September 22, 2022 was a memorable day in the history of the Daughters of the Holy Spirit in the Vice-Province of Nigeria. On this day, we were officially welcomed into the Archdiocese of Ibadan by His Grace, Archbishop Gabriel ABEGUNRIN of the Metropolitan See of Ibadan and we also witnessed the laying of the foundation stone of the Novitiate in Iddo, Ibadan.
It was a great ceremony attended by a large number of priests, religious men and women, as well as the lay faithful. The parish priest of St. Anne’s Iddo joyfully welcomed all those who joined the ceremony and prayed that God would make the mission of the Daughters of the Holy Spirit fruitful as they took the next step in extending their presence to spread the Good News through their witness.
In his address, the Archbishop thanked God for increasing the number of congregations in the Archdiocese. He particularly commended us for our zeal to always respond to the pastoral and spiritual needs of God’s people wherever we are. He encouraged us to continue our work and prayed to God to grant us his special grace so that we may continue to be true witnesses of his Name.
At the end of the ceremony, Sister Anthonia AYENI, the Vice Provincial expressed, on behalf of all the Sisters, her sincere gratitude to God for the realisation of this long-standing dream through the approval of His servant, Archbishop Gabriel ABEGUNRIN, for his acceptance of the Congregation in the Archdiocese of Ibadan and for laying the foundation stone of the Novitiate. Sister Anthonia described this gesture as a very important event in the life of the congregation and in the history of the Vice-Province of Nigeria. She also thanked the Parish Priest of St. Anne’s Iddo, Rev. Fr. Emmanuel AJEWOLE, the parishioners, all the priests, religious men and women, all the friends who attended the event. She prayed to the Almighty God to bless them and keep them in His love.
