Here is a story that most priest will agree with me that is real let read it with a wrap attention.
As I drove back from Lagos to my small village in Isolo-Opin, I was praying and hoping someone will just send me a token to cater for some basic needs and fulfil some of the commitments of charity I made.
The whole of last Sunday collection, I used half to purchase fuel, I used half to pay someone's hospital bills. Meaning, I am broke already broken like the bread I break daily.
While I was driving and hoping, someone called me and begged me to help her, she needs 20k for her daughter's school fees and it's urgent. I promised next week though I am sure my whole collection won't be up to that- a collection that I am not even at liberty to dispense as I will.
After a while, a boy who just requested me to be his spiritual director, sent a message telling me he is so broke and he needs help. I answered with a deep sigh.
I got home still hoping for alert, one of my youths who just got admitted to Kwara poly told me they will close porter next week, she has got only 20k out of school fees of 64k and then the cry "Fr, please don't let me lose this admission, I suffered so much pains and delay before getting it." I told her I will try and do something - even though I don't know how I can help.
After my evening mass today, a woman came crying and begging for help for her sick son, she wants to pay hospital bills.
Just this night, I am checking messages on Watsapp and someone from my former parish is using God's name to beg me to buy her sowing machine.
***********
I just became sad suddenly. I am now asking myself...
Who is a priest? What do people think about us? Something like "they have money but don't have family so no responsibility."
A man once came to beg me for a loan of 850 thousand naira and he put "only", my whole collection for a year is not up to that.
Please, dear people, have mercy on us, it is abnormal for a priest to be rich, we took vow of voluntary poverty and indeed many of us are poor
We are only struggling to live Well, we also have a catalogue of responsibilities, we must develop the parish, we must buy drugs, take care of where we live, service our vehicle and put things in order for worship and remit to the diocese or our congregations. We have families and relatives too.
We are not the owner of those money you see in collection boxes.
Even what we spend, we must account for it as a matter of justice and conscience.
A priest is to live on your charity not for you to saddle the priests with burdens and yokes of responsibilities.
Some even come to lie to get help, I can't count how many people have requested phones from me- without knowing the struggle and tension between my present phone and I, some even steal from the priests,from the Church's treasury and some even steal the priest himself.
Pls have mercy on us, we are not exactly what many of you are thinking. The jeep you see us ride most times is a gift and a pastoral necessity, not a luxury, we need them not to prove we are rich but to access that stony, holly and Sandy outstations where souls are waiting and most times the fuel we buy is more than the collection we get.
We are to receive charity and dispense prudently according to reasonable bounds.
We are ordained primarily to be your spiritual guard and help and connect you to God in the path of salvation.
Please show us some mercy and re-order your perception and help your priests to be focused and serve you in his proper capacity.
Fr Emmanuel Okami
Edited by Fr law Sdv
The whole of last Sunday collection, I used half to purchase fuel, I used half to pay someone's hospital bills. Meaning, I am broke already broken like the bread I break daily.
While I was driving and hoping, someone called me and begged me to help her, she needs 20k for her daughter's school fees and it's urgent. I promised next week though I am sure my whole collection won't be up to that- a collection that I am not even at liberty to dispense as I will.
After a while, a boy who just requested me to be his spiritual director, sent a message telling me he is so broke and he needs help. I answered with a deep sigh.
I got home still hoping for alert, one of my youths who just got admitted to Kwara poly told me they will close porter next week, she has got only 20k out of school fees of 64k and then the cry "Fr, please don't let me lose this admission, I suffered so much pains and delay before getting it." I told her I will try and do something - even though I don't know how I can help.
After my evening mass today, a woman came crying and begging for help for her sick son, she wants to pay hospital bills.
Just this night, I am checking messages on Watsapp and someone from my former parish is using God's name to beg me to buy her sowing machine.
***********
I just became sad suddenly. I am now asking myself...
Who is a priest? What do people think about us? Something like "they have money but don't have family so no responsibility."
A man once came to beg me for a loan of 850 thousand naira and he put "only", my whole collection for a year is not up to that.
Please, dear people, have mercy on us, it is abnormal for a priest to be rich, we took vow of voluntary poverty and indeed many of us are poor
We are only struggling to live Well, we also have a catalogue of responsibilities, we must develop the parish, we must buy drugs, take care of where we live, service our vehicle and put things in order for worship and remit to the diocese or our congregations. We have families and relatives too.
We are not the owner of those money you see in collection boxes.
Even what we spend, we must account for it as a matter of justice and conscience.
A priest is to live on your charity not for you to saddle the priests with burdens and yokes of responsibilities.
Some even come to lie to get help, I can't count how many people have requested phones from me- without knowing the struggle and tension between my present phone and I, some even steal from the priests,from the Church's treasury and some even steal the priest himself.
Pls have mercy on us, we are not exactly what many of you are thinking. The jeep you see us ride most times is a gift and a pastoral necessity, not a luxury, we need them not to prove we are rich but to access that stony, holly and Sandy outstations where souls are waiting and most times the fuel we buy is more than the collection we get.
We are to receive charity and dispense prudently according to reasonable bounds.
We are ordained primarily to be your spiritual guard and help and connect you to God in the path of salvation.
Please show us some mercy and re-order your perception and help your priests to be focused and serve you in his proper capacity.
Fr Emmanuel Okami
Edited by Fr law Sdv
Nice one padre... I pray most people understands
ReplyDeleteWell explained Padre.
ReplyDeleteHere's my own view about the topic.
It's a dilemma that Priests must deal with. While some are honestly poor, some are flaunting their wealth and material possessions even to the point of competing with the lay faithful. How then can one explain to most parishioners that Priests are not rich people? How can they understand that they're accountable for the little they spend? How could they naturally accept the fact that Priests rely on divine Providence? It's a serious dilemma in which Priests must begin to address before addressing the lay faithful.
I was at my hometown for Thanksgiving mass after my Diaconate Ordination; when the elders in my village came to see me. Amidst all that were said that faithful evening, the honest/ignorant appeal of one of the men still baffles me till date. Let me try as much as I can to recall his exact words. He says "Rev., now you about to become a Priest, whenever you are sending something to us, send it through the heads of any of the organizations but not through some kind of Relatives bcoz often times parcels don't reach their actual destinations through such means." Personally I wondered why the man would make such statement given the fact that they're supposed to support me especially after my priestly ordination. Then I realized that some Priests in my village who live overseas are seen as small gods and they've built mansions in their fathers' compounds. Obviously, the man thinks mine won't be different.
Priests should help to correct this impression on the people. Such thoughts in the lay faithful often lead them to accuse priests of embezzling the parish funds even when there's no proof to such allegation.
Thank you Padre.
Good one Fr Lawrence, more ink to your Pen ... The gospel is the absolute truth.
ReplyDeleteWell articulated padre... Indeed, priests cry but those tears ain't visible. May God continue to uphold our priests in His vineyard. Amen.
ReplyDeleteNice one boy.
ReplyDeleteWow,so true padre,the lord will continue to hear the cry of our priests and may he continue to provide and strenghten you all in his vineyard
ReplyDelete