St. Catherine’s Deanery Holds Pastoral Council Meeting; … Drums Up Support For Bishop Nwobi.
In the spirit of the ongoing call to support the building up of the Catholic diocese of Ahiara, St. Catherine’s deanery Ezi-East, on Saturday, March 28, held its first plenary pastoral council meeting for the year 2026. The meeting, which was held at St. Dominic’s Parish Ezi-East (the deanery center), was attended by delegates and representatives from the twelve parishes across the deanery. The meeting was presided over by the dean, Very Rev. Fr. Dr. Protase Anyanwu.
In his address of welcome to the members, Fr. Protase Anyanwu stated, “Our gathering today should impress upon us the profound impact that our collective efforts can have on the Church in Ezi-East, nay, the Ahiara diocese. From various parts of Ezi-East and united by a shared purpose, we come with a firm commitment to serve the Church and foster the growth of our deanery and diocese.”
The dean reminded them of the urgency for all to prepare very well for the upcoming Cathedraticum, which will be the first to be held in the deanery. In his explanation, he stated that “Cathedraticum is a certain sum of money paid annually by the faithful to their local bishop as a mark of honor and in sign of subjection to the cathedral church, hence its name. It is given in support of the bishop’s pastoral work, charity, and diocesan projects.” He further said that “the quantity of the Cathedraticum will be determined by reasonable custom according to the needs of each diocese.” Derived from the Latin word “cathedra” (chair, throne, or seat), it refers directly to the episcopal seat of the bishop, who is the teacher and leader of the diocese.”
Furthermore, Fr. Anyanwu elucidated that the Cathedraticum is an old tradition that dates back to the early Church. The first formal Cathedraticum was ordered by the Second Council of Braga in 572 A.D. It is not merely a financial transaction; it holds deep spiritual and communal meaning, which includes the expression of unity and support of the bishop’s ministry and stewardship, the priest said.
According to Canon Law, “The bishop has the right to obtain the means that are necessary for carrying out his pastoral functions in the diocese” (Canon 1263). “Thus, as Christ’s faithful, we all share in the work of the bishop, and our participation in the Cathedraticum is just one way we practice that stewardship. Let us then be encouraged to generously contribute to Cathedraticums in our diocese,” the dean enjoined.
Given that “the joy and hope, the grief and anguish of men of our time, especially those who are poor or afflicted in any way, are the joy and hope, the grief and anguish of the followers of Christ” (Gaudium et Spes, no. 1), as we gather as one family, we are closely drawn in solidarity to many of our people, who groan with anguished hearts, as we pass through a dark period in our national history, the dean said while speaking on the state of the nation.
He lamented that “this seems to be one of the worst of times for our country in the areas of security and economy.” No matter how one looks at it, the government’s reform efforts to rejig the security architecture of our country and revamp the economy have woefully failed. In the face of increasing violent crimes and economic hardship, the country stands on the brink of anarchy, as there is much suffering in the land.” In furtherance of the council’s pastoral mission, the dean stated that it has to do something aimed at assisting in alleviating the pains of our people in Ezi-East.
The meeting was also an opportunity for the dean to inform the delegates that, come next year, 2027, the mother parish, St. Dominic’s Ezi-East, will clock seventy, having been created on January 1, 1957. “From that moment it was created, the seed of Catholicism sown has kept growing and blooming, birthing 12 parishes, many institutions, religious houses, and now elevated to the status of a deanery.” The primary aim for the celebration of such a milestone, according to Fr. Anyanwu, “is to honor the past with fond memories, celebrate the present with gratitude, and embrace the future with optimism. Over and above this, sterling contributions from across Ezi-East made towards the growth of the parish these seventy years will be recognized. As a corollary, a committee has been set up to drive the celebration.”
Among other key administrative and pastoral initiatives deliberated on, the focus was majorly zeroed in on the upcoming cathedraticum. Discussions highlighted the need for parishes to endeavor to pay up their levies at the financial administrator’s office, levies to support the hosting of the event, updating pastoral strategies, strengthening parish and deanery engagement, and implementing burial directives and other pastoral goals.
In attendance were priests working in the deanery, the pastoral council chairman, Engr. Bede Orji, KSM, the Worthy Grand Knight of Knights of St. Mulumba, St. Dominic’s Sub-council, Sir. Tobias Nwokocha, the president of the deanery; CWO Mrs. Blessing Onuoha; Architect OPZ Onwumere, KSM; among others. This year’s cathedraticum in the deanery is scheduled for Wednesday, April 29, 2026.
