A DECADE OF GRACE, GRATITUDE AND GROWTH: THE HISTORY OF ST. ALBERT THE GREAT MAJOR SEMINARY, IDOWU-OFFONRAN, OGUN STATE
PREAMBLE
The history of St. Albert the Great Major Seminary in its ten years of existence, is a story of faith action, and a response of God’s enduring call to form young men as shepherds after His own heart. St. Albert the Great Major Seminary is located on the sprawling hills of Idowu-Offonran village in Obalerni-Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State. It is one of the three regional seminaries in the South Western part of Nigeria, belonging to the Bishops of the Ecclesiastical provinces if Benin City, Ibadan and Lagos. St. Albert the Great Major Seminary was established to depopulate the other two regional seminaries, namely Saints Peter and Paul Major Seminary, Bodija, and All Saints Major Seminary, Uhiele; and to give new impetus to the task of forming young men for the sacred priesthood.
PROJECT COMMITTEE
The task of actualising this project of establishing a new Seminary was entrusted to Very Rev. Fr. Julius Olaitan. Very Rev. Fr. Julius Olaitan, the project director, alongside Mr. Otunba Asenuga and Engr. S.K. Ilugbekhai, began work at the site. Although the task of building a new seminary was a difficult one, in September 2010, work began at the site with the construction of the first classroom block (St. Joseph block) through the instrumentality of Chief Mrs. Angelica Oyediran and Chief Jospeh Oyebanji, who provided the funds needed.
In 2012, Anthony Cardinal Okogie (the then Archbishop of Lagos Archdiocese), set up a fundraising and Awareness Committee under the leadership of Sir. Clement Iwuchukwu. The emergence of this committee marked a significant turning point for the project. Following his installation as the Archbishop of Lagos Archdiocese, Most Rev. Alfred Martins appealed that parishes in the Archdiocese challenged with the task of erecting structures in the seminary, ensure they fulfil that responsibility. This effort from the Archbishop, Clergy and Christ faithful of Lagos Archdiocese, produced seven classrooms, four hostel blocks, an apartment for the formators, a student centre, a dinning hall, a library, an auditorium (which currently serves as the chapel), staff quarters and the multi-purpose court for sports.
SPIRITUAL YEAR PROGRAMME
To test-run some of the key structures that were already completed, St. Albert the Great Major Seminary served as Spiritual Year in 2014 for the Spiritual Year Programme of 2014/2015 formation session. It hosted one hundred and eighty-one seminarians (181) from the different dioceses of Benin City, Ibadan and Lagos provinces and outside the South Western region. Upon commencement of the Spiritual Year Program, Very Rev. Fr. Anslem Ekhelar of Auchi Diocese, the the Vice Rector of All Saints Major Seminary Uhiele, was appointed as the pioneer Rector of St. Albert the Great Major Seminary. Alongside him, Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Lewis of Abeokuta Diocese and Fr. Albert Igbodipe of Ijebu-Ode Diocese were also appointed as Registrar and Bursar, respectively. Three of them were tasked with the duties of basic preparation of St. Albert the Great Major Seminary. Their tasks included: the drawing up of policies that will guide the seminary towards goal, mapping out the administrative structures and processes that will implement these policies, drawing up a formation programme that the seminary will run, and the employment of staff for the Seminary.
BEGINNING OF FORMARION AND FORMAL INAUGURATION
On the 2nd of October 2015, St. Albert the Great Major Seminary opened its doors and officially admitted 41 candidates, its pioneer set of seminarians for formation. The new formation year began with seven formators in the persons of: Very Rev. Fr. Anslem Ekhelar as Rector, Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Lewis as Registrar, Rev. Fr. Albert Igbodipe as Bursar, Rev. Fr. Gabriel Anekwe as Spiritual Director I, Rev. Fr. Paul Amenaghawon as Spiritual Director II, Rev. Fr. Peter Egbe as the Head of Philosophy Department and Rev. Fr. John Nwanze as Moderator of Studies. On the 17th of March 2016, the Seminary was officially inaugurated at a grand ceremony. Anthony Cardinal Okogie proclaimed the inaugural decree in the presence of the Bishops of Benin City, Ibadan and Lagos provinces. The inauguration came along with the Endowment Fund Scheme, with the acronym FOSAGS (Friends of St. Albert the Great Seminary); its primary purpose and aim is to sustain and develop the Seminary.
THE SEMINARY TODAY
In its tenth year of existence and eleventh formative season, St. Albert the Great Major Seminary stands as a beacon of faith, learning and formation. The Seminary has grown tremendously and witnessed significant milestones. It has expanded in structures, staff and student population; the Seminary is currently home to two hundred and eleven seminarians. Guiding this large and dynamic community is a committed team of thirteen formators in the persons of: Very Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Lewis of Abeokuta Diocese as the Rector; Very Rev. Fr. Peter Egbe of Uromi Diocese as Vice-Rector and Head of the Philosophy Department; Rev. Fr. Francis Mekako of Issele-Uku Diocese as Registrar; Very Rev. Fr. John Nwanze of Issele-Uku Diocese as the Head of the Theology Department/Moderator of Studies; Rev. Fr. Francis Olufumilayo of Oyo Diocese as Bursar; Rev. Fr. Gabriel Anekwe of Ibadan Archdiocese as Spiritual Director I; Rev. Fr. Paul Amenaghawon of Lagos Archdiocese as Spiritual Director II, Rev. Fr. Francis Fabidun of Ondo Diocese as Moderator of Arts, Culture and Sports; Rev. Fr. Enoch Usifo of Uromi Diocese as Moderator of Seminarian’s Affairs; Very Rev. Fr. Evarestus Igwe-Alufo CM as Moderator of Labor and Productivity; Rev. Fr. Anthony Aderibigbe of Lagos Archdiocese as Moderator of Liturgy; Very Rev. Fr. Matthew Oladukun of Ondo Diocese as Moderator of Pastoral Affairs and Library; and Rev. Fr. Polycarp Imoagene of Auchi Diocese.
