Currently at Nne Enyemaka

December 29th

Fr. Andrejz Komorowski, the General Bursar of the FSSP, visited for ten days, allowing greater solemnities to be given to the Christmas Masses. The Midnight Mass was offered by Fr. Komorowski in candlelight to signify the coming of the Light of the World. Both that Mass and the Day Mass were Solemn High Masses. We are in the midst of a boys' camp again, this time dedicated to Blessed Tansi and attended by about 30 boys. We made the trip to venerate Bl. Tansi's relics and pray the 15 decades of the Holy Rosary. The construction of the Church continued almost up to Christmas and has already resumed again. A few new pictures can be seen on the Construction page. The 2016 Harvest and Bazaar was a great success this year. It was well attended by the parishioners who were very generous with their donations of yams, plantains, buckets, a blender, bags of rice, some crucifixes, and a few other items. One pig and ten chickens, raised here at the Shrine, were consumed on the feast. A few pigs and a few rabbits were auctioned off. The event was closed with a pig chase. The people paid a nominal fee for the opportunity to catch and keep a pig. A young boy, about 15, successfully caught the pig with near expert form. Pictures can be seen also on the December tab of the pictures page.

December 15th

Construction of the Church continues throughout December with pictures available on the Construction of a Traditional Church page. The Medical Assistance page has also been updated with pictures of 2 boys whose eyes were bad. 1 has had his eye removed and replaced with a glass eye, while the other awaits surgery. We thank our benefactors whose funds allow us to assist these boys who otherwise would have been neglected. About 50 people made the 33 day Total Consecration to Our Lady according to the method of St. Louis de Monfort which concluded on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Following that, the St. Maria Goretti Guild, the young women of the parish, also made their own consecration to Our Lady. Currently, about 800 gallons of water are used each day, with most given to the people and the school children. In order to facilite the availability of water, we are installing a large water tower that will hold 2,800 gallons of water. We also want to thank our benefactors for making this great work possible. May you grow close to Our Lady during this Advent season, especially with a renewed devotion to the Holy Rosary.

November 30th

It has been a busy month of November. On November 30th, the Purgatorian Society concluded a month of prayers and Masses offered for the Holy Souls in Purgatory. On the same day, Fr. Timothy O'Brien restarted the Block Rosary Crusade which had fallen into disuse and had become all but extinct in Umuaka. It is a great devotion to Our Lady of Fatima and the Rosary widespread throughout Nigeria and the Philipines. The Church Construction continues along. The holes have been dug for the pillars, the forms are still being constructed, the stairs for the choirloft are being poured this week, and construction will continue full speed ahead. On Thanksgiving, the boys of the house, with a few other guests, and the two priests ate one of the turkeys that were raised here at the Shrine. It was a fantastic meal and a rare treat since turkey is very rare to eat here in Nigeria. Now in Advent, please keep the Construction of the Church in your prayers as we push forward these next few months. Remember that every Sunday here at the Shrine, the 7:00 am Mass is offered for the benefactors of Nne Enyemaka Ebebe Shrine.

November 3rd

Nne Enyemaka Ebebe Parish celebrated All Saints' day with a sung Mass, followed by Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament and the singing of the Litany of the Saints. Then, the youth of the parish had a party. A small pig and a large rabbit from the farm were served with rice and a can of malt. Chin-chin, a kind of cookie, was given as desert. About 40 or so youth participated by dressing up as the saint and telling the parish about the life of that saint. Many were unable to dress upbut still gave a talk about a saint. Many really tried to do very well, sacrificing much to be able to dress as their saint and to research the life of the saint to be able to speak about him or her. It was the first of its kind here and was wonderfully successful. Many adults who witness the presentations wished that they also might be able to dress up as a saint and give a presentation. The pictures of the saints are given here. Below is the picture for All Souls' Mass offered by Fr. O'Brien at the Cemetery of the Cathedral in Orlu.

October 31st

Work on the chapel has begun. The scaffolding has been set up and the rebar is being bent to lay a lintel around the outside wall. October devotions finished strong with about 150 faithful in attendance. On October 18th, the children prayed the rosary united with a million children around the world praying fo the Church in Need. A few new Confraternity members were enrolled at the Altar Rail on October 23rd.

On the Feast of Christ the King, Nne Enyemaka Ebebe parish went on a procession with the Divine Eucharistic King through the streets of Umuaka following a sung Mass. The three mile procession included various hymns to Our Lord and to Our Lady, 15 decades of the Rosary, the Litany of the Sacred Heart, and finished back at the Shrine with the Consecration of the Human Race to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In preparation for this great feast, the movie, "For Greater Glory" was shown to the faithful the previous week. St. Jose Sanchez del Rio, Pray for us. Viva Cristo Rey!

There were 7 who received their First Communion in the month of October. The St. Maria Goretti Girls picked flowers and the three young girls laid the flowers on the ground for Our Lord.

There are a few new pictures of the Christ the King Procession, of the Farm and of the Construction of the Church.

October 17th

Work on the Chapel will begin very soon as the dry season in approaching and the rain begins to fade. Please keep this in your prayers as we move forward with the Construction of a Traditional Church in Africa.

