Educational

Father Bonki stood from the sedilia, made a simple bow to the exalted crucifix behind the table- like altar as he passed, then hoisted himself on the wooden pulpit, to address the congregation and the new converts in particular who were seated on the new pews. That was after Pa Luke Okpara, the parish catechist, chanted the latin version of the I Believe In One God, Credo In Unum Deum. He recited and the church followed, those who had learnt to recite the prayers in latin. Pa Luke had emphasized several times the need for all to learn the common christian prayers in the church's official language, since Father Bonki Giordano could not speak our usual Igbo language. During the renewal of the baptismal promises, he read from the green booklet placed on the Roman missal, the type Most Reverend Johnmary Uzuoma read from, the Sunday he came for the dedication of St. Maria Gorreti's parish at Nkpagu. "Do you reject Satan?," his voice hollered. Cati, as we called the septuag...