SHJEC, St Francis Cathedral, Otukpo

12/05/2026

Big shout-out to my newest top fans! Odeh Abakpa Agnes, Edoh Vera Onyeche, Elaigwu John Moses

11/05/2026

SHJEC AND ANOTHER ECHOES OF WEDDING AS SISTER CATHERINE FAUSTINA OJONUGWA SAYS YES, I DO TO HER HEARTTHROB

"He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favour from the LORD." — Proverbs 18:22

The air was not merely festive; it was consecrated. On the 11th April, 2026, I the sacred precincts of Holy Family Parish, Ogoli-Ugboju, Otukpo Local Government, became nothing short of a theatre of divine orchestration. Heaven leaned forward. Angels, it seemed, adjusted their seats. For what was unfolding was not simply a wedding; it was a covenant written in the ink of eternity.

Sister Catherine Faustina Ojonugwa, that name alone melodious as a vesper hymn, walked into her destiny and, with trembling lips that parted like the dawn, whispered the two words that rewrote the story of two souls forever: "I do." And the earth exhaled.
Mr. Akor Emmanuel Simon, her heartthrob, her God-ordained counterpart, stood at that altar not merely as a groom, but as a man walking boldly into divine purpose. For as Scripture declares in Genesis 2:24, "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh." What God had been quietly weaving in the looms of providence was now displayed in full colour before men and angels alike. This was no accident of romance. This was architecture, for the Master Builder had drawn the blueprint long before either of them dared to dream.

Distance, that ancient thief of fellowship, attempted its familiar robbery; yet it was gloriously outwitted. The Chairman of the Sacred Heart of Jesus English Choir, St. Francis of Assisi Cathedral, Otukpo, the indefatigable Mr Edeh Samuel Edeh, gathered his executive members like a commander marshalling a sacred regiment, and they marched, not with swords, but with songs. Joining their voices with the choir of Ogoli, they became a symphony of solidarity. Like the Levites of old who preceded the Ark of the Covenant with music and praise (1 Chronicles 15:28), they lifted the rafters of that holy sanctuary with "This is the day that the Lord has made," a battle cry of gratitude, the Thanksgiving of Amazing Grace, that hymn which has outlived empires, and Great Victor, a thunderous proclamation that love, at last, had won. Vox populi, vox Dei, the voice of the people is the voice of God, and in that moment, the people sang, and God smiled.

Mrs Akor remains a portrait of grace in motion. A committed probationer, yes, but more than her titles, she is a woman whose very presence is a sermon. Down to earth as the valleys that sing in Psalm 65, caring as a shepherd who counts each lamb twice, and respectful as one who understands that honour is the currency of lasting relationships, she carries herself with a quiet, luminous dignity. Yet it is her voice, oh, that sonorous, soul-arresting voice, that arrests the wandering heart and draws it homeward. Like the Shulamite of Solomon's Song, there is something spiritually electrifying in her being, as though she carries in her chest a small, perpetual fire that refuses to be quenched. She does not merely sing; she intercedes in melody. She does not merely worship; she becomes worship. Lucet et ardet, she shines, and she burns.

SHJEC therefore lifts holy hands and dares to prophesy over this union, declaring with the fervour of Numbers 6:24-25, "The LORD bless thee and keep thee; the LORD make His face shine upon thee." Let the lines of this marriage, as the Psalmist declared, fall in pleasant places (Psalm 16:6). Let their home grow into a garden where love is not a fleeting emotion but a daily discipline, watered by prayer, pruned by patience, and blooming in every season. Like the vine and the olive tree of Psalm 128, may they prove fruitful beyond their own understanding, tasting of that uncommon joy which the world neither gives nor comprehends, the joy surpassing all understanding (Philippians 4:7). Per aspera ad astra, through every hardship, to the stars.

One month has turned the corner since heaven sealed what love began. Happy One Month Wedding Anniversary, you breathtaking souls. You did not merely marry each other; you completed a sentence God had been composing since before the foundations of the world. May your love story remain the kind that grandchildren retell with wide eyes and full hearts, long after you are gone. Omnia vincit amor, Love conquers all. And yours, dear Mr/Mrs Akor is only just beginning.

Sing Praises!

Ogenyi, C.A.
11-05-26

10/05/2026

10/05/2026

SHJEC AND THE HARVEST OF WEDDINGS: OUR CHOIRMASTER CLAIMED HIS FOREVER.

The air is still sweet with confetti and celebration! Barely had the echoes of Sister Jane Ameh's breathtaking nuptials faded into the golden memories of last month, when SHJEC was swept once again into a glorious whirlwind of love, lace, and lifted voices.

