Catholic Archdiocese of Owerri

Catholic Archdiocese of Owerri Catholic Archdiocese of Owerri is the head of the Owerri Ecclesiastical province with Umuahia, Ahiara, Okigwe, Orlu, and Aba as co member Dioceses.
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12 PROMISES OF THE SACRED HEARTThe Promises of Jesus to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690) for those who devote them...
12/06/2026

12 PROMISES OF THE SACRED HEART

The Promises of Jesus to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690) for those who devote themselves to His Sacred Heart

1. I will give them all the graces necessary for their state of life.
2. I will establish peace in their families.
3. I will console them in all their troubles.
4. They shall find in My Heart an assured refuge during life and especially at the hour of their death.
5. I will pour abundant blessings on all their undertakings.
6. Sinners shall find in My Heart the source of an infinite ocean of mercy.
7. Tepid souls shall become fervent.
8. Fervent souls shall speedily rise to great perfection.
9. I will bless the homes where an image of My Heart shall be exposed and honored.
10. I will give to priests the power of touching the most hardened hearts.
11. Those who propagate this devotion shall have their names written in My Heart, never to be effaced.
12. The all-powerful love of My Heart will grant to all those who shall receive Communion on the First Friday of nine consecutive months the grace of final repentance; they shall not die under my displeasure, nor without receiving their Sacraments; My heart shall be their assured refuge at that last hour.

12/06/2026

SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST SACRED HEART OF JESUS.
Enjoy this beautiful hymn to the Sacred Heart, rendered with grace and devotion by Ugochukwu Anukanti.

Title: Obi Jesu di a*o

SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST SACRED HEART OF JESUS: WORLD DAY OF PRAYER FOR THE SANCTIFICATION OF PRIESTSRemember to pray for y...
12/06/2026

SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST SACRED HEART OF JESUS: WORLD DAY OF PRAYER FOR THE SANCTIFICATION OF PRIESTS

Remember to pray for your priest friends today. They need your prayers, that they may worthily offer sacrifice to God at the altar and serve His people with renewed holiness.

The Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus – also the World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests – is celebrated on the Friday after the Solemnity of Corpus Christi. This suggests to us that the Eucharist (Corpus Christi) is none other than the Heart of Jesus himself, of the One who “takes care of us” with his “heart”.

On 20th October, 1672, Father Giovanni Eudes, a priest from Normandy, celebrated this feast for the first time. But there had already been several German mystics that had begun cultivating devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the Middle Ages: Mechtild of Magdeburg (1212-1283), Mechtilde of Hackeborn (1240/1-1298) and Gertrude of Helfta (1256-1302) – and the Dominican, Blessed Henry Suso (1295 – 1366).

But to popularize the devotion, the revelations of our Lord to the Visitation nun of the convent of Paray-le-Monial, Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690), contributed greatly. Margaret Mary had entered the French convent in Saône-et-Loire in 1671. She already had the reputation of being a mystic when on 27th December, 1673 she received the first vision of Jesus who invited her to take John’s place, the only apostle who physically rested his head on Jesus’s chest, among those present at the Last Supper. “My Divine Heart is so passionately in love with humanity that it can no longer contain within itself the flames of its ardent love. It must pour them out. I have chosen you for this great plan,” Jesus told her. The following year, Margaret had two other visions.

In the first, Jesus’s heart was on a throne enveloped in flames brighter than the sun and more transparent than crystal, surrounded by a crown of thorns. In the other, she saw Christ shining in glory. Flames of fire were coming out of every part of his chest to the point that it looked like a furnace. Jesus spoke to her and asked her to receive Communion every first Friday for nine consecutive months and to prostrate herself on the ground for an hour the night between Thursday and Friday. This is how the practice of the nine first Fridays originated and the Holy Hour of Adoration. Then in a fourth vision, Christ asked for the institution of a feast to honour his Heart and to make reparation through prayer for offenses received.

Pope Pius IX made it an obligatory feast throughout the universal Church in 1856. In 1995, Saint John Paul II instituted the World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests on this same day so that the priesthood might be protected in the hands of Jesus, rather in his heart, so it could be open to everyone.

Prayer
Divine Heart of Jesus,
I offer you through the Immaculate Heart of Mary,
Mother of the Church,
in union with the Eucharistic Sacrifice,
my prayers, actions, joys and sufferings of this day
in reparation for sins and for the salvation of all people,
in the grace of the Holy Spirit for the glory of the Heavenly Father.
Amen.

SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST SACRED HEART OF JESUS At that time Jesus exclaimed: "I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven ...
12/06/2026

SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST SACRED HEART OF JESUS


At that time Jesus exclaimed: "I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to little ones. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.

