A Society of African Missions (SMA) priest, Rev. Fr. Donall O’Cathain, has described his 36 years of evangelisation in Northern Nigeria as a remarkable journey that has transformed the region and the lives of citizens of the region through formal and non-formal education as well as religiously.
He called on the SMA to further explore other areas within Nigeria, the African continent and the world at large where the Gospel of Jesus Christ has not reached yet.
Fr. O’Cathain, who has mastered one of the prominent languages in Nigeria, spoke in the Hausa language in a video posted on the SMA Nigeria Province’s FB page, where he recalled his arrival in Nigeria in 1986 as a Seminarian; an experience that made him love the country and its people, hence his return after 3 years of pastoral work.
According to him, “I was born in Ireland, but now, the years I have spent in Nigeria are more than the years I spent in Ireland. I came to Nigeria in 1986 before ordination. I was a Seminarian at that time. I did my pastoral work, left Nigeria, but returned after 3 years. So, I have been in Nigeria for the past 36 years.
“I work a lot in the Northern part of Nigeria. When I started my work, there were few Christians; the followers of Jesus were not many. But the grace of God and the Holy Spirit, those who practiced Traditional African Religion (ATR) started converting to Christianity. Today, there are more Christians than traditional worshipers.”
O’Cathain further disclosed how the Order was able to bring education and propagate the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the region.
Rev. Fr. Donall O’Cathain, SMA. Credit: Society of African Missions.
“The path we followed for evangelisation was through the dry season education system. It was a school system designed for those who don’t have formal education.
“They came for 3 months, up to 6 years to gain basic education of reading and writing as well as learn their religious education through Catechesis to the point of getting baptised at the end of the day.
“Aside from that, we opened formal schools, primary and secondary schools that many people started following it till date.”
He commented on the spiritual growth of the people he said were few to accept Christianity, but later saw the massive conversation of traditional religious worshipers in to Christianity.
“When I earlier came, Baptism and Communion and even Christian marriage were just few but today it has changed. Young people are seeking Baptism a lot including Church marriage. So, we thank God and the Holy spirit for making this happened.”
Fr. O’Cathain made known his aspirations and desires for the order, stating thus: “My hope for the SMA in Nigeria is that the time for visitors (Europeans) to come to Nigeria is almost ending. Their work has finished, my prayer is for the SMA in Nigeria to keep searching for places where the Gospel of Jesus Christ has not reached yet in Nigeria, Africa and the world at large,” he stated.
