I AM PRIEST FOR NINE YEARS.

The month of August is a special month for me, as it is the month that I said yes to the priesthood of Jesus Christ. I was ordained on the 10th of August, 2001 in my parish, St. Theresa’s church Osuachara, Imo State Nigeria. Prior to my ordination, I spent 7 years in the high school seminary, one year in a special spiritual formation seminary and nine years in the college seminary studying philosophy and theology. These years prepared me for the ministry. After my ordination, I served as associate pastor for one year and then became a chaplain of a high school for three years. In 2005, I left Nigeria to Belgium for further studies. From the Catholic University of Leuven Belgium, I got masters in Religious Studies. In 2007, I came to diocese of Jefferson City and for two years and half I was the associate pastor at Immaculate Conception Church, Jefferson City. In 2009, I was transferred to the Cathedral of St. Joseph as the associate pastor and master of ceremonies to the bishop in the cathedral.

When I look back to these nine years of being a priest, all I have to say is “THANK YOU LORD”. Thanks you Lord for the gift of the Catholic Priesthood, for the gift of the church, for the faith of the people of God and for family and friends.

Thank you all for your support. Please continue to pray for me and for every priest in the world. May God’s grace remain abundant in your hearts, Amen.

Fr. Benjamin Nwosu

Chaplain

As the heat of August summer days beats down on us, the activity of the council also heats up.

Aug 14 we will have a Highway clean-up @ 8 am. Please meet @ Christy Dr/Hwy 179& 54 interchange.

Aug 15 Sunday, Back -to-School Breakfast will christen the opening of another school year. Come get pancakes & sausage prepared by the 8th grade & Knights.
Vatican Splendors Art display @ the MO History Museum in Forest Park is an unusual opportunity to see Vatican artwork & historical pieces in Aug-Sept. See vaticansplendors.com for details.

RECRUIT ! ! ! new K of C members. any male parishioner is a candidate. Promote the council & its benefits.

Samaritan Center Food Drive will be upon us Sept 17-18, mark your calendar at home.

Thanks to all the new slate of officers who agreed to serve for the 2010-2011 year, you are a devoted bunch.

Come to a meeting Aug 11 or Sept 8 & find out the KC scoop in person.

God Bless,

Brian Johnson, Grand Knight

July Meeting Minutes

The Holy Father has special intentions for each month of the year, and the JULY 2010 General intention is Justice in electing those who govern. This intention prays that every nation conducts elections with justice, transparency and honesty, respecting the free decisions of the people. Also the Missionary intention for this month is Urban Culture of Justice, Solidarity and Peace. This intention prays that all Christians will continue to be effective in promoting education, justice, solidarity and peace everywhere, especially in the urban areas.

These two intentions for the month of July, 2010 invite us to reflect on what we have done or what we can do to promote integrity and honesty in our electoral system and also what we have done or what we can do to promote education, justice, unity and peace in our parishes and communities.

The Holy Father’s intentions remind us that as Christians we are members of a civil society and also of a religious society and it is our responsibility to make these intentions come to fruition.

I hope you all are enjoying the summer and the warm weather. It makes me feel like I am in Nigeria. I feel at home. When people ask me after mass or elsewhere how I feel about the summer weather, I immediately shout Great! Great! The humidity here is nothing compared to what we have in Nigeria. Any ways, I wish you all a great summer, and stay cool now.

May the Peace of Christ be with you all.

Fr. Benjamin Nwosu

Chaplain

KofC 12992 Calendar for 2010-2011

ANOTHER YEAR ANOTHER DOZEN FUND RAISERS

July marks the beginning of another council year. Many accomplishments are behind us for 2009 and many successes & challenges ahead.

Thanks to all who helped the St Jude Walk-a-thon raise a record amount this year.
All totaled, we raised & donated over $10,000 to church, school & charities this past year; pat yourselves on the back!

Aug 13 Keep momentum going by marking your calendar for 1st St Joseph Golf Tournament @ Eagle Knoll. Teams are filling up fast, make a reservation today. The Knights will be cooking lunch.

Aug 14 we plan a highway clean-up.
Aug 15 will be our back to school breakfast.

MAKE A RESOLUTION to read your COLUMBIAN magazine this year. There is much great information from our supreme council, the vatican & other notable sources to further our growing faith.

HAPPY SUMMER,

Brian Johnson, Grand Knight

June Meeting Minutes

I could not think of any other phrase as we come to the end of the year for priests than the phrase “BE NOT AFRAID”. We have this phrase several times in the Scripture, and Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Gospel of Matthew 14:27 urges us to persevere in the face of persecution, and so I find it pertinent to encourage my brother priests and God’s faithful people with the words of the Servant of God John Paul II at the inaugural mass of his papacy. He said “Be not afraid” let the present moment not deter you from giving your “all” to Him who has called you’. The Church in its 2000 years of history has thrived not only on the strengths of its holiness but also on the wounds of its weaknesses which have been purified. In the midst of all the difficulties and challenges facing the church, Jesus says to us “My hand upholds you, wherever you may fall, you will always fall into my Hands.

Although the year for priests has not been an easy one given the attacks on the Papacy and on priestly chastity and celibacy, I must confess that it has been a year of blessing for all of us. In different parts of the world, many have been ordained to the priesthood of Jesus Christ. USCCB Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations on its website www.usccb.org/vocations/classof2010 reports that 440+ men would have been ordained to the Priesthood of Jesus Christ by the end of the year. In my diocese in Nigeria, Okigwe diocese, 12 will be ordained in August of this year. We witnessed the ordination of Fr. Francis Doyle and Fr. Dylan Schrader of our diocese, Jefferson City. These are signs to us that Christ will never abandon His church. These assures us of the Christ’s promise in the Gospel of Matthew 28:20 “I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS, UNTIL THE END OF AGE”

Brother Knights, let us to continue to pray for the church and for priests all over the world. I wish all a great summer vacation.

Rev. Benjamin Nwosu
Chaplain

May Meeting Minutes

Traditionally, the month of May is considered by the church as the month of Mary.
It is the month when Catholics all over the world honor the mother of all mothers, the Blessed Virgin Mary.

It’s often great to see children honor Mary during the month of May and this is called May Crowning, a ceremony cerebrated with songs honoring Mary, and also adorning the image of Mary with a crown. This tradition goes back to the time of the Council of Ephesus (A.D 431), when Mary was once again declared the THEOTOKOS-The mother of God. The outcome of this Council was the church’s rejection of the heresy of Nestorius which rejected of the long-used title Mother of God for the Virgin Mary.

Mary as the mother of God is also the mother of the church and our mother. She is crowned as the queen of heaven because she was a perfect follower of Christ. Mary has taught us how to follow Christ in all circumstances. Archbishop Fulton Sheen once said that God gave us Mary to be our support in our weakness and our consolation suffering and a refuge in our sinfulness.

These Sundays of May, we pray the rosary before every mass and we also pray rosary before 6:30 am mass, Monday-Friday. I pray that we use other Marian devotions and prayers not just this month of May but always. May we spend time in prayer with Mary that she may bring us to her Son Jesus Christ.

Rev. Benjamin Nwosu
Chaplain