"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light." Matthew 11:25-30

– THE WORDS OF THE POPES
"Learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart" (Mt 11:29). Only once, perhaps, did the Lord Jesus refer to his own heart, in his own words. And he stressed this sole feature: "gentleness and lowliness": as if he meant that it is only in this way that he wishes to conquer man; that by means of "gentleness and lowliness" he wishes to be the King of hearts. The whole mystery of his reign was expressed in these words. Gentleness and lowliness cover, in a certain sense, all the "riches" of the Redeemer's heart (…). But also that "gentleness and lowliness" reveal him fully; and enable us to get to know him and accept him; they make him the object of supreme admiration. The beautiful litany to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is composed of many similar words—more, exclamations of admiration for the riches of the Heart of Christ. Let us meditate on them carefully on that day. Thus, at the end of this fundamental liturgical cycle of the Church—which began with the first Sunday of Advent and passed through the time of Christmas, then of Lent and of the Resurrection up to Pentecost, the Sunday of Holy Trinity, and Corpus Christi—the feast of the Divine Heart, of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, presents itself discreetly. All this cycle is enclosed definitively in it; in the Heart of the Man-God. From it, too, the whole life of the Church irradiates every year. (Pope John Paul II, General Audience, 20 June 1979)

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us 🙏

SAINT OF THE DAY: ST BARNABAS, APOSTLECatholics celebrate the memory of St. Barnabas on June 11. The apostle and mission...
11/06/2026

SAINT OF THE DAY: ST BARNABAS, APOSTLE

Catholics celebrate the memory of St. Barnabas on June 11. The apostle and missionary was among Christ’s earliest followers and was responsible for welcoming St. Paul into the Church. Though not one of the 12 apostles chosen by the Lord, Jesus, he is traditionally regarded as one of the 72 disciples of Christ and most respected man in the first century Church after the Apostles themselves.

St. Barnabas was born to wealthy Jewish parents on the Greek-speaking island of Cyprus, probably around the time of Christ’s own birth. Traditional accounts hold that his parents sent him to study in Jerusalem, where he studied at the school of Gamaliel (who also taught St. Paul). Later on, when Christ’s public ministry began, Barnabas may have been among those who heard him preach in person. At some point, either during Christ’s ministry or after his death and resurrection, Barnabas decided to commit himself in the most radical way to the teachings he had received. He sold the large estate he had inherited, contributed the proceeds entirely to the Church, and joined Christ’s other apostles in holding all of their possessions in common. Saul of Tarsus, the future St. Paul, approached Barnabas after the miraculous events surrounding his conversion, and was first introduced to St. Peter through him. About five years later, Barnabas and Paul spent a year in Antioch, building up the Church community whose members were the first to go by the name of “Christians.” Both Paul and Barnabas received a calling from God to become the “Apostles of the Gentiles,” although the title is more often associated with St. Paul. The reference to the “laying-on of hands” in Acts, chapter 13, suggests that Paul and Barnabas may have been consecrated as bishops on this occasion.

Barnabas and Paul left Antioch along with Barnabas’ cousin John Mark, who would later compose the most concise account of Christ’s life and be canonized as St. Mark. The group’s first forays into the pagan world met with some success, but Mark became discouraged and returned to Jerusalem. The question of Mark’s dedication to the mission would arise again later, and cause a significant personal disagreement between Paul and Barnabas. For many years prior to this, however, the two apostles traveled and preached among the Gentiles, suffering persecution and hardships for the sake of establishing Christianity among those of a non-Jewish background. The remarkable success of Barnabas and Paul led to one of the earliest controversies in Church history, regarding the question of whether Christian converts would have to observe Jewish rites. During the landmark Council of Jerusalem, recorded in the book of Acts, the assembled apostles confirmed St. Peter’s earlier proclamation that the laws of the Old Testament would not be mandatory for Christians.

Barnabas and Paul finally separated in their ministries, while remaining apostles of the one Catholic Church, over Paul’s insistence that Mark not travel with them again. In death, however, the “Apostles to the Gentiles” were reunited. Mark is said to have buried Barnabas after he was killed by a mob in Cyprus around the year 62. St. Paul and St. Mark were, in turn, reconciled before St. Paul’s martyrdom five years later. He is said to have been stoned to death in Salamis in the year 61. St. Luke described Barnabas as ‘a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith’ (Acts 6:24), and he was known for his exceptional kindliness and personal sanctity, and his openness to pagans.

St Barnabas, pray for us 🙏

Source: https://ewtn.co.uk/articlesaint-barnabas-apostle/

June 11: MEMORIAL OF SAINT BARNABAS, APOSTLE As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Cure...
11/06/2026

June 11: MEMORIAL OF SAINT BARNABAS, APOSTLE


As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give. Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts; no sack for the journey, or a second tunic, or sandals, or walking stick. The laborer deserves his keep. Whatever town or village you enter, look for a worthy person in it, and stay there until you leave. As you enter a house, wish it peace. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; if not, let your peace return to you. Matthew 10:7-13

