Archbishop Michael F. Crotty
Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria
Priestly Ordinations
Closing Ceremony of Diocesan Synod
Enugu, 22 November 2025
– Most Rev. Callistus ONAGA, Bishop of Enugu.
– Most Rev. Ernest OBODO, Auxiliary Bishop of Enugu.
– Dear Brother priests.
– Dear women and men religious present.
– Dear Revd Deacons, and particularly those deacons who are candidates for priestly ordination today.
– Distinguished guests and representatives of the various authorities.
Dear Brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ.
Allow me to begin with a word of thanks to Bishop Onaga for his kind invitation to me to preside at today’s solemn celebration of priestly ordinations on the occasion of the closing of your Diocesan Synod. I am confident that through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, that the Synod will bring forth many blessings in the life of the Church here in the Diocese of Enugu, that it will bring forth renewed hearts and minds in following the path of Christian discipleship to build up the Kingdom of God.
Let me congratulate Bishop Callistus Onaga, his Auxiliary Ernest Obodo and all the clergy, members of the Consecrated Life and Lay faithful of the Diocese of Enugu on the success of your fourth synod. We pray that all the discussions and resolutions of the synod will enrich your Diocese and breathe new life into the pastoral and liturgical activities of the Diocese.
It is truly an occasion for great blessing that we conclude the Synod with the ordination of fourteen new priests who will be added to the ranks of the ministerial priesthood in the service of Jesus Christ, the eternal high Priest, the Good Shepherd, who guides his people to the Father with tenderness and mercy. Without the ministerial priesthood there can be no Eucharist and without the Eucharist there is no Church. Thus, today, as we conclude the Synod, we give thanks to God for these young men before us who have stepped forward and courageously committed themselves to the service of Jesus Christ and his Church.
Beloved brothers who are about to be ordained to the
priesthood:
Today, the Catholic Diocese of Enugu rejoices with you, welcomes you into the priesthood, and celebrates with you, your family and friends, as we give thanks to God for having called you and brought you to this day.
First, I hope you realise that it is the Lord who has called you and anointed you to carry out the triple roles of Christ: Teacher, Priest, Shepherd. The first reading underscores this point:
“The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD
has anointed me.”
This anointing comes with a missionary mandate: “He has sent me to bring good news to the afflicted.” In other words, you are called and anointed to be a teacher of good news. In a world full of bad news, you are called to bring good news to humanity, harassed and afflicted by sin and the multi-dimensional effects of sin. It is not the good news of winning a trophy, a lottery or a contract. It is the good news of reconciliation with Christ, who taught us the will of God, liberating us from the bondage of sin as well as worldly desires and ambitions.
As Pope Francis urged those to be ordained in Bangladesh some years ago (1 December 2017):
“Impart to everyone the word of God which you have received with joy. Meditating on the law of the Lord, see that you believe what you read, that you teach what you believe, and that you practice what you teach. In this way, let what you teach be nourishment for the people of God. Let the holiness of your lives be a delightful fragrance to Christ’s faithful, so that by word and example you may build up the house which is God’s Church.” (Pope Francis, Homily for Priestly Ordinations, Dhaka, Bangladesh, 1 December 2017).
In carrying out your duties as priests, remember the words of today’s reading from Isaiah: “to bind up the broken-hearted.” In sanctifying the people of God through the sacraments of the Church, you not only exercise your priestly role but also bring consolation to the people of God. A priest must be like Jesus who invites us to be like him who is “gentle and humble in heart” (Mt. 11:29).
Your ministry as priest is not for yourselves but for the people of God whose pastoral care shall be entrusted to you by your Bishop.
As Pope Francis reminded the candidates for priestly ordination that they are to be instruments of the Priesthood of Jesus Christ, so too you are called today to be the instruments of the Priesthood of Jesus Christ:
“Remember, when you gather others into the people of God through Baptism, and when you forgive sins in the name of Christ and the Church in the sacrament of Penance; when you comfort the sick with holy oil and celebrate the sacred rites, when you offer prayers of praise and thanks to God throughout the hours of the day, not only for the people of God but for the world – remember then that you are taken from among men and appointed on their behalf for those things that pertain to God. Therefore, carry out the ministry of Christ the Priest with constant joy and genuine love, attending not to your own concerns but to those of Jesus Christ.” (Pope Francis, Homily for Priestly Ordinations, Dhaka, Bangladesh, 1 December 2017).
Furthermore, strive to imitate Christ the Good Shepherd who came not to be served but to give his life as a ransom for many.
While sending out the seventy-two disciples in today’s gospel, Jesus underscores the need for unity under the Good Shepherd, fully represented by the Bishop. He sent them in twos to underscore the need for collaboration and love in the work of evangelization. You must therefore collaborate with your Bishop and your fellow priests in your pastoral and liturgical activities.
Dear candidates, I wish to emphasise the importance of communion with the Bishop in your pastoral activities.
The promise of obedience to the Diocesan Bishop is the safeguard of communion because your pastoral ministry as priests derives from being in communion with the Bishop. Obedience to your Bishop and the Church shows that you understand the nature of the priestly ministry and life.
Moreover, a good priest must be wary of material things that can hinder him from exercising effectively the priestly ministry.
Jesus told those he was sending to “carry no purse, no bag, no sandals”. It is a call to simplicity of life that enhances the effective pastoral activities of a priest. A priest must avoid all forms of distractions to concentrate on the work of evangelization.
