The celebration of the feast of Our Mother of Perpetual Help was done in a grand way in Lomé by the confrères working in the Archdiocese of Lomé. You would remember that the Vice-province of Afrique l’Ouest and the Vice-province of Nigeria started a new mission in Togo, precisely Noèpé, Lomé Archdiocese, with four pioneer confrères: Fr Patrice Nyanda, CSsR from Burkina Faso, Fr Firmin Afanou, CSsR from Togo and Frs James Vembe, CSsR and Cyprian Eugene Mbamara, CSsR from Nigeria.
The feast began with a nine days (18th to 26th June) at the parish level, where the confraternity of Our Mother of Perpetual Help exists. At the Archdiocesan level, the last three days (24th to 26th) were dedicated to teaching some key persons and the spirituality of the congregation. On the first day, the person and spirituality of St. Alphonsus de Liguori (our founder) was taught, the second day was on St. Gerard Majella, while the third and last day of the novena was on the Icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help. Notable here is the fact that the teachings on those last three days of the novena were done by Fr Piotr Chyla, CSsR, director of the Redemptorist Spirituality Centre in Rome.
The D-day of the feast of Our Mother of Perpetual Help (27th June) was celebrated at the Archdiocesan level. The mass was celebrated by Fr Patrice, and the homilist was Fr Piotr, while Fr Cyprian was one of the concelebrants. During the homily Fr Piotr called on all the confraternity members to imitate Mary in loving one another, standing by and supporting one another, and lastly, giving up their lives for one another in service to God and humanity. One of the highlights of the liturgical celebration was the renewal of the consecration of the members of the Confraternity of Our Mother of Perpetual Help. After the renewal, amid dancing and praises, they offered lighted candles with flowers to honour Mary by placing them in front of the Icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help. Fr Piotr was kind enough to accept the petitions of the confraternity members and promised to celebrate mass for those intentions when he gets to Rome, alongside placing them at the foot of the original Icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help. The celebration was highly attended by over 400 members of the confraternity. The celebration ended with a dinner with the members of the executive body of the confraternity.
The joy of the members of the confraternity knew no bounds as they expressed their gratitude to Fr Piotr and the confrères working in the Lomé Archdiocese. We are indeed grateful to God for the physical and spiritual growth of the members of the confraternity here in Lomé Archdiocese; while working on spreading far and wide the confraternity of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Togo, and working too on building the national shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help here in Lomé Archdiocese.
Fr Cyprian Eugene Mbamara, CSsR
Community of Our Mother of Perpetual Help, Noèpé
