A Visit to the Christian Mothers in Nigeria

A Visit to the Confraternity of Christian Mothers in Nigeria

I recently had the great blessing of returning to Nigeria for several weeks of ministry with our Capuchin friars and with the Confraternity of Christian Mothers. My visit included preaching retreats for the friars in Lagos and Benin City, as well as opportunities to meet and pray with members of the Christian Mothers in different parts of the country.

The Confraternity in Nigeria is an extraordinary witness to the vitality of the Catholic faith and to the indispensable vocation of Christian motherhood. With approximately 10,000 members, the Nigerian Confraternity is not only a strong spiritual association but also a remarkable apostolate of charity. The Christian Mothers assist orphanages, support religious sisters in their work, and help provide for the formation of seminarians. Their devotion, generosity, and joyful faith are deeply inspiring.

One of the great joys of my visit was spending time with the Christian Mothers themselves. Their love for Christ, devotion to Our Lady, fidelity to the Church, and concern for the spiritual welfare of their families embody the very purpose for which the Confraternity was founded in 1850. Although separated from us in the United States by thousands of miles, we are truly one spiritual family, united in prayer and in the mission of helping mothers lead their families to Christ.

The visit also gave me an opportunity to strengthen the bonds between the Nigerian Confraternity and the international Archconfraternity. I am particularly grateful to the Nigerian leadership and to their National Chaplain, Very Rev. Fr. Philip Ejorpharuphen, for their warm welcome and dedicated service to the Christian Mothers.

As the Confraternity continues to grow throughout Africa and around the world, Nigeria offers us a beautiful example of what can happen when Christian mothers unite prayer, formation, and works of mercy. I returned home profoundly grateful for their hospitality and encouraged by what God is accomplishing through them.

Please keep our Christian Mothers in Nigeria, their families, priests, seminarians, religious, and all those whom they serve in your prayers.