In her ten years of existence, the Seminary’s dream of forming young men after the heart of Christ has become a beautiful reality. In 2023 the seminary finally had her student ordained the first time. Their ordination marked a historic fulfilment of the seminary’s mission to nurture, form and send forth men who would serve faithfully at the altar of God. Since then until now, from its halls have gone forth thirty-two (32) priests now labouring in the vineyard of God, sixteen (16) Deacons who continue to journey towards the Priesthood.
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
St. Albert the Great Major Seminary has maintained an outstanding record of academic excellence, reflecting the intellectual rigour and discipline that define priestly formation. The performance of her seminarians in both Philosophy and Theology has been consistency remarkable. Since her inception, several seminarians have graduated with first-class honours (5 in the Philosophy department and 8 in the Theology department from her first four sets), while majority have graduated with second-class honours. Notably, no seminarian of the Seminary has ever graduated with third-class degree or a mere pass, a feat that underscores the seriousness, commitment and intellectual vitality that characterise the seminary’s academic culture.
PUBLICATIONS
Over the Years, the Seminary has made remarkable strides in the intellectual world through various publications such as: The AGORA Magazine, the AGORA Journal, and the SAGS Series inaugurated in 2019, 2020 and 2021, respectively. The AGORA magazine published by the Seminarians, has become the official voice of the seminary in society. It is a platform for seminarians to reach out to a wider audience beyond the seminary community to share their perspective on issues of faith, politics and life in general. Complementing it is the AGORA Journal, referred academic platform dedicated to scholarly articles and research in Philosophy and Theology, aimed at providing a forum for the exchange of thoroughly researched ideas and insight. The SAGS Series is a peer-reviewed Series by the Formation Team and Academic Staff, that captures for wider dissemination and for posterity, studies and reflections towards the exigencies of life in relation to their formation and academic life.
MEANS OF SUBSTENANCE
To ensure some level of self-reliance, the Seminary engages actively in various agricultural ventures. Through farming, the seminary community produces most of the vegetables used in daily meals, as well as Garri, which serves as one of the staple foods for seminarians. The Seminary also maintains a poultry, where birds are raised both for consumption and for sale, contributing to the seminary’s internal economy. In addition to these, the seminary also cultivates cashew and processed cashew nuts for sale. These initiatives not only sustain the seminary materially, but also instil in the seminarians the value of hard work, stewardship and self-sufficiency as integral aspect of priestly formation.
CHALLENGES
Despite the many blessings and progress recorded, the Seminary continues to face several challenges that affect its daily operation and formative activities. One of the most significant challenges at present is the completion of a befitting Chapel for worship, and the completion of the additional St. Peter hostel block. With the growing number of seminarians, accommodation has become strained, leading to four and five seminarians, sharing a room originally designed for three occupants. Another equally demanding challenge is the problem of water supply. Being located on a hill, the water table is quite low, making it difficult to get enough water for daily use. The Seminary relies heavily on pumping machines and the tireless efforts of water prefects, yet a constant flow of water remains a persistent challenge. Another major challenge is the location of the seminary. The Seminary is situated far from the main city of Abeokuta, distant from major roads and with the roads leading to it already damaged by erosion, accessibility is quite difficult. This geographical isolation, coupled with the high cost of petrol, has made it increasingly challenging to get lecturers to come for lectures weekly.
CONCLUSION
As the Seminary marks its 10th Anniversary, we are grateful to God Almighty, whose providence and grace has guided every step of the journey. From humble beginnings to the vibrant house of formation it has become today, the story of this seminary is truly a testimony of God’s faithfulness and love. We express profound appreciation and gratitude to our Proprietors, the Bishops of Benin-city, Ibadan and Lagos Ecclesiastical Provinces, whose vision, pastoral care and unwavering support have sustained us these past ten years. Our heartfelt gratitude also goes to the Dioceses, Priests, Individuals, Organisations and Friends of the Seminary, whose prayers, sacrifice, support, generosity and efforts have been sustaining the formators, both past and present, for their sacrifices, dedication, hard work and significant impact they have made in our lives. We also wish to express our gratitude to the Congregation of Propagation of Faith, for its support to our seminary through the years.
May God bless you all. Amen.
COMPLIED BY:
REV. MOSES OGBENEGARE AVWORO
REV. SAMUEL OYEKACHUKWU ILIDE
REV. CORNIELUS IKECHUKWU EZETOHA