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Nigeria’s Enugu Diocese Directs Participation in Planned “Thanksgiving to God for saving Igboland during civil war”

Bishop Callistus Chukwuma Valentine Onaga of Nigeria’s Enugu Catholic Diocese. Credit: Enugu Catholic Diocese
Nicholas Waigwa

By Nicholas Waigwa

Enugu, 28 January, 2026 / 4:37 pm (ACI Africa).

Bishop Callistus Chukwuma Valentine Onaga of Nigeria’s Enugu Catholic Diocese has invited the people of God under his pastoral care to participate in “a special joint prayer on Saturday, 31 January 2026,” in thanksgiving to God “for saving Igboland during the Civil War” and to pray for peace, security, and progress.

In a January 26 letter signed by the Chancellor of the Nigerian Catholic Diocese, Fr. Wilfred Chidi Agubuchie, Bishop Chukwuma situates the initiative within a broader agreement by religious and political leaders in the region.

He notes that “the competent Igbo religious and political leaders have agreed that this joint prayer for the people of Igbo shall be organized annually on the last Saturday of January by every Christian denomination in Igboland.” 

Bishop Chukwuma explains that his Episcopal See is participating “in union with all the Bishops and Christian denominations in Igboland,” and adds that the matter had already been discussed at “the first Presbyterium meeting and Diocesan Pastoral Council meeting of the year 2026.” 

He therefore formally invites the people of God to the joint prayer focused on thanksgiving and petition “for peace, the security of lives and property and the progress of Ndi Igbo.”

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In the one-page letter, the Chancellor of Enugu Diocese says that the joint prayer day will see Christian denominations across the region united in intention. 

Bishop Chukwuma directs that “on this day, all Masses to be celebrated in our Diocese are to be offered for the above intention.” 

He goes on to instruct that “the parish priests, chaplains, superiors, and heads of institutions are expected to announce this call for prayer to their communities and ensure that it is well-attended and faithfully observed.”

The Local Ordinary of Enugu Diocese since his Episcopal Consecration in May 2009 has encouraged broad participation, saying, “We are encouraged to join in this union of prayer devotedly.” 

Bishop Chukwuma’s call comes against the backdrop of persistent insecurity in Nigeria, a country that continues to experience widespread violence affecting Christian communities.

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The January 26 letter expresses Bishop Chukwuma’s hope that the annual observance will bear lasting fruit beyond the region. “We pray that it will bring lasting peace, fraternal unity, and sustainable development in Igboland and Nigeria as a whole,” he writes.

The Nigerian Catholic Church leader invokes spiritual support for the initiative and implores, “May the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Peace, intercede for us.”

In early January, a Netherlands-based international Christian mission that tracks global persecution and supports persecuted Christians worldwide reported that more Christians were killed in Nigeria in 2025 than anywhere else in the world combined, placing the country at the center of a growing global persecution crisis. The Open Doors report indicated that of the 4,849 Christians killed for their faith worldwide, 3,490 were in Nigeria.

In the January 26 letter, the Local Ordinary of the Enugu Diocese, which largely serves the Igbo community, expresses hope that the new annual spiritual initiative contributes to lasting peace.

“We pray that it will bring lasting peace, fraternal unity, and sustainable development in Igboland and Nigeria as a whole. May the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Peace, intercede for us,” Bishop Chukwuma says. 

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Nicholas Waigwa

Nicholas Waigwa is a Kenyan multimedia journalist and broadcast technician with a professional background in creating engaging news stories and broadcasting content across multiple media platforms. He is passionate about the media apostolate and Catholic Church communication.