After ten years of priestly life, an African priest shares his experience in ministry and youth formation. In the seminary in Ibadan, Nigeria, he faced challenges, guided by the guidelines established by the Church, but also by the Guanellian ideal.
by Father Anthony N. Azubuike
QThis year, I reached the tenth anniversary of my priestly ordination, and I commemorated this anniversary together with the Guanellian priests with whom I walked the stages of formation in the African Vice-Province of "Our Lady of Hope." It is an occasion that invites us to celebrate the love and faithfulness the Lord has shown me and my companions. If I were to summarize the journey of these years, I would not hesitate to say that they have been years in which the Lord has been faithful to his promises.
In addition to the feelings of gratitude to God and to our brothers who have helped us grow, this occasion of thanksgiving is also a propitious opportunity to rediscover the convictions that have sustained us along the way. Since we are also in the Holy Year, this coincidence gives us an even more compelling reason to be brothers and fathers to those Divine Providence has placed in our path. Over these ten years, we have learned to exercise our ministry by being "strong and gentle." We need to be "strong," not because we feel enriched by our human qualities (which are important in our ministry), but rather "strong" internally and spiritually, through the divine grace that works in us and through us.
After these years of experience, growth, and commitment, I have discovered more deeply that the priesthood is a precious gift, but also a great responsibility. We must always be aware of the gift we have received, without ever neglecting the responsibilities that come with it.
Looking back on these ten years, which have passed so quickly, I can say that the experience has led me to rediscover my vocation within the vocations of others. Indeed, my superiors directed me to exercise the Guanellian mission of accompanying the vocational journey of young people aspiring to religious life among the Servants of Charity. And since education is undoubtedly an act of charity, I feel I have fulfilled my vocation.
Saint Luigi Guanella wrote to his first followers: "The whole world is your homeland." I have spent these ten years of priesthood traveling throughout the Guanellian world. After my priestly ordination in Nigeria in 2015, I immediately left for the Democratic Republic of Congo to accompany Guanellian seminarians in that country and simultaneously work at a center for street children. In 2019, I was asked to move to Rome to serve as vice-rector of the Monsignor Bacciarini Seminary, the major seminary of the Opera Don Guanella. My stay in Rome was invaluable for me, both for deepening my understanding of Guanellian life, but also for practicing as a formator and continuing my studies toward a specialization. After completing my time in Rome, I received a new appointment and returned to Nigeria, after ten years of mission outside my country.
Nigeria, with a population of nearly 230 million, mostly young people, is facing social, educational, and even religious difficulties and crises. In particular, there is serious persecution of Christians, both priests and faithful. There is a climate of great insecurity, especially in the north of the country. Faced with this painful situation, I am reminded of the words of Saint Luigi Guanella: "We cannot stop as long as there are poor to provide for."
I was appointed formator at the Guanellian seminary in Ibadan, a city in southwestern Nigeria with a population of one and a half million, in an area where the Guanellian charism and spirituality speak to the human heart. Indeed, in a context like Ibadan, many people need to feel loved by God and their brothers and sisters.
The House of Formation in Ibadan hosts Guanellian seminarians from five different countries: Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Togo, Kenya, and Tanzania. Some are already religious, others are preparing through study and are divided into two cycles: Philosophy and Theology. It is also a formation community that manages a center for sixty children with disabilities. Finally, to complete the Ibadan program, there is also a secondary school with two hundred students. As you can see, it is a large and demanding institution, requiring considerable work to thrive.
Accompanying the young men in formation is a team of instructors, as well as several staff members, and there is also the opportunity to volunteer. It is a truly large community, whose primary mission is to help young Guanellians discern, grow, and mature in their response to Christ's call to become Servants of Charity. Since accompanying means "walking together" with the aim of educating and fostering true values, it is essential that we, the instructors, be present and walk together. Therefore, I too participate in all the seminary activities through which the seminarians are trained to become Servants of Charity.
The formation of future religious and priests must take into account the integral growth of the person, who requires human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral formation. The guidelines set forth in John Paul II's document are followed. Pastores dabo vobis of 1992, which find their complete implementation in the System of Formation of the Servants of Charity. We have a clear goal: to prepare "good" Servants of Charity, who enjoy good physical and mental health, capable of evangelizing with charity and instilling hope in the hearts of the poor, who are God's beloved.