Diocesan News05 Jan 11

The Bishop of Clogher speaks of reconciliation on visit to Kaduna diocese

During the last fortnight of November the bishop of Clogher, Michael Jackson, spent time in the Diocese of Kaduna. He has a long-standing friendship with Bishop Josiah Idowu-Fearon and Mrs Idowu-Fearon and was their guest.

He had the opportunity to address the clergy of the diocese twice and the laity of the diocese once on subject of The Anglican Covenant. He also participated in the Advent rally for the whole Province of Kaduna in the Jacaranda Farm, just outside Kaduna city.

The work of Bridge Builders in Kaduna Diocese and throughout Northern Nigeria is ground-breaking and is a direct and practical response to the situation of societal unease coming out of the Kaduna Riots.

Structured building of trust in fractured and distrustful communities struck a chord with the work of peace-building and reconciliation in Bishop Jackson’s own country of Ireland and in his own cross-border diocese.

A broad-ranging sense of Anglican church life, where traditional forms of worship combine with a freer style, gave the distinct impression of a diocese which had faced and dealt with the ruinous effects of rioting and carnage emanating from uneasy tensions between different Faiths in a compassionate and constructive way.

Mothers’ Union was also particularly strong in advancing programmes of healthcare, personal dignity and the fight against HIV/AIDS in a world which is as complicated and as open to malign influences in Nigeria as is any other part of the world.

Clogher Diocese has been delighted to provide the bulk of the funding of a residential facility on Jacaranda Farm which can accommodate up to sixty people. It is also engaged as of now in the Kaduna Rural Education Project which seeks to provide resources for small primary schools in the country areas.