The Governor of LAGOS State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu has commended the Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos for prioritizing the welfare of elderly priests.
Governor Sanwo-Olu presented the commendation at the Dedication Ceremony and Inaugural Dinner of the St. John Mary Vianney Priest Home held on Victoria Island.
The governor hailed the initiative of the Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos to construct a home where priests who had dedicated their lives to God and humanity would be cared for in old age.
He called on Christian faithful to donate to the project which he said aims to provide a quality life for elderly priests.
The Secretary to the Archbishop of Lagos, Reverend Paul Ariole, said the Archdiocese was blessed with 163 indigenous priests and a few of them had reached the retirement age of 75.
Others, he said, have health conditions that require special care.
Reverend Ariole said, “In the past, through the approval of the Archbishop, many elderly and frail priests resided with Reverend Raphael Adebayo at St. Agnes Catholic Church, Maryland, and this practice has also been maintained by the parish priest, Anthony Fadairo.
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“With the growing nature of the Archdiocese, we look forward to a future where our elderly priests will be specially cared for in times of need and not just resident in any parish,” he said.
The Chairman of the St. John Mary Vianney Priest Home (SJMVPH) Project, Chief Yemi Ijamakinwa thanked the Archbishop for naming the home in honor of St. John Mary Vianney.
He described the life of a priest as a life of sacrifice.
“Once ordained, a priest lives in the service of God and his people. He owns nothing of his own and everything belongs to the church.
“There is a need for the church to support priests as they go through this life of sacrifice that they have embraced. It is with this in mind that we plan to embark on this project which will serve as a supportive living environment for priests “, did he declare.
Planning Committee Chairman, Rev. Anthony Fadairo Fadairo thanked the Governor and his wife for the warm welcome during the group’s visit to the Governor.
