The Benedictine Way in Nigeria

Dominic is a good friend of ours and he recently made a trip to Father VanderPutten’s mission in Africa…

The Benedictine Way in Nigeria

By Dominic Rizzo

The Rule of St. Benedict provides a framework for the building up and maintenance of a Catholic culture. The Rule makes clear to the prospective monk that “…he must first promise his stability, fidelity to the monastic lifestyle and obedience” (RB 58.17). 

 It was through this threefold path of stability, obedience, and conversion of life achieved through fidelity to his monastic vows that the Benedictine monk was able take a Europe still reeling from the fall of the Roman Empire and build up what became the flourishing Catholic culture of Christendom.  

It was a gradual and arduous process. But the glories of the High Middle Ages can be traced directly back to the vision of St. Benedict and his unwavering desire to sanctify the time and place that was given to him. 

This Benedictine vision has found a new home in Nigeria. Though there are no monastery chapels filled with chant and incense, there is a core group of Traditional Catholics devoted to that same work of building a Catholic culture from the ground up.  

The priests and parishioners of Nne Enyemaka Shrine in Imo State, Nigeria are defying the enticements of the modern world. Faced with its materialistic vision of money, transient pleasures, and worldly success for its own sake, these faithful Catholics are instead using St. Benedict’s approach of stability and fidelity to build an enclave of Traditional Catholicism in southeast Nigeria. 

Education is a hallmark of the Benedictine approach and one that is emphasized by the Nigerian faithful. The priests and parishioners of the shrine operate St. Therese of the Child Jesus School for the benefit of the local children.  

The school provides the first component of the Benedictine vision, namely, stability in time and place. The staff comprised of religious sisters and lay parishioners provides an environment in which the students can pursue the good, the true, and the beautiful free from the distractions of the outside world. 

Rootedness and commitment to the future are also evident in the building of a convent for the sisters. Once finished, it will provide the sisters with a stable long-term home in which they can live out their religious life in a peaceful rural setting. This convent will allow the sisters to grow and to continue being an edifying presence for both the schoolchildren and the parishioners for generations to come. 

Many of the parishioners at Nne Enyemaka Shrine have made significant sacrifices to live in proximity to the shrine and the vision it offers. Their devotion shines through in many ways.  

Attendance at the daily Traditional Latin Mass is remarkably high. The children are well-behaved and largely appreciative of the education they receive. Parish functions are many and well-attended.  

The priests of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP) who say Mass and provide the sacraments are respected by the parishioners for their faithfulness to the Catholic tradition and for their devotion to their flock. 

Living out the Benedictine vision has already begun to yield tangible fruits among the Nigerian faithful. These fruits find their echoes in the joyous sounds of children at play, the resonating voices of the choir at High Mass, and the proclamation of “Ave Maria” so prevalent in daily conversation. 

 There are many challenges involved and inevitable setbacks that occur. But from these faithful we can the invaluable lessons of taking joy in the particular and sanctifying the here and now. 

Here is a video of the children at the school with their nice uniforms on….

Below is a video of Father VanderPutten narrating a video of a short tour of the new convent that is almost ready for the sisters….

A Catholic home in Lent grows quieter not from emptiness, but from listening. ~Finer Femininity

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