On the 99th anniversary of Our Lady of Fatima's Miracle of the Sun, Nne Enyemaka Ebebe Parish went on a Rosary Procession throughout the town of Umuaka. Many took part in the procession, and October Devotions have been well attended this year, with about 100 each day. On the evening of the 13th, following the procession, the film "Miracle of Fatima" was shown to the parishioners. One of whom said, "you are not a human person if that didn't move you." A group of active Carmelites visited the Shrine for the Feast of St. Teresa of Avila on October 15th. They stayed for a tour of the farm, collecting many flowers to bring back to their apostolate, and sharing a nice breakfast of homemade pumpkin bread. There have been 2 baptisms and 1 First Communion so far this month.

There are currently 6 boys, from 12-17 years old, staying at the house. They now go to school at the neighboring Catholic School, Sancta Maria, but receive Catechism here at the Shrine. They come from broken homes or from families that can't support them, and have a strong attraction to the Priesthood. They received pajamas for the first time as most simply sleep in the same dirty clothes they wore in the day. They assist the priests in the daily functions of the parish, serving Mass and benediction, caring for the Sacristy, and assisting with the turkeys, rabbits, chickens, and pigs. They live a very structured life here at the Shrine with idol time being a rarity. There are pictures for the month of October here.

October 5th

About 20 parishioners made a pilgrimage to visit the late bishop of Umuahia, his Lordship Anthony Gogo. He continued to offer the Traditional Latin Mass up to his death in the year 2000. (The FSSP arrived in Nigeria in 2001). It was probably the first time the TLM was offered there since that time. Not only was it First Saturday but also Our Lady Queen of Nigeria. 45 Decades of the Rosary were prayed while travelling to and from the pilgrimage. October Devotions have started and will continue until the end of the month. Each day, the 15 Mysteries of the Rosary, with the Litany of Loreto, are prayed in front of the Blessed Sacrament by the parish. Many of the faithful participate and help to spread this devotion to the Blessed Virgin. We were also very privileged to have a relic of St. Therese of the Child Jesus, which was venerated after the Mass on October 3^rd. On the farm, the pigs are giving birth again to another round of piglets. The rabbits are prospering and the chickens that will be ready for Christmas are being raised. Our peppers have run their course, but the eggplant is still in its prime. Many of our banana trees are producing now after a couple barren years. Below is a picture of the tomb of late bishop, His Lordship Anthony Gogo.

September 15th

We have had a new generator for the last few months thanks to our benefactors in England. The previous generators continually broke down despite numerous repairs. The generator provides enough power for the entire compound, including the pumping of water. A few parishioners have taken interest in rabbit raising. They have purchased a male and female from us and have begun to raise rabbits of their own. Our pigs are getting closer to giving another round of piglets which we expect in early October. We have also benefited from eggplant recently which was grown in our garden. During Fr. O'Brien's last trip to the United States, a parishioner donated many herbs and spices which have added greatly to the taste of the food. The parish just completed its Novena to Our Lady of Sorrows with a Sung Mass on Her day today. A couple of Nigerian priests visited for a week to increase their knowledge and devotion of the Traditional Latin Mass and the Traditional Catholic Faith.

This is the new generator in the background with the one it replaced in the foreground.

August 31st

Reverend Mr. Charles Ike, FSSP and Marty Adams, a seminarian at Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary in Nebraska, visited us here at the Shrine for one month. They arrived in mid-July and stayed through the feast of the Assumption of Our Lady. During their stay, we were able to have Solemn High Masses offered every Sunday and for the Feast of the Assumption. August 15th, is also the 8th anniversary of Nne Enyemaka being made a parish and the 15th anniversary of the return of the Traditional Latin Mass to Nigeria. Besides the boys camp, they spent time with the St. Maria Goretti Guild, Rev. Charles preached at many Masses, conferred the Sacrament of Baptism, and assisted with Catechism. Mr. Adams taught Catechism to the parish every Sunday, accompanied Fr. O'Brien on sick calls, and spent time teaching the school children how to make the Sign of the Cross.

For the Feast of the Assumption, the Fransiscan Sisters of the Immaculate visited and sang the Mass beautifully. One Sister made her vows after the Mass and many parishioners completed the 33 day total Consecration to Mary and made that consecration at the Altar rail. Later, a pig having been slaughtered, all partook in the feasting. It was a farewell to the Deacon and the seminarian as their month in Africa was coming to an end. Each group of the parish took turns saying goodbye and thank you in their own way. Songs were sung and a cake was eaten. It was a great way to honor Our Lady on the feast of her entrance into Heaven. Click here to see the photo album.

June 1st

On May 13th, in honor of the 99th anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima to the three children, Nne Enyemaka Ebebe Shrine, along with friends from all over Nigeria, made its annual Rosary Procession from Holy Rosary Parish in Orlu to Nne Enyemaka Ebebe Shrine in Umuaka. The 13 mile procession started early in the morning and finished in the afternoon with a Sung Mass. Click here for Pictures.

