The Transition to Ministry and Apostolic Community was held in the Redemptorist Renewal and Spirituality Centre, Ibadan, Oyo State, from the 4th to the 7th of February 2025. Altogether, 14 confreres were ordained between 2019 and 2024, and 4 confreres were present who facilitated the program. It was a moment of sharing, learning, and interaction for the confreres, especially concerning their priestly ministry and apostolic community living. It was a time of grace as the brothers shared their experiences, the transition from formation to apostolic community, and how formation prepared them for the ministry. It was a time to share their graced moments and their struggles. It was a time of prayer, reflection, bonding and encouraging one another.
On arrival, Tuesday evening, February 4, the brothers were welcomed by Very Rev. Fr. Noel Eshikena, CSsR, Vice Provincial Vicar, the program coordinator, being one of the facilitators. He prepared the participants for the program. Also present were other facilitators: Rev. Frs. Jude Anyaegbu, CSsR, Godfrey Udeh, CSsR, and Raphael Koleade, CSsR. Each day opened with Mass combined with lauds. Recreation, rest, facilitations, interventions, group work, sharing and vespers were included in the daily programs.
Day One: On Wednesday the 5th, the morning session was facilitated by Prof. Isaac Ukpokolo, an Oblate Redemptorist, with the topic “GOOD FOLLOWERSHIP AS A MEANS TO GOOD LEADERSHIP.” During his amazing presentation, he highlighted some of the misconceptions about Followership: Leadership is the goal of Followership, Followership is for the weak, Followership has no authority… He presented some misconceptions about Leadership: Leaders are superior to Followers, and Hierarchy is fundamentally inhibiting. He stressed that the aim of evangelical leadership is to work for the good of the group in fidelity to the Gospel values as enshrined in the Constitutions of the Group. He insisted that Leadership is a matter of function while Followership is an identity, underscoring that while Leadership is tenured and for function, every Christian is a Follower of Christ.
After the presentation, the brother-participants had group discussions on their experiences in the light of the presentation and the dimensions of formation. There was time for feedback after the group discussions. During the evening session, the brothers shared their experiences in the ministry. It was an enriching moment as brothers shared what it has been like serving God as Catholic Redemptorist Priests in the Church. After the sharing, questions were asked, and the facilitators and brothers made inputs.
Day two: Rev. Fr. Dr. Godfrey Udeh, CSsR, presented “THE IMPACT OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE ON PASTORAL EFFECTIVENESS.” He clarified that each person has emotions such as anger, anxiety, fear, joy, love, sadness, etc., which in themselves have no moral value. He defined emotional intelligence as the ability to understand one’s emotions and the emotions of others and relate to them based on one’s understanding of their emotions. He added that those with high emotional intelligence are open-minded, are good listeners, apologize when they are wrong, and also handle criticism without denial, blame, and excuses. Lack of self-awareness and empathy, lashing out at others, and never taking responsibility for actions are indications of low emotional intelligence. He listed the four domains of Emotional Intelligence: Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness and Relationship Management. He concluded that Emotional Intelligence is a key factor in an individual’s ability to be pastorally and socially effective and a key apparatus for fostering mental health, psychological well-being, and work ethics. This was followed by group discussions and sharing on enhancing the emotional economy in our communities.
The evening session started with a presentation on “CO-DEPENDENCY AND PASTORAL MINISTRY” by Rev. Fr. Jude Anyaegbu, CSsR. The presentation centered on the need to know the meaning of co-dependency and its negative impact, identify when and where it occurs, and create a healthy environment for growth and maturity. He described Co-Dependency as excessive emotional and psychological dependence on an individual to the point of losing one’s identity, individuality, and uniqueness. He described it as a psychological disorder that needs to be identified and dealt with. After the presentation, there were group sharing and reports by the different groups. The evening session concluded with group sharing.
After the vespers, there was a celebration of the brothers, with the cutting of anniversary cakes for the different classes and their contributions. We also celebrated the 50th birthday of Rev. Fr. Ifeanyi Chukwudike, CSsR. The program ended with the celebration of the Holy Mass the next day, after which the brothers returned to their respective communities. It was a beautiful moment of learning, sharing, and brotherhood.
Fr. Peter Onyeno, CSsR.
