NIGERIA, Paulinus Ekpunobi. The preparation for the great 18th has come and gone. People from various ethnic groups, cultural background and languages gathered around the Victory shrine to celebrate the centenary and a decade of the covenant of love and Victory Shrine respectively. It is the first of its kind in the history of Schoenstatt in Nigeria to be favoured with a double celebration. The celebration was not only limited to Nigeria but to the entire West Africa since it is the first and only Schoenstatt shrine in West Africa. Indeed it is an event worth celebrating; our dearest Mother has pitched her tent in our land. This is more than the visit of Mary to Saint Elizabeth because we don’t expect her departure. The Lord has done great things for us and it is marvellous in our eyes.
Nigeria has been under great torture, tumult, hunger, corruption, insurgency and all sorts of national virus breaking the firewall of our national unity and peace. But we can say with certainty that over the past decade we have experienced a transcendent help and liberation. Not that corruption has stilled but the culprits always find themselves behind bars. It is no longer news that two great war lords attacking the inner fabrics of Nigeria – Ebola and Boko Haram – are somehow under house arrest. Only a proud ignoramus can say we were able to conquer these war lords on our own physical manpower. Our Mother has always been there all the while.
On these days (October 17th -19th) the Schoenstatt Family in Nigeria celebrates a dual celebration. We celebrate a decade of the dedication of the Schoenstatt Victory Shrine in Ibadan and also the centenary celebration of the Covenant of Love with the Schoenstatt Family worldwide. This is indeed a great day the Lord has made and we shall rejoice and be glad in it (Psalm 118: 24). The Lord has done great things for us and it is marvellous in our sight (Psalm126:3) Nigeria has escaped like a bird from the fowler’s snare (Psalm 124: 7)
Over the years, Nigeria has groaned in pains, yearning for a need too deep to express. It was in this bitter agony that she passed through huddles. She was ravaged by war barely two years after she became a republic. She has to face the death and devastation of her children at a very tender age of seven. As if this was not enough, she was inflicted with a chronic disease of tribalism, nepotism, insecurity, treachery, insurgency, corruption, crimes, theft and vandalism.
Boko Haram, Ebola …
She was struggling to manage these predicaments when a thunder storm struck her. It was a latent war, too strong and causes excruciating pain into the deepest fabric of Nigeria firewall. It was the Boko Haram insurgency. We do not need to mention other insurgency like the Niger-delta militancy, oil theft and bunker which affected most average Nigerians. These were nonetheless minor compared to the Boko Haram insurgency. The profile of this sect is not necessary in this particular write-up.
Sadly funny enough, Nigeria was still battling with this insurgency not knowing that the major general was on his way. It was a deadly virus- EBOLA. This particular horror would have wiped Nigerians off the face of the mother Earth. It nearly did. It was almost done. It actually wanted to happen. But nearly, they say, cannot kill a bird. So many Nigerians, even some religious leaders are yet to demystify the mystery of the conquest over Ebola. Is it not obvious? Our Mother is at work again! We Schoenstatters know the drama going on. We know this because we attended the great banquet prepared by Wisdom herself (Prov. 9:1).
It was in the midst of all these problems that our Mother accepted to pitch and erect her citadel – the Schoenstatt Shrine – in Nigeria. Like John Pozzobon of blessed memory will say; “she is the great missionary, she works wonders.” She started working tremendous miracles for Nigeria. We cannot go through the chronology of these miracles; even if we try to do so, we will need all the inks in the world to write them.
Victory Shrine
The Shrine of our Mother in Ibadan is called the Victory Shrine. This is not just a name given out of pleasure, rather it goes down into the history of the Shrine and Schoenstatt in Nigeria. We have fought lots of battles and were able to conquer because of our Mother’s intercessions. She is our Queen and Victress. Today we gathered to celebrate this victory won for us by our Mother. It has been a great decade of of liberation, education, transformation, conquest and love. Nigeria is in great labour to express her gratitude, oh Mother! It is with this expectation, enthusiasm, passion, zeal and gratitude that we came to dive into the stream of jubilation with the rest of the Schoenstatt world to say! Sing! Chant! Shout! Cry! Echo! Voice! Proclaim! Acclaim! Announce! Exclaim! Scream! Holler! Squall! Yell! Bawl! Wail and hail –
AVE MARIA, gratia plena, Dominus tecum. Benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesus. Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc, et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.