On the radiant morning of 10th April, 2026, the hallowed walls of St Francis Cathedral, Otukpo, bore witness to something nothing short of extraordinary. Our very own choirmaster, the ever charming Brother Daniel Odumeke Clergy, looked into the eyes of his heartbeat and said forever to the luminous Sister Cherish Ochefu. And the heavens? They applauded.

What a season! What a harvest! For over a decade, SHJEC had not seen two of her beloved choristers exchange vows in the sacred beauty of holy matrimony. Yet here we are, twice blessed, twice dazzled, twice undone by love.

Brother Daniel, or "Clergy" as he is warmly known, is no ordinary man. He is the kind of soul whose smile disarms a room before he even opens his mouth. Creative to his core, skilled beyond measure, and gifted with a personality that draws people in like moths to a magnificent flame, he is a seasoned marketer who has now made his greatest and most beautiful acquisition yet.

And Sister Cherish? Oh, she is everything her name promises! A celebrated soprano whose voice alone could make the angels pause mid flight and listen. She is a visionary CEO, a gifted baker who turns flour and sugar into edible poetry, a make up artist who sculpts beauty with masterful hands, and a woman whose very presence lights up every room she graces.

Together? They are electric. They are the kind of love story that stops your scroll and holds your gaze. Social media came alive with their images, each frame more regal and radiant than the last, a visual feast of elegance, joy and breathtaking chemistry. The who is who of society graced the occasion, as one would expect when royalty weds royalty.

True to sacred tradition, the Bishop's Choir rose magnificently to the moment, weaving music into the liturgy like threads of gold through the finest tapestry, turning the ceremony into a masterpiece of worship and wonder.

To Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Odumeke Clergy, SHJEC lifts her voice in fervent prayer: may your marriage overflow with abundance, may fruitfulness be your portion in every season, and may upliftment follow you like your shadow wherever you go. You have chosen each other. Heaven has sealed it. Now walk in the fullness of all that love promises.

Congratulations, the dazzling Mr/Mrs CC! Happy one month anniversary, CC!

Sing Praises!

Ogenyi, C.A.
10-05-26

09/05/2026

SHJEC MEMBER, SISTER JANE AMEH WEDS MR IKWULONOR J.I.

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens… a time to embrace."

It is with hearts full to overflowing, and voices lifted in jubilant praise, that the Sacred Heart of Jesus English Choir, St Francis of Assisi Cathedral, Otukpo, rises as one body to celebrate a daughter of Zion; our beloved Sister, now Sister (Mrs) Ikwulono Jane on the glorious occasion of her holy matrimony on 8th April, 2026, at the famous St Mary's Pro-Cathedral, Otukpo, Benue State.

As the river knows its source, so does Mrs Ikwulonor know her home. She is indeed a chip of the old block, a true daughter of SHJEC, having answered the choir's call as far back as the year 2002, when she walked through our doors as a junior student, a tender seed that has since grown into a flourishing tree planted by streams of water.

Her soprano voice, pure as silver refined seven times in the furnace, has ascended these many years as incense before the Throne of Grace. Yet it is not her voice alone that has adorned this choir. Mrs Ikwulonor is a woman clothed in compassion, robed in peace, and girded with sincerity. Like a steady pillar, she upheld successive administrations and remained a cornerstone upon which the vision of this choir was built and sustained.

On this blessed occasion, as is the sacred custom of this choir, the Chairman led the Angelic SHJEC family in procession to St Mary's Pro-Cathedral, Otukpo, where hymns rose like eagles on the wind, clothing the solemn Sacrament of Matrimony in the worship it so richly deserved. It was, in every sense, a day the Lord had made, and and we rejoiced and were glad in it. (Psalm 118:24)

Dear worthy sister, as you step across the threshold of this new and sacred covenant, this earthly family, your choir family; lifts its collective voice in fervent intercession on your behalf. May the Light of Heaven illuminate every path you walk together. May your union be as the marriage at Cana, where the Lord Himself is an ever-present guest and the best wine is always yet to come.

As it is written, "What God has joined together, let no man put asunder." May the purpose of marriage be not merely begun, but fully and gloriously accomplished in your life.

We say with one voice, with one heart, and with immeasurable joy; Congratulations, Mr/Mrs Ikwulonor James Ikwulonor and Happy one month in marriage.

May your home be a sanctuary. May your love be a testimony. May your life together bring glory to His Name. Amen!
Sing Praises!

