19/12/2025
Nsukka Diocesan CWO Celebrates Christmas with Bishop Onah in Faith, Gratitude, and Renewed Mission
On Wednesday, December 17, 2025, the Catholic Women Organisation (CWO) of the Catholic Diocese of Nsukka gathered in joyful solemnity to celebrate Christmas with their Bishop, Most Rev. Godfrey Igwebuike Onah. The annual encounter, now a cherished diocesan tradition, blended prayer, thanksgiving, reflection, and fraternal joy, highlighting the indispensable place of women in the life and mission of the Church.
Welcoming the Bishop and the assembly, the Diocesan CWO Chaplain, Rev. Fr. Dr. Greg Omeje, described the gathering as a “sacred December ritual” in which Catholic mothers across the diocese offer their gifts in love and encouragement to their shepherd. He expressed gratitude to God for the gift of the Bishop’s life and ministry, commending his pastoral dedication and assuring him of the steadfast support of CWO members both at home and abroad, whose presence, he noted, was particularly felt this year. He thanked the Diocesan President, Dr. Mrs. Stella Ekwueme, the home-and-abroad executives, the spiritual adviser, Sr. Christine Marie Ozioko, and the Dean, Very Rev. Fr. Simeon Ugwueze, for their committed service.
A symbolic cutting of the Christmas cake followed, after which the Diocesan CWO President, Dr. Mrs. Stella Ekwueme, addressed the gathering. She praised the Bishop for his tireless pastoral visits and leadership, describing the cooperation and unity among the mothers as a source of strength for the diocese. She invoked the Blessed Virgin Mary—Mother of the Infant Jesus and model of Christian motherhood—as the spiritual heart of the celebration, and assured the Bishop of continued prayers for renewed strength and grace in his ministry. She announced that the Diocesan CWO Day, scheduled for February 7, 2026, would include recognition of outstanding mothers across parishes.
Representing the Home and Abroad executives, the CWO President for Home and Abroad thanked the Bishop for his presence and fatherly care, affirming that his leadership has made a visible difference in the lives of families and in the growth of the Nsukka Diocese. Though nearing the end of their tenure, the executives pledged continued support and prayerful solidarity.
In brief but necessary interventions, Msgr. Thaddeus Onoyima underscored that without women, the story of salvation would be incomplete, while Msgr. Emma Ugwu thanked the mothers for sustaining the Church’s life and mission.
Responding with warmth and theological depth, Bishop Onah reflected on the irreplaceable role of women in the mystery of salvation. He recalled that it was women who stood faithfully at the Cross, knew the place of Jesus’ burial, and first witnessed the Resurrection. “Without women,” he said, “there would be no ministry.” He thanked the mothers for their witness in family, Church, and society, commending their leadership and teamwork, and urging vigilance amid contemporary challenges such as insecurity, weakened catechesis, and the moral formation of children.
The Bishop called for a renewed commitment to catechesis, describing it as an urgent pastoral priority, and encouraged the mothers to remain steadfast in faith, prayer, and communal responsibility. He also asked for continued prayers for priests, especially in a year marked by painful losses within the presbyterium.
The celebration concluded on a joyful note with song and dance shared with the Bishop, followed by the presentation of Christmas food items as gifts. The gathering stood as a luminous witness to communion, gratitude, and hope—an Advent-Christmas testimony that the Church in Nsukka continues to be built through the faithful love, prayer, and courage of her mothers.
Teclus Ike Ugwueze