By Vivian Onyebukwa
Most Rev Dr Alfred Adewale Martins, Archbishop of Lagos, will on Saturday, June 18th lead a team of Bishops to Lagos for the unveiling of Logo and Mascot of the Order of the Knights of Saint Mulumba Nigeria. This is part of a one year bouquet of activities geared at celebrating KSM’s platinum jubilee (70th) anniversary.
The Bishops include Most Rev Dr Mathew Hassan Kukah, Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Catholic Bishop of Abeokuta Diocese, Most Rev. Dr. Peter Olukayode Odetoyinbo, and his Ijebu Ode counterpart, Most Rev Francis Obafemi Adesina.
The unveiling, which will hold at St Leo Catholic Church, Toyin Street, Ikeja, Lagos will be preceded by a Holy Mass to be celebrated by Most Rev. Dr. Alfred Adewale Martins. Afterwards, Bishop Kukah, will deliver a lecture at the session.
Other activities to mark the anniversary is, planting of anniversary tree at Illah Monastery, Delta State, KSM platinum documentary, special press conference, thanksgiving mass, anniversary lecture, Jubilee luncheon, raffle draw and a host of others. The series of activities will hold consecutively in the nine Metropolitan Councils of the Order between June 2022 and June 2023.
The theme of the event is, “70 Years of KSM In Nigeria: Reappraising The Past, Redefining The Present, Redefining The Future”.
In a press conference addressed by the Supreme Knight, Dr Charles Mbelede, in Lagos to unveil the activities, he said “The theme reflects on before, now, and where we will be in future”, adding that the Order of the Knights of Saints Mulumba, Nigeria is a renowned group of Catholic Church faithful, founded in 1953, whose core value is to do charity. Our members comprises people of high calibre. We use this to make the most of life and we have carried out a lot of projects which include, Albert the Great Hospital, Abeokuta, Saint Mulumba School, Nsukka for boys, Chapel of Kirikiri minimum prison, and rehabilitation of some of the secondary schools, among others”.
However, he regretted that some of the members in banks, and other organisations, lost their jobs during recession and COVID-19 pandemic, and therefore can’t donate to projects.
The Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, Daniel Egwu, explained that the epochal nature of the platinum jubilee instructed the need for a year-long celebration. “We are here to thank God. The next centennial celebration is in the next 30 years. Some of us may not be alive to witness it”.
President of the Ladies of Saint Mulumba, Meg Anozia who was represented at the briefing by Zita Eke, used the opportunity to explain some of the projects also carried out by Ladies of Saint Mulumba. They include, Women and Youths Empowerment Centre, Owerri (WAYECO), and Health Centre at Chikun, Kaduna. They have also been able to build more than 30 houses for widows irrespective of their religion, Mulumba Girls Catholic Church Benin, and are involved in training of Rev Sisters, among others.