Ogenyi, C.A.
09-05-20

17/03/2026

Wedding Bells Are Ringing As Bro. Daniel Clergy Takes Sister Cherish Ochefu To The Altar.

17-03-2026

SING PRAISES!

After more than a decade, SHJEC will once again witness the beautiful harmony of a chorister–chorister union.

Our handsome Choirmaster, Clergy, is taking the lead down the aisle with our graceful soprano, Cherish, truly a moment to sing, “Praise God from whom all blessings flow.”

From choir rehearsals to life’s grand altar, their voices have blended in perfect accord. Today, love becomes their anthem and marriage their sacred duet, as we joyfully echo the hymn: “Sing unto the Lord a new song.”

Dear CC, may your home forever keep the right pitch, your love never miss a note, the aroma from your kitchen never cease and your days be filled with joyful harmony. The choir loft resounds with gladness.

Congratulations, CC!

22/08/2025

When Souls Sing: The Silent Sacrifices of Sacred Voices.

The choir is not just a group, it's a grace-laced army of voices, an earthly echo of heaven’s hallelujah. Like the Levites before the Ark (2 Chronicles 5:13), they raise their voices so the heavens open and the Spirit descends. They are not performers, they are ministers of melody, psalmists of praise, vessels of virtue.

After the priest, comes the choir, not in robes alone, but in role. For what is a Mass without music? A garden without fragrance. A liturgy without the choir is like incense without flame, the form stands, but the soul shivers.

From Tuesday tunes to Saturday scales, they rehearse, not for applause, but for anointing. On Sundays, they do not merely sing, they summon the sacred, calling hearts from distraction to devotion.

They wake before the sun, stand before the altar, and sing before the pews fill. With empty stomachs but full spirits, they chant Kyrie and Gloria, Creed and Sanctus, holding the Mass steady with songs that speak when words fall short.

Weddings in the morning, funerals in the afternoon, the choir dances between joy and grief, between teardrops and tambourines. One moment they sing "I Sleep in Jesus" for the departed, next they chant "Panis Angelicus" for the wedded. As Psalm 30:5 reminds us, "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning" and sometimes, the choir sings both within the same hour.

They do not rotate like servers, nor read once like lectors. They sing through it all. All five weddings. All vigils. All events. Tireless. Tuned. Tenacious.

They buy their hymnals, learn five languages in one refrain, modulate between key signatures like soldiers on a mission. And while others sit, they stand, rain or shine, voice or strain.

Yes, they deserve more than a thank you. For theirs is the only society that continues in heaven (Revelation 5:11-12). They sing not for show, but for souls.

To the choristers, you who stir heaven’s gates with harmony, keep singing. For every note you raise, God records. Yours is the melody that moves mountains, the harmony that heals hearts.

Keep your robes white, your hearts right, and your voices bright.

Congratulations, liturgical levites.
Sing on, sing strong, sing praises!

Ogenyi, C. A.

09/05/2025

Congratulations, Catholics!

Aside Sports' Newspapers and Hausa Newspapers, there is no Need Newspaper that does not capture the emergence of the Pope.

08/05/2025

Habamus Papam!

As the world awaits the new Pope, we offer a detailed look at what happens inside the Sistine Chapel in the moments after the white smoke and what takes place prior to the announcement made by Cardinal Protodeacon Dominique Mamberti from the Loggia of Blessings of St. Peter’s Basilica, when he proclaims the name of the new Bishop of Rome.

08/05/2025

Sacred Conclave Continues: Cardinal Electors Seek Divine Guidance in Papal Selection

Within the hallowed confines of the Sistine Chapel, the College of Cardinals proceeds with the solemn duty of electing the next Supreme Pontiff. Adhering to the apostolic constitution Universi Dominici Gregis, the cardinal electors are scheduled to conduct four ballots today, two in the morning and two in the afternoon.

Each cardinal inscribes the name of his chosen candidate on a ballot, approaches the altar, and casts his vote with a sworn oath of conscience. Should no candidate achieve the requisite two-thirds majority, the ballots are burned, producing black smoke (fumata nera) from the chapel’s chimney, signaling an inconclusive vote to the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square.

Between the morning and afternoon voting sessions, the cardinal electors return to the Domus Sanctae Marthae for a midday meal and rest.

Upon a successful election, white smoke (fumata bianca) will rise, accompanied by the ringing of St. Peter’s Basilica's bells, heralding the proclamation Habemus Papam, “We have a pope.”

This sacred process underscores the Church's reliance on the Holy Spirit's guidance in selecting a shepherd to lead the faithful.