THIS IS MY WELCOME ADDRESS ON THE OCCASION OF THE EPISCOPAL GALA NIGHT RECEPTION OF MY DEAR BISHOPS IN MY COUNTRY HOME NNEWI MEANT TO RECEIVE AND WELCOME THE CATHOLIC BISHOPS OF NIGERIA ON THEIR VISIT TO NNEWI TO ATTEND THE FORMAL COMMISSIONING OF OUR LADY OF ASSUMPTION CATHOLIC CATHEDRAL NNEWI, ANAMBRA STATE, NIGERIA TODAY TUESDAY, JANUARY 13TH, 2026 BEING THE EVE OF THE COMMISSIONING.
PROTOCOL…
A very good evening to His Excellences, His Eminences. His Graces and His Lordships and other members of the Clergy here present.
Because I may not be able to call out all the esteemed names present here, please permit and forgive me to mention just a few of the names especially those within our Province as points of contact.
➤ The Most Rev, Archbishop Michael Francis Crotty – The Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria
➤ His Eminence, The Most Rev. Francis Cardinal Arinze
➤ His Eminence, John Cardinal Onaiyekan
➤ His Eminence, The Most Rev. Peter Cardinal Okpaleke
➤ The Most Rev. Jude Thaddeus Okolo – Apostolic Nuncio to Czech Republic
➤ The Most Rev. Brain Udaigwe Ethiopia Apostolic Nuncio to
➤ The Most Rev. Lucius Ugorji President of Bishops Conference of Nigeria
➤ His Grace The Most Rev. Dr. Valerian Maduka Okeke
➤ His Lordship, The Most Rev. Jonas Benson Okoye
➤ His Lordships, All the other Archbishops and Bishops in attendance and,
➤ All the Reverend Fathers in attendance.
It is with utmost pleasure and with the greatest sense of humility, respect and responsibility and on behalf of the entire Nnewi diocese that I welcome you all to this extraordinary and remarkable occasion and a historical gathering of God’s own people in my residence to mark the eve of the formal Commissioning of “Our Lady of Assumption Catholic Cathedral, Nnewi”, Nnewi North Local Government Council, Anambra State. Nigeria.
It is also and indeed a rare privilege and a mark of great honour to me to be considered worthy of hosting this remarkable event being prelude to the formal commissioning of “Our Lady of Assumption Catholic Cathedral, Nnewi”.
Indeed, I would like to be proven wrong but I dare say, to the best of my knowledge, that this is probably the first time in the catholic history of our dear country Nigeria that a single and ordinary individual like me will have this privilege of hosting this galaxy of catholic bishops of Nigeria.
I therefore thank almighty God for this honor and blessing and would like to confess that it can only be our living God who made this possible and for which I am extremely excited and grateful to God not just for being part of it but indeed the Chief Host.
Perhaps, this gathering affords me the opportunity to clarify that my age-long involvement in the work of God including but not limited to Church infrastructure, Church Educational development programmes, etc, is not out of the availability of abundant financial resources. Without attempting to sound immodest, I believe it is more out of motivation from God as, more often than not, I do not even know when such projects gets started, when I get involved and when it gets completed.
There is no doubt that the entire Nnewi Diocese is certainly very happy and excited today over the completion of undeniably and unarguably one of, if not, the biggest cathedral in Nigeria today and, with its commissioning, an important history will certainly be made tomorrow.
Once again, I want to welcome you all on behalf of myself, my family and the entire Nnewi catholic Diocese. Every other thing that will need to be said and chronicled about the brand new cathedral, I will humbly leave for tomorrow being the day of the formal commissioning.
I therefore invite you to feel at home, relax and enjoy yourselves not just in my residence but also in my dear community Nnewi.
To God be all the glory and praises in Jesus Mighty name.
Dr. Cletus M. Ibeto, CON
“Omekannaya”
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More photos from the event:
