On the 22nd of April, the diocese of Uromi had the 2017 edition of her annual pilgrimage to the Divine Mercy Shrine at Usugbenu, Irrua.
The programme began as early as 8:00 am with the exposition of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and the administration of the sacrament of reconciliation by all priests present. As the confession went on, the 20 decades of the Rosary, accompanied with intentions and hymns, were recited. After the recitation of the Holy Rosary, a brief reflection titled “The Mercy of God” was given by Rev. Fr. Leonard Elomien.
In his reflection, he said the mercy of God is abundant and open to all. Hence, we all are invited to tap from this mercy of God and become agents of the same mercy we have received by practicing both the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. After the reflection and the blessing and reposition of the Blessed Sacrament, all went in procession round the pilgrimage ground for the Stations of the Cross in the joy of the Easter.
At exactly 12:00 noon, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass presided over by the local ordinary, Most Rev. Dr. Donatus Ogun, began. In his welcome address, the Dean of Irrua Deanery, Very Rev. Fr. Peter Ali, welcomed his lordship and all who were present to the pilgrimage ground. He then prayed that the mercy of God would come to the rescue of our Nigerian situation. The bishop in his opening remark said our presence at the pilgrimage ground was to give thanks to God for his wondrous work of the
redemption of mankind. He therefore urged all to be agents of the mercy we have received from God.
The first and second readings of the day were from the Acts of the Apostles 4:32-35 and 1 John 5:1-6 respectively. The Gospel which was proclaimed by one of the newly ordained deacons, Rev. Emmanuel Usuogu, was from John 20:19-31.
The homilist of the day, Rev. Fr. Peter Ebalunegbeifoh, started by saying that divine mercy is the celebration of God’s love for us. The resurrected Jesus is the merciful Jesus and he is the reason for our coming together. Just as Jesus came into the midst of the apostles even when the doors were locked, as given in the Gospel of the day, so also is he always with us. His presence brings us peace and joy. Unlike the doubting Thomas, we must move beyond the level of seeking miracles to believe. We should rather seek God’s boundless mercy and in turn, dispense it to others.
A special point of the celebration of the Mass was the general thanksgiving in which all came forward singing and dancing with gifts up to the altar. After this was the consecration by the bishop of some of the members of the congregation as special devotees of Divine Mercy.
The Diocesan Chancellor, Rev. Fr. Hillary Odenore, came forward to give the vote of thanks in which he thanked the bishop, the Diocesan Divine Mercy Devotion chaplains, the liturgical committee, all present and all who worked for the success of the 2017 Divine Mercy Pilgrimage. Thereafter, at about the hour of 3 pm, all prayed the chaplet of divine mercy on their knees and the Divine Mercy Pilgrimage came to its terminus with the final blessing of the bishop.
By Staff Reporter
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