most painful wounds that God awaits us in his infinite mercy because it is where we are most vulnerable, where we feel most shame that God comes to meet us. God invites each one of his children this season to return to him in

order to rediscover the joy of being loved again (c f. Pope Francis' 2021 Lenten message).
The goal of our Lenten journey is the Cross which ultimately leads to the Easter glory. Our Lenten exercises are therefore not ends in themselves but means to an end - the Resurrection. Indeed, Lent is a time of grace but only to the extent that we listen to God speak to us in the scriptures, the daily events of our lives and in a special way through our brothers and sisters especially the poor and the needy. This is why a meditative reading of the scriptures is highly recommended during this season.
Be that as it may, Lent becomes our annual springtime, a time of renewal and rebirth. It is a special liturgical calendar of the church when we are encouraged and challenged to live intensely this time of spiritual renewal and recommit ourselves to life in Christ, make the most of it and repent of our grave sins and seek reconciliation with God and with the church. The hope therefore is that during these forty days we may experience spiritual rebirth and renewal, reconciliation within our inner selves, with others and above all with God. In Lent, God specially invites us to draw closer to him. It is therefore a time of grace and reconciliation. Grab it.
As always, this season embodies three main attitudes. namely, Fasting, which is learning to change our attitude towards others and all of creation, turning away from the temptation to "devour" everything to satisfy our voracity and being ready to suffer for love, which can fill the emptiness of our hearts. This said, it is however worthy of note that, fasting from food is but one way to embody this process but is not the only one. For some, fasting from pride, greed, envy, anger, lust, sloth and power might be more fruitful. It comes down to dealing well with our appetites in all their forms...a fast is about regulation: minimizing our destructive desires and indulging the desires that bring us closer to light, to love, to God...we also have spiritual appetites. These are the needs we have for God, for community, meaning and purpose for faith, hope and love. If we ignore these appetites, we can forget where we come from and where we are going...A good Lenten question is: What is it we crave? Is the pursuing of it healthy for us and for others? If not, then Lent is the time to fast from our cravings and assert the self-control needed to regulate our appetites" (Richard Leonard, Tablet, March 4, 2023). Prayer, which teaches us to abandon idolatry and the self-sufficiency of our ego, and to acknowledge our need of the Lord and his mercy. Alms-giving, whereby we escape from the insanity of hoarding everything for ourselves in the illusory belief that we can secure a future that does not belong to us. (cf. 2019 Lenten Message of Pope Francis).

St. Basil the Great reminds us that "whatever fruit of charity you may produce, you harvest for yourself, for the grace and reward of good works return to those who do them. You have given to the hungry, and what you gave becomes yours, and it returns to you with interest. As the corn which falls upon the earth yields a reward to the sower, so, in the same way the bread given to a hungry man will bring you much reward hereafter... Now you are going to leave your money behind you here whether you like it or not, but on the other hand you will be taking with you to the Lord the credit obtained for your good work... Come then, scatter abroad your riches, be liberal and magnanimous in giving to the poor. Let it be said of you too: He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor, his righteousness endures forever" (2nd reading of Office of readings of Tuesday Week 17 of the Year; Cf. 2 Cor. 9:1-15 ).
In the same vein, Pope St. Leo the Great enjoins: "If God is love, charity must have no limits because God cannot be confined within any bounds...Although anytime is suitable for the exercise of the virtue of charity, it is more especially urged on us by this present season. Thus, those who long to receive the Lord's Pasch with bodies and souls made holy must strive earnestly to acquire this grace which includes the sum of all the virtues and covers a multitude of sins... Let the alms giver feel happy and secure, for he will have the greatest gain if he has saved the smallest amount for himself' (2nd reading of Office of readings of Tuesday of 4th Wk of Lent).
With Pope Francis, I pray that our Lent this year will be a journey along the path that brings the hope of Christ to all and sundry so that we may be set free from the bo***ge of decay and obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God (cf. Rom 8:21). Let us not allow this season of grace to pass in vain! Let us ask God to help us set out on a path of true conversion. Let us leave behind our selfishness and self-absorption, and turn to Jesus' Pasch. Let us stand beside our brothers and sisters in need, sharing our spiritual and material goods with them. In this way, by concretely welcoming Christ's victory over sin and death into our lives, we will also radiate its transforming power to all of creation (2019 Lenten Message).
And like I said in 2021, "The challenge for each of us during this season of grace is to try more than usual to recognize the evil in our life and turn our back to it. In other words, facing up to my sins and turning away from them. The season therefore invites us to admit that we are sinners and turn to Jesus for salvation. Consequently, in order to have a fruitful Lenten season we need to rediscover the power and peace of the Sacrament of Reconciliation because in it we do what Jesus invites us to do when he said, "Repent, and believe in the Gospel" (Mk. 1:15).

