ABOUT NACC

History of National Association of Catholic Corps members

The National Association of Catholic Corps Members (NACC) was formed in 1982 by Late Archbishop of Jos Archdiocese. Most Rev. Dr. Gabriel Gonsum Ganaka. His vision, mission and drive for forming the association came out of the need he perceived then, of forestalling the danger of young Catholic corps members losing their bearing and faith, to either uttermost perdition or straying into non-Catholic fellowships, during their service year in the NYSC

To meet this need the association started in Jos and gradually spread to other state of the federation, including Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, where the association exist at the state and zonal and even diocesan level. Right from inception the founder, Archbishop G G Ganaka donated a piece of land for the building of its national secretariat in Jos, the Plateau State Capital. The foundation stone laying ceremony of this secretariat building was laid by the present Archbishop of Jos. Archbishop Ignatius Ayau kaigama in the year 2003, and the building is still under construction.

With marked growth and steady development if association in the various states of the Federation, the association came to be given juridical status in the Nigeria Church by the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria in 2008, and then given its first National Chaplain in the person of Rev. Fr. Celsus Daklong of the Catholic Diocese of Shanderm.

NACC has been touching and inspiring the lives of corps members, as well as their host Parish Communities. It is growing evermore vibrant and new functions at provincial level, and since the past five years it has been blessed

successful what a National Patrons, as well as grand Patrons. It looks forward to the future with great hope and courage to continue to facilitate the making of young Catholic Members in the faith

CATHOLIC BISHOPS CONFERENCE OF NIGERIA, COMMUNIQUE: A CALL TO TRUE CONVERSION OF HEART

A Communiqué at the End of the Second Plenary Meeting of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference

of Nigeria (CBCN) at the Pastoral Centre, Igwuruta, Port Harcourt, Rivers

State, September 10-18, 2015.

1. PREAMBLE

We, the Catholic Bishops of Nigeria, held our Second Plenary Meeting of the year at the Pastoral

Centre, Igwuruta, Port Harcourt Rivers State from September 10 to 18, 2015. Having prayerfully reflected on the issues affecting the Church and our country, we now present our Communiqué.

2. EVENTS IN THE CHURCH

We thank God for his infinite mercies and for the many blessings he has continued to shower on the Church, Family of God, in Nigeria. On the 28March, 2015, the resignation of Most Rev. Athanasius Usuh as Bishop of Makurdi was announced. In accordance with Canon Law, the Coadjutor Bishop, Most Rev. Wilfred Chikpa Anagbe CMF, has already taken canonical possession as the fourth Bishop of Makurdi Diocese. Most Rev. Denis Chidi Isizoh has been ordained as the Auxiliary Bishop of Onitsha Archdiocese. We joyfully unite with Archbishop Joseph Ukpo who marked his sacerdotal Golden Jubilee, with Most Rev. Lucius Ugorji who celebrated his Episcopal Silver Jubilee. With deep

sorrow but with strong faith in the resurrection, we pray for the repose of the soul of Bishop Malachi Goltok of Bauchi diocese, who passed on after our First Plenary. The

Veritas University of Nigeria, Abuja (the Catholic

University of Nigeria), has been granted full operational license by the Nigeria Universities

Commission.

3. THE ENCYCLICAL LETTER OF POPE FRANCIS, LAUDATO SI

We welcome the recent Encyclical Letter Laudato Si’, on care for our Common Home issued by His Holiness Pope Francis on 8 June 2015,followed by the announcement, that the “World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation” be henceforth celebrated annually in the Church on 1 September. The changes we have noticed in our climate are affecting everyone. Locally, the degradation of our environment is worsened by such collective bad habits as littering everywhere with plastic sachets and bottles, loss of tropical forests, lack of proper disposal of waste and a contemporary throwaway culture. The ecological crisis that we experience today summons nations, international communities, Christians, Muslims, people of other religions, local communities, families, individuals, all persons of good will not only to the responsibility of justice but also to a profound spiritual and ecological conversion: from consumerism to sacrifice; from greed to generosity; and from wastefulness to sharing (Laudato Si’, 216, 156 and 159).

