Parish priest of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Catholic Church, Ikotun, a suburb of Lagos, Rev. Fr. Usman Jacob, marked his 10th anniversary in priesthood yesterday, reports ANOZIE EGOLE.

Speaking on the event, the excited clergyman thanked all the priests present for their continuous support all through his seminary days.

“I am very grateful to all the priests who in one way or the other encouraged me all through my seminary days. They made me never to give up in the pursuit for my priestly call,” he said, adding that the memories of late Monsignor Abel Bida and late Fr. Simon Peter Ojidu remain unforgettable in his voyage.

“I am also gazing into the future with the confidence since it is full of opportunities to establish a better world with the grace and power of God,’’ he said.

According to him, “whoever is aspiring to be a priest must be ready to serve selflessly in humility and model his life after that of Christ. He must detach himself from material possessions and be a good Christian because it is only a good Christian that can make a good priest.”

He also counselled parents to help their children in the family to enable them discover their vocations.

“All parents should also know that early catechetical instruction is important in the life of your children,’’ he stated.