By Our Correspondent
Following the feud between the resident Holy Ghost priests of St Martin of Tours Parish, Ihiala and the leadership of Nnewi Diocese, the parishioners today conducted the service themselves without the priests.
The Bishop of the Diocese, Most Reverend Jonas Benson Okoye had last week withdrawn the faculty of the five resident priests in the parish and prohibited them from celebrating Mass in any church in Nnewi Diocese in the meantime.
Although the priests were still in their residence in the parish this morning, none of them attempted to come out to celebrate the Sunday service in obedience to the directive of the Bishop.
Similarly, the diocesan priests allegedly posted to the parish were also not seen, thus forcing the congregation to conduct the service themselves without anyone presiding.
One of the parishioners who spoke to the Razor news said everything normally done during Masses was done today, except the Eucharistic consecration, which is the sole function of a priest.
“Those for the 6am Mass were there and they celebrated it, likewise those for 8am and 10 am Masses.
“All the readings for the day were taken and the prayers of the faithful were also taken. “During the prayers of the faithful, all those who performed it prayed for God’s intervention in the crisis in our parish,” the parishioner said.
The Razor, however, gathered that many parishioners of St Martin of Tours parish attended Masses in nearby parishes, even as they prayed for quick resolution of the crisis.