The total number of piglets in this first round of births came to 53. 38 have been weaned with 15 still to go. A new building for the pigs was completed to make room for the increase in population. Our corn and okra have sprung up very strong but that has made them tasty to the bugs. We have been applying sprays to control that. More baby rabbits are on the way. We would like to thank our benefactors who have contributed to the acquiring of a new generator. A large generator was bought to help with the building of the Church and so that it might be able to give enough voltage to sustain power to the whole facility once the construction is completed.

April 7th

On the Donation's Page, you will find the Associate Members of Nne Enyemaka Ebebe Parish, a new group designed to give the friends and benefactors of the Parish who are spread throughout the world a more formal attachment to the Parish. Three pigs gave birth this week to another 23 little piglets. 13 of 30 turkey eggs hatched and we have about 25 chickens laying eggs daily. We have 5 baby rabbits and more are expected soon. We are in the midst of planting season and so the farmland has been weeded, dug up, and planted with corn, okra, cucumber and watermelon. The Knights of the Altar have been doing most of the work with help from the St. Maria Goretti Guild and the Catholic Women's Organization (CWO). The peppers are still doing quite well and are being harvested. Many came and stayed at the Parish in the halls during Holy Week so that they might be able to attend all of the liturgy offered here, which included Tenebrae on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday and outdoor Stations of the Cross on Good Friday. Easter Vigil was in Candlelight the whole Mass and on Easter Sunday the Parish feasted on one of our pigs. It was quite a rare treat as pig meat is rarely eaten here.

March 23rd

On the Feast of St. Joseph, over 200 people processed from Nne Enyemaka Ebebe Parish to Holy Trinity Cathedral with many rosaries prayed, hymns sung, and confessions heard. The 20 km march began at 8:00 am and ended around 3:30 pm at the Induglenced doors of the Cathedral. Then, the first Traditional Latin Mass ever was offered by Fr. Angelo, FSSP. At the Cathedral, more than 50 children, who were in a class for First Communion, stopped their class and attended the unexpected Mass. It was the first time any of them had seen it before. Pictures can be seen on the Photos page, in the 2016 tab under the heading Procession to the Cathedral.

Palm Sunday began in the new church that is being constructed and the procession of palms made its way around the compound. Fr. Angelo and Fr. Timothy gaves a small parish mission on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday to help prepare for Holy Week. The boys' school has finished its second term, with the third to commence near the end of April. A few of the pigs have given birth, but still more are still pregnant. The peppers in the garden have been mildly successful and the taste is fantastic. The chickens are still laying only just over a dozen each day. May God grant you a grace filled Holy Triduum.

March 12th

The pigs have begun to give birth! As of today, we have 15 piglets from 2 sows. The flowers below, which are on our property, show some of the amazing natural beauty here in Nigeria. There are also some pictures of the outdoor Stations of the Cross. We have have a few rains now as the dry season seems to be coming to an end. Our turkeys needed a little shelter and it was the task of the Knights of the Altar to build it. With some bamboo and zinc, the task was tackled in a few short hours. There are over 11,000 blocks made for the Church Building now with only 1 more week of block making needed. The Parish is preparing to process to the Cathedral next Saturday for the Plenary Indulgence and to offer the FIRST Traditional Latin Mass in the Cathedral EVER! The bore-hole was blessed by Fr. O'Brien since the 380 feet of pipes had to pulled up to fix a couple of cracks in them. The water is flowing again.

There is a new website to help to promote all of the mission work that the Fraternity of St. Peter does. It is a wonderful new sites with many pictures and a lot of information about our work. You can visit it here: www.missiontradition.us

March 1st

Rabbits, rabbits and more rabbits! The Parish Farming Project has expanded to include the raising of rabbits. 1 female pig was sold last week, but the rest of the females are just about ready to give birth to little piglets. They each hae their own separate little pen now so that they down get violent as the time approaches. Almost 20 turkey eggs have been taken to the incubator, and the chickens have begun to lay eggs as well. They are not yet laying at full capacity, but hopefully soon they will. The Confraternity of St. Peter here in Nigeria held a day of prayer for the ordinati of the Fraternity at the seminaries in Wigratzbad, Germany and Denton, Nebraska. Charles Ike, a seminarian from Nigeria who spent a few years here at Nne Enyemaka, was ordained to the Subdeaconate and on March 12th, along with his 11 classmates, he will be raised up the the Deaconate. Nne Enyemaka is also preparing for a long procession to Holy Trinity Cathedral in Orlu for the Year of Mercy. His Lordship Bishop Augustine Ukwuama has given permission for the Traditional Latin Mass to be offered in the Cathedral. The Parish will process the 24 kilometers from Nne Enyemaka Ebebe Shrine to the Cathedral on Saturday, March 19th, the Feast of St. Joseph. The Diocese was made after the changes to the Mass, so this will be the first Traditional Latin Mass offered there.

Two of the pipes in our bore hole developed cracks, and so we pulled the 380 ft of pipe and pump out of the ground to fix it. The pump still works fine and a couple new pipes later, pure water is flowing again. This is quite important for the local community as many come to draw water from our tank and the children in the school next door come over to drink throughout the day.