Church Leaders Visit Maria Centre
Visit comes on the back of claims that the worst of the Boko Haram insurgency is over.
Church leaders at the Maria Centre in Abuja, Nigeria.
A number of church leaders paid a visit to the Maria Centre in Abuja, Nigeria on Sunday last, May 8th. The church leaders included Cardinal John Onaiyekan, the Archbishop of Abuja, who is a frequent visitor to the Maria Centre. Archbishop Augustine Kasujja, the Papal Nuncio to Nigeria, was also in attendance along with Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia. Archbishop Paglia, the President of the Pontifical Council for the Family, is currently on a visit to Nigeria to present the Apostolic Exhortation, ‘Amoris Laetitia’ to the Bishops and the Church of Nigeria.
Sr. Anne Falola, OLA (seated left) with the church leaders during their visit.
The church leaders spent a number of hours at the camp for Internally Displaced People (IDP). During their time at the centre, they met many who have come to the IDP camp in search of safety from Boko Haram. Rahab Peters, accompanied by her family, made a presentation to the visitors. The family, who are from Borno in north-eastern Nigeria, fled to Abuja to escape the insurgency. Rahab and her mother, Sarah, are learning new skills at the Maria Centre. The Maria Centre opened in March and Sr. Anne Falola, OLA is involved in the running of the centre which aims to empower the women of the IDP camp in Abuja.
Archbishop Paglia with Rahab (centre) and her mother Sarah.
The visit comes as some claims emerge that the worst of the Boko Haram insurgency has passed. Mannir Dan Ali, editor of Nigeria's Daily Trust newspaper, has claimed that roads linking some areas, which were once Boko Haram strongholds, have reopened. Mr. Ali, in a article featured on the BBC website, reports that soldiers are now escorting convoys of private vehicles through these communities a number of times each day.
More of Archbishop Paglia's Nigerian visit here.
Click here to read Mannir Dan Ali's article in full.
