Catholic Archbishop of the Metropolitan See of Lagos, Most Rev. Alfred Adewale Martins, has stressed the need for Christians to prioritise prayer in the face of the current different challenges in the country, noting that Nigerians can only overcome by combining prayers with work.

Martins gave the advise at the 2024 Feast Day of Saint Jude Thaddeus organisedby the Lagos Archdiocesan Council of St Jude Catholic Society.
Speaking at the yearly event held at Regina Pacis Catholic Church, SangoTedo, Lagos, the Prelate said: “We should always keep the hope, the faith and the trust that God is in total control of our lives.

“There are so many problems and challenges that people are facing and it is easy to lose hope and confidence, especially when you notice that in spite of all the assurances that we are receiving from the government, life has not changed for good.”

Archdiocese Chaplain of St Jude Thaddeus Society, Rev. Fr. Alexander Oboh, expressed happiness at the growth of the society, hailing the addition of the new155 members that were just inducted at the event.

He said with evangelism being the primary mission of the Church, people must be brought to the light to experience Jesus in their lives. Reacting to the challenges facing Nigerians, Oboh also stressed the importance of prayers, saying as Christians, we must be ready to pray without ceasing.

“The Church is struggling in some moments, but in all of these conditions, we are people of hope. We believe in the power and in the workings of God. So, we should not give up and say because things are tough, we will stop praying. We must continue to pray,” he said.

President, Archdiocesan Council, St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Society, Lagos, UgoAneke, said poverty is one of the barriers for practicing the Christian faith, saying the society has launched a N50million Vocation Support Fund for the training of priests and the empowerment of less privileged members of the society.