Furthermore, I am glad that this ordination is taking place in the context of the 4th synod of your diocese, focused on “The Practice of Faith in Enugu Diocese: Opportunities and Challenges”. From the responses of the people of God on one of the topics for discussion – “Abuse of clerical powers” – it has become clear that the people, in the face of the misuse of clerical authority by some priests, would like to see a change in how priests exercise their pastoral authority. When a priest displays arrogance, it breeds resentment among parishioners. The actions of an abusive priest have serious repercussions, including loss of trust, spiritual trauma, decreased church attendance, and the gradual withdrawal of the laity from liturgical activities.
A Catholic priest, who has received a thorough seminary training in philosophy, theology, social sciences, and management, should work closely with the laity in the Church’s mission and, above all, treat them with the respect that is their due as sons and daughters of God, created in his image and likeness.
True authority is derived from Jesus Christ himself, who came not to be served but to serve. It is Christ’s priesthood that you will exercise, therefore you must endeavour, through your prayer life and intimacy with Christ, to conform yourself ever more closely to the person of Christ – to be an alter Christus – to be another Christ.
Thus, when people encounter you, by the manner of your life and example, it is to be an encounter with Christ.
Holiness is not an optional extra for the priesthood, the Church desires and needs priests who by their lives and example radiate holiness. Avoid materialism as a measure of success, the only measure of success is holiness. When a priest radiates holiness and goodness, he draws people to Christ. To be good and holy priests you must also tend to your own souls, through spiritual direction and regular confession in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Saint Charles Borromeo had some great advice to priests on how to be holy:
“Would you like me to teach you how to grow from virtue to virtue… If a tiny spark of God’s love already burns within you, do not expose it to the wind, for it may get blown out.
Keep the stove tightly shut so that it will not lose its heat and grow cold. In other words, avoid distractions as well as you can. Stay quiet with God. Do not spend your time in useless chatter… Be sure that you first preach by the way you live. If you do not, people will notice that you say one thing, but live otherwise, and your words will bring only cynical laughter and a derisive shake of the head… Do not neglect the parish of your own soul, do not give yourself to others so completely that you have nothing left for yourself. You have to be mindful of your people without becoming forgetful of yourself.” (From a Sermon of St Charles Borromeo, Office of Readings, Feast of St Charles Borromeo).
Dear candidates, after many years of preparation and training in the seminary, the day that you have longed for, over many years, & has finally arrived. You may feel a sense that you have arrived at the final destination of your journey. But today is not the end point, it is a day of new beginning, from this day forward you are priests of Jesus Christ. I have no doubt that each of you is filled with immense joy and happiness in this very moment of your priestly ordination.
Cherish that joy, cherish that happiness. It will serve you well throughout the rest of your lives. In the life ahead of you, there will be ups and downs. When those down moments come – and I hope that they will be very few for you – remember today’s joy and happiness; and remember who you are: Priests of Jesus Christ!
Dear candidates, let me conclude today with the words of Pope Leo XIV in a homily for the ordination of priests for the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on 27th June last:
“Love God, and your brothers and sisters, and give yourselves to them generously. Be fervent in your celebration of the sacraments, in prayer, especially in adoration before the Eucharist, and in your ministry. Keep close to your flock, give freely of your time and energy to everyone, without reserve and without partiality, as the pierced side of the crucified Jesus and the example of the saints teach us to do.
Remember that the Church, in the two thousand years of her history, has had – and today continues to have – wonderful examples of priestly holiness. From the earliest communities on, the Church has raised up priests who have been martyrs, tireless apostles, missionaries, and champions of charity. Cherish this treasure: learn their stories, study their lives and work, imitate their virtues, be inspired by their zeal, and invoke their intercession often and insistently!
All too often, today’s world offers models of success and prestige that are dubious and short-lived. Do not let yourselves be taken in by them! Look rather to the solid example and apostolic fruitfulness, frequently hidden and unassuming, of those who, with faith and dedication, have spent their lives in service of the Lord and their brothers and sisters. Keep their memory alive by your own example of fidelity.
Let us now entrust ourselves to the loving protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of priests and Mother of hope. May she direct and sustain our steps, so that each day we may conform our hearts more closely to that of Christ, the supreme and eternal Shepherd.” (Pope Leo XIV, Homily for the Ordination of Priests, Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, 27 June 2025).
The Bishop addresses the People and the Candidates on the duties of a priest.
These men, your relatives and friends, are now to be raised to the order of priest. Consider carefully the position to which they are to be promoted in the Church. It is true that God has made his entire people a royal priesthood in Christ. But our High Priest, Jesas Christ, also chose some of his followers to carry out publicly in the Church a priestly ministry in his name on behalf of mankind. He was sent by the Father, and in turn sent apostles into the world; through them and their successors, the bishops. They are joined to the Order of Bishops in the priestly office with whom they are called to serve the people of God
Our brothers have seriously considered this step and are to be ordained to the priesthood in the presbyteral order. They are to serve Christ the Teacher, Priest, and Shepherd by whose ministry his Body, that is the Church, is built and grows into the people of God, a holy temple.
They are called to share in the priesthood of the Bishops and to be configured into the likeness of Christ, the eternal High Priest By consecration they will be made true priests of the Nen Testament, to preach the Gospel, to shepherd God’s people, and
(celebrate the sacred Liturgy, especially the Lord’s sacrifice, genuine joy and love and attend to the concerns of Christ before your own.
Finally, dear sons, conscious of sharing in the office of Christ, Head and Shepherd of the Church, and united with the Bishop and subject to him, seek to bring the faithful together into a unified family and to lead them to God the Father through Christ in the Holy Spirit. Always remember the example of the Good Shepherd who came not to be served but to serve, and to seek out and rescue those who are lost.
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