This Lenten season, the church in our country reflects on the theme: "Economic Empowerment and Capacity Strengthening for Self-Reliance and Community Resilience."
Given the harsh economic situation in our country today with well over 70% of the population living below the poverty line with a very high rate of unemployment and underemployment and an equally high rate of inflation with no prospects of adequate job creation by the government. More so, given the rate at which multinational companies are relocating from our country to to neighbouring countries because of harsh and insecure business environment leading to more job losses, the sure way to go is to empower our teaming youth with relevant skills that will not only make them self-employed but also employers of labour in their respective communities and thus give them the dignity that belongs to every human being, mindful of the fact that self-reliance gives dignity.
It goes without saying that giving young people relevant skills is empowering them and in a way helping to secure their communities, because making them self-employed is ipso facto making them stable members of their respective communities and therefore stakeholders. Consequently, in our quest for economic empowerment and capacity strengthening for self-reliance and community resilience, technical education that makes the youth employable should and must be given priority attention. Governments at all levels should partner with non-governmental and faith-based organizations engaged in skills acquisition programmes to enhance their work.
If we give functional (technical) education and relevant skills to our young people, widows, and widowers which will give them gainful employment we would have begun our journey to economic empowerment and capacity strengthening for self-reliance and community resilience. This is why the Archdiocesan Justice, Development and Peace Commission (JDPC) is engaged in helping unemployed and underemployed young men and women, especially widows, regardless of creed, ethnic group etc. across our Archdiocese to acquire various skills that will help to equip them with relevant skills to be self-reliant. This has been made possible over the years through the kind and generous support of previous Lenten campaigns of the faithful of our Archdiocese.
Through the Lenten Campaign proceeds our JDPC has trained and graduated thousands of young people, widows and others in various skills. Details of the various skills acquired are contained in the 2024 Lenten campaign brochure prepared by this year's campaign team in conjunction with the Archdiocesan JDPC. The brochure also contains the accounts of the 2023 Lenten campaign

proceeds. We will most certainly do more if you continue to give us your usual kind and generous support. I appeal to you to kindly help us so as to help secure our country through empowering our young people and widows with relevant skills.
As always and with your support we hope to continue with the various skills acquisition programmes, civic education, peace building and conflict prevention and management activities, emergency response by supporting the IDPs with food and non-food items, provision of legal aid to convict prisoners, provision of charity to needy individuals and families and continue with the provision of clean drinking water to needy communities by sinking boreholes. As always, we will appreciate individuals and corporate bodies offering to sink boreholes for needy communities. We are also exploring the possibilities of engaging in farming. We have acquired land in some parts of our archdiocese and hope to acquire more with your kind help and support.
In this vein, I wish to inform you that the Archdiocesan flag-off of the 2024 Lenten Campaign will take place at St. Augustine's Catholic Church, Mahuta, on March 3, at 10 am and the step-down in parishes/pastoral areas/chaplaincies on Sunday, March 10, 2024.
With every good wish for a fruitful Lenten journey, I remain, Yours devotedly in Christ,
Archbishop of Kaduna