By Festus Ahon
ASABA—WORRIED by the spate of insecurity in the country, the Bishop of Catholic Diocese of Warri, Most Rev. John Afareha, has challenged parents to teach their children good morals to make them responsible persons in the society.

Afereha, who gave the charge, during a Holy Mass to mark the 45th Annual National Laity Conference, held at the Mother of Redeemer Catholic Church, Effurun, Delta State, said one of the ways to address the problem of insecurity in the country was to raise children with good societal values and with the fear of God.

He said the gospel should be preached to the parents who would in turn transmit same to their children and other families.
The bishop, in the homily which centred on the theme: The Family as Centre and Point of Departure for Lay Evangelism, stressed the role of evangelism in promoting the teaching of the word of God.

Highlighting the importance of faith in the life of a Christian, he said the story of Abraham and Isaac was a testimony of faith in the Lord.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the conference, chairman of the occasion, Justice Godwin Gbemre, described the theme of the conference as very apt and timely in the face of the challenges hurting family life in recent times.

He tasked parents on enduring moral training of their children so that they would be responsible citizens in the society.
In his address, the national chairman of the Catholic Laity Council of Nigeria, Mr. Chizoba Nnagboh, emphasized the role of the laity council in promoting the word of God using evangelism as a medium.

Nnagboh described the progressive development of the Laity Council over the years as laudable, saying that the commitment of its members had been marvelous in every sense of the word.

Earlier, President, Warri Diocesan Catholic Church of Nigeria, Chief Bernard Imonivwerha, said the Warri Diocese/Laity Council was created out of the Diocese of Benin City on the 10th of March, 1964 by His Holiness, Pope Paul VI, and Most Rev. Lucas Olu Chukwuka Nwaezeapu was reputed as the 1st Bishop.

Continuing, Chief Imonivwerha said that over time, the Diocese of Warri had witnessed tremendous development, especially under the leadership of the Most Rev. Afareha, stating that currently, the number of Catholics has risen to about 300,000 which are spread across five pastoral regions. He mentioned other development to include 20 Deaneries, about 130 parishes and chaplaincies and numerous mass centres.

Imonivwerha stated that the theme of conference was aimed atbuilding the family, saying “the family and evangelism can never be over emphasized.”
In a similar vein, Sir George Umoru, President, Benin City Provincial, described the Warri Diocese, as one of the most vibrant dioceses in the province.