From Ijeoma John, Nnewi
Nnewi Catholic Diocese in Nnewi North Local Government Area of Anambra State has on Sunday,June 1, 2025 celebrated triple celebrations as it observed 2025 world communication, jubilee of hope for social communication and opening of the Diocesan new communication office complex.
The event held at St John Cross pro-Cathedral parish, Nnewi was heavily graced by the priests of all categories from the Diocese and the laity with the Bishop, Most Rev Jonas Benson Okoye as the Chief Host.
Rev Dr Onwudiwe Martin,the Diocesan Director of Communication, in his remarks said that it pleased the Holy Father, Pope Francis of the blessed memory to declare this year, a year of jubilees of hope.
Fr Martin explained that the Catholic Church recognized a year of jubilees or Holy Year as it is also called as a spiritual time of grace and spiritual renewal that occurs every 25 years.
He disclosed the theme for 2025 jubilee year “Pilgrims of Hope” which he said it emphasized the journey of faith and importance of navigating life’s challenges.
“Pope Francis, therefore, calls on Catholics to renew their hope in Christ using St Paul the Apostle as a guide, emphasizing the importance of forgiveness and reconciliation.
“Coincidentally, today, the world over is World Communication Day which was established by Pope Paul VI in 1967 as an annual celebration that encourages us to reflect on the opportunities and challenges that the modern means of social communication afford the Church to communicate the gospel.
“The theme for 2025 World Communication Day is “Share with Gentleness the Hope that is in your hearts”. The theme calls on Christians alike to re-examine the way they communicate with one another, “he said.
He noted that by the theme for the 59th World Communication Day, the Holy Father drew attention to the violence currently prevalent in communication.
“According to him, communication is too often violent, aimed at striking and not establishing the conditions for dialogue.
“He enjoins all to disarm communication and cleanse it of aggressions. Verbal wars on social media resulting to unhealthy competitions, oppositions and dominations are instances of this aggression.
“Communication is community oriented and by so doing, we cannot disregard a community that lives the message of Jesus Christ in such a credible way as to give glimpse of hope that it brings, “he added.
Fr Martin told the audience that on assumptions of office in February 2022, the Diocesan Bishop, Most Rev Okoye gave a directive to the communication office to get ready to relocate from the Secretariat to a more befitting place for the work.
“Here we are today to the glory of God for the blessing and opening of the Diocesan new communication office complex. Incidentally, unlike in most Dioceses, Nnewi Diocesan communication office is a multi-departmental office.
“We have the biggest printing press any Nigerian Catholic Diocese can boast of. It is a publishing printing press with annexed departments such as the Diocesan Newspaper Department, Diocesan Bulletin Department, Computer School, Bookshop and more, “Martin further added.
He expressed his gratitude to the Bishop for the project as he initiated the relocation.
“My Lord, if you had not insisted, we wouldn’t have arrived at this stage of development. Indeed, the advantages of this relocation are innumerable, “he said.
He made a promise that the establishment would get better by the day.
In his speech, the former Director of Communication, Awka Catholic Diocese, Rev Fr Ralph Ezeoba described the heart as the central processing unit for all forms of communication.
He called for humans to always arm themselves with the truth to avoid misinformation and misinformation.
He warned against supporting falsehood when it favours one, saying that it might turn the other way round tomorrow when the communication would not favour you.
He said that communication should be healthy all the time which he noted could never produce misinformation or disinformation when it is healthy.
He explained that only the heart could distort information and not technology since technology could only reproduce what you feed it which comes from the heart.
The event witnessed awards presentation to customers of the Cathcom and others including priests who contribute one way or the other for the progress of the establishment. Choristers, among others also entertained.