Parishioners of St. Pius X Catholic Church Rosedale, New York and Nigerians living in the U.S., have celebrated the 30th anniversary of Rev. Fr. Micheal Ukah ordination as a Catholic Priest.
Ukah, a Professor of Philosophy and a lecturer at the Micheal Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia, is a visiting lecturer on Classics and African Thought in New York University.
In his homily at the Mass to celebrate the anniversary at the St Pius X Catholic Church, Rev. Fr Erasmus Okere, extolled the commitment and dedication of Ukah to priestly duties.
“I am proud of you that you are not only a professor of Philosophy, but you have also lived an authentic life as a priest and shared the authentic message of Christ in every home and clan, contact and connections, in season and out of season.
“St Francis of Assisi one day said to the friars, “if I met an angel and a priest walking together, I would salute the priest first and then the angel.
“This puzzled some of the friars, no doubt because they knew priests who were evidently not so holy as angels.
“So St. Francis explained: “I would salute the priest first because the angel, although so great, is only God’s servant, but the priest actually represents Jesus Christ,’’ he said.
According to him, the priest’s ordination confers on him the greatest glory of God Alter Christus in the Christian Community, through living a Christ-like life, preaching the Gospel, dispensing the sacraments.
He said a priest had the responsibility of shepherding the faithful to form a community of love, sharing and witnessing and offering his whole life as Christ did as a sacrifice for God and his people.
“To represent Christ on earth and dedicate one’s life like him to serving God and his people cannot be easier, because priesthood is a life-mission without intermission and a priest is expected to employ all his passions in the service of others and not spend his life in the service of his own passions.’’
(Middle) Rev. Fr Micheal Ukah with some Priests and Religious in the U.S. after 30th Priestly Anniversary Mass of Ukah at St. Pius X Catholic Church Rosedale, New York.
Okere , who is the Coordinator, Igbo Catholic Community, Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey, said a Priest’s work was varied, demanding, lonely and often hard.
“The priest’s life is often a humdrum and concerned with mundane affairs like raising money for the upkeep of the church.
“He is something of a General Practitioner (GP), expected to be a counsellor, friend, small business manager, spiritual director, preacher, parish politician, school governor, school teacher, youth club leader, registrar and employment referee.
“No task, however, secular or unusual, which builds up the Christian Community, is foreign to the priestly ministry.
“Hence, some days of a priest’s life could be full of tensions, and many priests at some stage or other during their ministry will be tempted to give up,’’ he said.
The priest said the love of Christ had been keeping priests going in their challenges, noting that a priest who loves Christ much shall trust him much and hence be able to suffer much.
“We thank God today for our brother, friend, priest, and family, Rev. Fr Prof. Micheal Ukah celebrating his 30th priestly Anniversary.
“We thank God for calling him to be his priest and in doing so, he has made him his messenger, a wind that is still blowing.
“We thank God for making him his minister, a flame of fire and that this fire of love is still burning brightly.
“We thank God for his consistent aid given all these years to Fr. Mich to walk perseveringly on the path of vocation which God chose to give him.
“We thank God that though he has so immersed himself in the work of the Lord and has never neglected the Lord of the work,’’ the priest said.
(Middle) Rev. Fr Micheal Ukah supported by friends to cut a cake at his 30th Priestly Anniversary Reception at St. Pius X Catholic Church Rosedale, New York.
Okere said that with a unique blend of a charming personality, the priest had touched people and leave marvelous imprints.
He said the magical investment of his energies into new visions had brought blessings, hope to farthest horizons, describing him as a trailblazer who brought the torch that was shown on others.
“As a people’s person, you have given time, talent, and treasures to bond friendships, found religious, academic and community groups, bringing unimagined corporate growth and progress.
“You have committed to serving the Church and the people of God at no charge,’’ he said.
Ukah, at the completion of his seminary training in 1993 was ordained a priest in the Catholic Diocese of Umuahia by the then bishop Lucius Ugorji, now the Archbishop of Owerri metropolitan.
He is a part time lecturer at the regional Seminary, Seat of Wisdom Major Seminary, Ariam Umuahia campus and was the Chaplain at the St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Chaplaincy, Micheal Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike for 27 years.
The priest is a member of the university senate; a member of the diocesan tribunal. former Chairman of Abia State Pilgrim’s welfare board, former Administrator of Holy Trinity parish Umudike.
Ukah is also a member of Nigeria Philosophical Association and a member of National Association of Nigerian languages.
