St Joseph’s Catholic Parish, Amakofia, Ohom-Orba, Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu State, has drawn reactions after displaying its account details on banners across the church to raise funds for its ongoing building project.
The banners, seen by THE WHISTLER, are conspicuous at every corner of the church, soliciting funds from both the parishioners and passersby.
A member of the parish, who did not want to be named, said the initiative was undertaken by the parish building committee with the approval of the parish priest.
“We are calling for wilful donations,” he told our correspondent. “It is a massive church project, and we are a new parish. We have been raising funds, but we really need support from members of the church and non-members. It is for God, and we believe that people will assist us through donations. The concept has been working because several donations are being recorded from anonymous people.”
Another parishioner, who identified himself as Moses, said people had been donating to the project. “Some people voluntarily donate through the displayed bank account. Some of them are not known to us. We are optimistic that more people will find reasons to donate. We ensure transparency. You can see the massive structures we are erecting. Our dream is to complete them very soon, to the glory of God. The structures are still at the foundation level. The high cost of building materials is adversely affecting us. But we remain optimistic.” According to him, Ohom-Orba has influential people, and he expressed hope that the project would get their support in the near future.
“Former Governor of Enugu State, Chief Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, is from Ohom. His house is not far from here. There are many successful business men and women. We also have reputable public servants in Ohom. While we levy the parishioners, we hope that our sons and daughters will see reasons to donate towards the completion of the project.”
Jerome Osadebe, a retired teacher, however, said such open account displays make the church look like a beggar. “How on earth can a Catholic Church display its account details on banners with the inscription “God loves a cheerful giver?” Whatever is the reason, I wouldn’t know, but to me it cheapens the church. There are many ways of fund raising, but not to station banners in every part of the church in the name of soliciting funds.”
Our correspondent observed that the church is currently operating in makeshift structures, making rains and wind disrupt church activities as the case may be. A priest, on condition of anonymity, explained that there are guidelines to grant a parish.
“Before a parish is granted, those seeking are usually told to make efforts to build a church and a residence for the clergymen who will reside there. It is usually herculean, but achievable. In fact, some parish priests even go beyond their limit to raise funds to build parishes. I know one of us that sold his cars to embark on a parish house where he served as a parish priest. He has been posted out of the parish, and he didn’t carry the structures he built. So our people should know the importance of supporting church projects.”
