Fr. Dr. Okhueleigbe Osemhantie Ãmos
The directive of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria on Mother’s Day is not a casual administrative decision. It is a carefully reasoned pastoral act, rooted in liturgy, theology, and the lived experience of the Church in Nigeria.
The established practice is clear. Mother’s Day is celebrated on the Sunday immediately following the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord. This is not arbitrary. It flows from a deep theological conviction that motherhood finds its highest meaning in the mystery of the Incarnation. At the Annunciation, a woman listened, discerned, consented, and carried God within her. That moment defines Christian motherhood more than any cultural expression ever could.
However, the Church is never careless with her seasons. In 2026, the Sunday after the Annunciation fell on Palm Sunday, a day already dense with meaning and marked by the Passion. The following Sundays were Easter and Divine Mercy Sunday, each carrying its own liturgical weight and integrity. For this reason, the bishops directed that Mother’s Day be observed on April 19, the Third Sunday of Easter, so that the celebration would not compete with the central mysteries of salvation.
That single decision reveals several layers of wisdom.
First, it shows that the Church protects hierarchy in worship. Not every good thing is celebrated at any time. There is order. There is priority. The Passion, Resurrection, and Divine Mercy cannot be overshadowed, not even by something as noble as motherhood.
Second, it shows that Mother’s Day in the Church is not merely social. It is liturgical. It must sit properly within the rhythm of salvation history.
Third, it reveals that the Church in Nigeria values uniformity. The celebration is not left to individual parishes to improvise. It is observed across the nation in one voice, one day, one spirit.
When one looks deeper, the rationale for the celebration becomes even richer.
Mother’s Day in the Church is a day of recognition, but not a shallow one. It is a recognition of hidden labour. Mothers are the first teachers of faith. Before the catechist, before the priest, before the classroom, there is the mother who teaches a child how to pray, how to speak truth, how to endure suffering, how to forgive. Many vocations to priesthood and religious life begin quietly at the knees of a praying mother.
It is also a day of moral reminder. The Church does not only praise mothers; she challenges them. Nigerian bishops have repeatedly urged mothers to be “models to their children in virtue.” That is a serious demand. It means motherhood is not only about care but about example. It is not only about provision but about formation.
It is a day of encouragement in hardship. In Nigeria today, motherhood is often lived under pressure. Economic instability, rising cost of living, insecurity, migration, and social change all weigh heavily on families. Yet mothers continue to hold homes together. In many cases, they are the emotional center, the moral compass, and sometimes even the economic backbone of the household. Mother’s Day becomes a moment where the Church publicly acknowledges this burden and strengthens them to continue.
It is also a day of ecclesial visibility. The Catholic Women Organisation, present in nearly every parish, becomes the visible face of this celebration. Their presence is not ornamental. They organize, animate, sing, lead, and often sustain parish life in ways that are rarely documented but deeply felt.
Liturgically, several details give the day its texture.
Mothers often take over key ministries at Mass. They proclaim the readings, lead intercessions, animate the choir, and organize offertory processions that reflect both culture and faith. In some places, the offertory includes farm produce, cooked food, or symbolic items that represent the daily sacrifices of women. These are not theatrics. They are theology expressed through culture.
Special prayers are often said for mothers. Blessings are invoked upon pregnant women, widows, and those seeking the gift of children. In some parishes, mothers are invited forward for a collective prayer, reminding the community that they are not alone.
There are also pastoral extensions beyond the Mass.
Some parishes organize visits to hospitals and orphanages. Others arrange talks on maternal health, family life, and moral upbringing in a digital age. In a few places, there are quiet reconciliations where strained relationships between mothers and children are healed. These are not always publicized, but they are among the most powerful fruits of the celebration.
Socially, the celebration becomes a festival of belonging. There is music, dance, shared meals, and joyful interaction. Children perform dramas. Fathers sometimes take supportive roles, acknowledging publicly what is often privately assumed. The atmosphere becomes one of gratitude rather than routine obligation.
There is also a strong culture of inclusion. Gifts are not reserved only for married women. Widows, single mothers, elderly women, and even those who express motherhood through caregiving are recognized. This reflects a deeper understanding that motherhood is not only biological but relational and spiritual.
At the heart of everything stands the figure of the Virgin Mary. She is not simply honoured as an example. She is the measure. Her silence at Nazareth, her strength at Calvary, her fidelity in uncertainty, and her endurance in suffering define what Christian motherhood looks like. The Church does not invent a new model each year. She returns always to Mary.
Yet, despite all this richness, a distortion has quietly entered the celebration in some places.
Mother’s Day is gradually being turned into a fundraising platform. Appeals are made. Projects are announced. Collections are emphasized. What should be a day of honour becomes, in some instances, a day of financial pressure.
This is a mistake.
The logic of Mother’s Day is gratitude, not extraction. It is recognition, not demand. When fundraising is introduced, the focus shifts. The poor begin to withdraw. The atmosphere changes. The day loses its innocence.
There are many days in the Church calendar suitable for fundraising. Mother’s Day is not one of them.
If anything, it should be the reverse. It should be a day when the Church gives to mothers, not asks from them. A day when even the poorest woman feels honoured without being measured by what she can contribute.
At the end, Mother’s Day in the Church is not just a date. It is a statement, it is not a Nigerian thing but a global event
+It says that motherhood is sacred.
+It says that hidden sacrifices matter.
+It says that the home is the first school of humanity.
+It says that women are central, not peripheral, to the life of the Church.
+It says that gratitude must be expressed, not assumed.
+It says that faith is first learned in the family.
It says that love, when lived daily and quietly, is one of the greatest forces on earth.
And perhaps most importantly, it says that the Church remembers. Let us celebrate our mothers, alive or transited.
Fr. Dr. Okhueleigbe Osemhantie Ãmos is a Catholic Priest and a Lecturer at CIWA, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
Comments are closed.