LAST DAYS WITH MY BROTHERS AND FRIENDS

13 days ago

It was not just the case that we called ourselves brothers, we lived like brothers; and with time, we actually began to see ourselves as one. Though I cannot tell how others feel, but this was my personal experience. Even as I have left religious life for good, I still miss the good time we shared. It have been five years now, but the memories are ever new.

Playing Checkers with a brother and friend of mine; his name is Ekeji. The other picture was taken after a Sunday Mass with my brothers; Micheal and Aba.

In the year 2017, I began my journey with the Shoenstatt Fathers religious community. I traveled all the way from the City of Port Harcourt to the ancient City of Ibadan to begin a new journey. A journey that will take four years of my life, to teach me what it takes to be a good man. At first, it was not intended that I learn just to become a good, it was a journey towards becoming a Catholic Priest. Though I eventually never became a Catholic Priest, but what have been learnt might never be forgotten.

This post in not focused on my whole experience while I was with the Shoenstatt Fathers, but on the people I met while I was there. As first, I just called people brother because every other person did. I latter cane to realise that it is not just about calling other brother, it is far much more than that. Gradually, I became more familiar with most people that I began calling them by their names, making jokes around them and with them, yet we lived like brothers. It was more like what was formerly merely professed with the mount became the reality of our lives.

There are both time of celebration for the community. The first is when we had out cultural celebration; it required everyone to put on their cultural attires. The second is a community feast.

Amongst the so many seminarians in the Shoenstatt Fathers Community Ibadan, I had my very close cycle of eight brothers. We were all admitted together; we were close enough that we celebrated together, and cried together. The most memorable of our celebration together is our graduation celebration. It was much more than a celebration, it was our last time of being together; it was time to say goodbye. For some of us, it was time to begin an entirely new life; for the others, it was time to entire another stage of their Priestly formation. For me, it was a time to start anew.

As part of the formation process, we were sponsored to study philosophy by the community. The end of our philosophy study is to be a milestone for us, and that is the best time to determine whether or not to continue. Considering how close we were, we agreed to celebrate ourselves to the fullest. That of course would be our last celebration together as group, and it was no doubt a sad time.

The seven of my brothers and I. We all were in the same class as philosophers, and we are known as Barbara Cast Group by the community.

It all began with the liturgical celebration of the Sunday we have chosen. We anchored the liturgy of that very Sunday, and after that, we took ourselves out. That was no doubt the best part. We no doubt had good time, so much so that we almost forgot that we would be going our separate ways. It was the morning after that that we eventually faced our reality; Asawale whose family lived in Ibadan decided that he had no reason to wait any longer, and that he would be going home that very day. At that, the gravity of what our reality doned on us. You could see tears almost dropping from the eyes of each of us as we say goodbye to Asawale.

Gradually, everyone who needed to eventually said goodbye to five who were left. As matter of fact; I, Asawale and Valentine has earlier decided that we would not be going further with the novitiate. It was no doubt a milestone for each of us, but saying goodbye was never easy.