– THE WORDS OF THE POPES
“Preach as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand’” (Mt 10:7). It is the same proclamation with which Jesus began his preaching: the kingdom of God, that is, his lordship of love, has come near; it comes in our midst. And this is not just one piece of news among others, no, but the fundamental reality of life: the closeness of God, the closeness of Jesus.
Indeed, if the God of heaven is close, we are not alone on earth, and even in difficulty, we do not lose faith. Here is the first thing to say to people: God is not far away, but rather he is a Father. God is not distant, he is a Father, he knows you and he loves you; he wants to take you by the hand, even when you travel on steep and rugged paths, even when you fall and struggle to get up again and get back on track. He, the Lord, is there with you. (…)
To proclaim that God is near — but how can we do this? In the Gospel, Jesus advises not to say many words, but rather to perform many deeds of love and hope in the name of the Lord. Not saying many words, but performing deeds! “Heal the sick”, says the Lord, “raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without pay, give without pay” (Mt 10:8). Here is the heart of proclamation: freely given witness, service. (Pope Francis, Angelus, 18 June 2023)

St Barnabas, pray for us

WEDNESDAY OF THE TENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME Jesus said to his disciples: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the ...
09/06/2026

WEDNESDAY OF THE TENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME


Jesus said to his disciples: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:17-19

– THE WORDS OF THE POPES
Jesus makes us understand that religious rules are necessary, they are good, but they are only the beginning: to fulfil them, it is necessary to go beyond the letter and live their meaning. The commandments that God gave us should not be locked up in the airless vaults of formal observance; otherwise, we are limited to an exterior, detached religiosity, servants of “God the master” rather than children of “God the Father”. Jesus wants this: not to have the idea of serving a God who is master, but Father; and this is why it is necessary to go beyond the letter.
Brothers and sisters, this problem was present not only in Jesus’ time; it is there today too. At times, for example, we hear some say, “Father, I have not killed, I have not stolen, I have not harmed anyone…”, as if to say, “I am fine”. This is formal observance, which is satisfied with the bare minimum, whereas Jesus invites us to aspire to the maximum possible. That is: God does not rea*on with calculations and tables; he loves us as one who is enamoured: not to the minimum, but to the maximum! He does not say, “I love you up to a certain point”. No, true love is never up to a certain point, and is never satisfied; love always goes beyond, it cannot do otherwise. The Lord showed us this by giving his life on the cross and forgiving his murderers (cf. Lk 23:34). And he entrusted to us the commandment most dear to him: that we love one another like he loved us (cf. Jn 15:12). This is the love that gives fulfilment to the Law, to faith, to true life! (Pope Francis, Angelus, 12 February 2023)

Have a blessed

🎉 Happy Birthday, Rev. Fr. Boniface Iwu! 🎉Fada, ñurịa na ncheta ọmụmụ gị! 🎂May Christ’s light continue to guide your ste...
09/06/2026

🎉 Happy Birthday, Rev. Fr. Boniface Iwu! 🎉
Fada, ñurịa na ncheta ọmụmụ gị! 🎂

May Christ’s light continue to guide your steps in God’s vineyard and fill this new year with abundant grace, strength, and renewed zeal. May God also grant you healing in your present health challenges. Amen.

🙏 Join us in praying for him and wishing him every blessing on this special day.

TUESDAY OF THE TENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME Jesus said to his disciples: “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt lose...
09/06/2026

TUESDAY OF THE TENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME


Jesus said to his disciples: “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be sea*oned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.” (Matthew 5:13-16)

– THE WORDS OF THE POPES
“You are the salt of the earth... You are the light of the world” (Mt 5:13-14). Indeed, it is genuine joy that gives flavor to life and brings to light something that was not there before. This joy springs from a way of life, a way of inhabiting the earth and of living together that must be desired and chosen. It is the life that shines in Jesus, the new flavor of his words and deeds. After encountering Jesus in his poverty of spirit, his meekness and simplicity of heart, his hunger and thirst for justice, which unlocks mercy and peace as powers of transformation and reconciliation, those who would distance themselves from all this seem bland and dull. (…)
Indeed, it is painful to lose flavor and give up joy; yet it is possible to have this wound in one’s heart. Jesus seems to warn those who listen to him not to give up joy. Salt that has lost its flavor, he says, “is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot” (Mt 5:13). How many people — perhaps we ourselves — feel like they are worthless or broken. It is as if their light has been hidden. Jesus, however, proclaims a God who will never throw us away, a Father who cares for our names and our uniqueness. (Pope Leo XIV, Angelus, 8 February 2026)

Have a blessed

🎉 Happy , Rev. Fr. Benedict Anyanwu! 🎉Fada, ñurịa na ncheta ọmụmụ gị!🎂🎊May Christ’s light continue to guide your steps ...
08/06/2026

🎉 Happy , Rev. Fr. Benedict Anyanwu! 🎉

Fada, ñurịa na ncheta ọmụmụ gị!🎂🎊

May Christ’s light continue to guide your steps in God’s vineyard and fill this new year with grace, strength, and renewed zeal. Amen. 🙏

🙏 Join us in praying for him and wishing him every blessing on this special day.

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