By Mmaduabuchi Onwumelu and Emmanuel Chigozie
The Catholic Diocese of Awka, on Saturday, 9th August, celebrated the 2025 Holy Childhood Association HCA Day at St. Andrew’s Catholic Church, Adazi Nnukwu, in Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State, with a call on children to always obey their parents and also take seriously the teachings and doctrines of the Church.
The event, which started with a concelebrated Eucharistic Celebration presided over by the Catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese, His Lordship Most Reverend Paulinus Ezeokafor, had priests, religious, and some dignitaries in attendance.
In his homily, Bishop Ezeokafor described children as gifts from God, saying that without the little ones, the world would have gone into extinction, adding that children had a special place in his heart.
The influential Prelate said he had declared and would still declare what he called, ”Operation Catch Them Young”, in all the parishes, noting that at that very stage, whatever the children were being taught would be adequately assimilated and nurtured.
‘Children are gifts from God. We are catching them young. We have procedures. These are children that will take over from us. We will not deny them that teaching and guidance. We owe them that parental and spiritual guidance. We are taking their matter seriously. Without them, the future will be bleak,’ he said.
The members of the Holy Childhood Association were drawn from all the parishes in Awka Diocese.
In their various vote of thanks, Rev. Fr. Tobias Osigwe, the HCA Director and Sister Maria Makuochukwu Okafor thanked Bishop Ezeokafor for his fatherly advice and care, noting that the Bishop had done more than enough for them.
Cultural displays, dances, group photographs, and presentation of gifts formed the highpoints of the event.