@ Ikenna Paschal Okpaleke  We shall go up into God’s house With shouts of jo-y We shall go into the house of the Lord Sang the choir in unison with the well-dressed crowd of worshippers. Then, bells out Aunty Maureen, the nightingale of St. Cecilia’s choir, in scintillating solo: For the peace of Jerusalem pray Peace be to your homes May peace reign in your walls In your palaces peace That was the fourth stanza. It was at this point that Okechukwu entered the church. It was his first time in a Catholic Mass. His curiosity led him into deciding … Continue reading Wakanda Signage

My name is Rev. Fr. Chris and I want to tell you a story about my bestie: Naza (short for Chinaza) is my bestie. Yes, you heard me. She is my cousin, one that has been very close to me, having known me through and through. I was the older one. She calls me ‘uncle’ when she was still a baby. But today, having become a woman that she is, with all the confidence that adorns her very exciting and impressive life, she now calls me ‘bestie’. They say that your bestie is not necessarily your boyfriend or girlfriend which … Continue reading My Bestie – Ikenna Paschal Okpaleke

Intro and analysis: The quote above was followed by the question: “Do you agree?” We received over 60 responses which was very heart-warming. Out of the 60, only 18 (representing 30%) are married while the rest 42 (70%) are not-married. Almost all the married (about 90%) agreed completely with the statement, the remaining 10% did not agree totally. Among the 42 not-married respondents, about 25 (c. 60%) agreed completely while the remaining 17 (c. 40%) either disagreed completely or agreed under certain conditions. May I therefore present below some of the reactions. You will notice that some of the responses … Continue reading Dating in – Marriage out (3): Selected responses

  In response, Zoba began to narrate how a similar incident had happened to her elder sister. Nkiru was the first of the five girls, and Zoba was the immediate younger one, and so both girls make a perfect gossip-band. Their bond was quite thick. Even KC admits of this. NK, as she is fondly called, got married immediately after her National Service year. She had dated Emmanuel for close to 3 years since the beginning of her 300 level in Biochemistry. At that time, Emmanuel was a final year student of Architecture with a very promising future, having gotten … Continue reading Dating-in, Marriage-out? (2) – Ikenna Paschal Okpaleke

She comes off as impulsive and easy-going; all too breezy and naturally skilled in getting all the attention she needs at all times, and in all places, and among all categories of persons. One could be sure that even the very abstemious monks, in all their meditative seriousness, could do with some drama and distraction from Kelechi, at least in their lunch breaks. Rolled up in her dramatic persona are some incredible physical endowments that would make many girls retire to the inapproachable thrones of self-acclaimed divas and self-appointed celebrities: Chocolate brown, impressive height, slender stature, perfect dental set with … Continue reading Dating-in, Marriage-out? (1) – Ikenna Paschal Okpaleke

Growing up in a predominantly Catholic neighbourhood, I felt no tension with others who were not Catholics. The family next door were Pentecostals. This was in the heydays of Pentecostalism, in the 80s when we had only the likes of Assemblies of God, Deeper Life Bible Church and Scripture Union. Our neighbors were just an amazing family. Almost everything blended: their dad had same job as my dad, and their mum was also a primary school teacher as mine. Both families were ‘strangers’ in that little town. Our parents were the best of friends and we, the kids, followed suit. There … Continue reading An Open Household – Ikenna Paschal Okpaleke