4. THE EXTRAORDINARY JUBILEE OF MERCY

His Holiness Pope Francis has also announced the celebration of the Jubilee Year of Mercy,

which will begin on 8 December 2015, to coincide with fiftieth anniversary of the closing of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council and the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. We hope to see in our nation, from our leaders, in our communities, churches, mos

ques, interpersonal relationships, businesses, practical demonstrations of mercy and compassion. Through the grace of this celebration, may the poor find fulfilment and comfort; may the wounded be healed, the destitute and migrants find shelter, love, care

, rehabilitation, and hope. We pray that the broken-hearted may experience love, forgiveness, healing and mercy. We also hope that during this Year of Mercy the voiceless may be heard, those discriminated against may find true acceptance, those

deprived and exploited experience justice, the marginalized find strength, the sick healing, and those unjustly detained given freedom.

5. MARRIAGE, FAMILY AND HUMAN SOCIETY

After our First Plenary meeting from 20 to 26February, 2015 in Abuja, we issued a Communiqué entitled “Good Families Make Good Nations”. As we look forward to the celebration of the World Day of the Family in Philadelphia from 20 to 27September, 2015 and the General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops in Rome in October this year, we re-affirm the validity of the family as a divinely instituted community of persons made up of a man and a woman who are open to life in love, together with their children and relatives. We commend His Holiness Pope Francis for the Motu Proprio,Mitis Iudex Dominus Iesus (Jesus Christ, the meek Judge) aimed at accelerating the process for the declaration of the nullity of marriage. We pledge to use this new process for the pastoral and spiritual benefit of our people. We observe with deep concern the rise of the orientation towards homosexuality and lesbianism as well as bisexual and transgender activism in many parts of the world (perhaps not excluding our own). We re-

iterate our unreserved condemnation of all acts of homosexuality as sinful and opposed to the natural law of creation. We call on our government to continue to resist the

attempt by some external governments and agencies to impose an acceptance of same-sex

unions. Nevertheless, we maintain that persons with these orientations should be assisted

pastorally, spiritually and psychologically, with respect for their dignity as human persons

created in the image and likeness of God.

6. YOUTH CHALLENGES AND PRIESTLY MINISTRY

We acknowledge the contemporary challenges that confront our nation especially the teaming youth population. These pose problems to priests in the exercise of their ministry. We encourage priests who work in very difficult situations to draw strength from the cross of Jesus. We the Catholic Bishops of Nigeria are resolved not only to assure priests of their paternal solidarity, but also to encourage them to be united in the intimate sacramental priesthood they share, be diligent in their duties and seek for holiness of life. Priests should love their Church as Christ does. This era more than ever requires that priests be modest and honest. The Youth are crucial agents of transformation that require our sincere pastoral concern. We note however the many challenges confronting the youth in their lives especially in the practice of the Christian faith. We invite the young people to be courageous and proud of their faith and while investing in the life of the Church seek the truth of the gospel in which lies freedom.

10. CALL TO PRAYER AND CONCLUSION

As Christians we rely on God to make our efforts towards the emergence of a new Nigeria bear the desired fruit. At very difficult moments of our history, we, the Catholic Bishops of Nigeria, have called on all to pray. In many respects, it can be said that our Nation is today at the crossroads. Although the general elections were peaceful, our problems are far from over. We therefore feel the need to renew our call to prayer. In addition to the prayers already being said for the Nation, we ask individuals, families and Parishes to intensify their prayer for a period of six months, beginning from the month of October and according to the following programme:

a) Family Rosary – Every Saturday evening;

b) Rosary and one hour Eucharistic Adoration in Parishes–Last Sunday of the month

(between 3.00 pm and 6.00 pm).

The Family Rosary and the Eucharistic Adoration should always end with either the Prayer

against Bribery and Corruption or the Prayer for Nigeria in Distress.

This six-month prayer programme is expected to end on 4 April 2016, the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord. We, the Catholic Bishops of Nigeria re-echo in our hearts the very first words of Jesus as he began his public ministry: “The Kingdom is of God is at hand repent and believe in the Gospel ”(Mark 1:15). We therefore invite all Christian faithful and citizens of this country to a true conversion of heart.

May our Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Mercy continue to intercede for us to attain true

conversion of heart and thus continue to grow in wisdom and insight which come from Christ Jesus the Lord.

Most Rev. Ignatius Ayau KAIGAMA

Archbishop of Jos, President, CBCN

Most Rev. William AVENYA

Bishop, Catholic Diocese of Gboko, Secretary, CBCN