God guided St. Benedict's chaplain to the priesthood

Nigerian-born Fr. Collins Okafor's story illustrates the need for God

- WCR photo by Ramon Gonzalez Fr. Collins Okafor knows if you trust in God, he will provide.

By RAMON GONZALEZ
WCR Staff Writer
Edmonton

The Western world today is facing problems due to the removal of God from families, schools and workplaces, laments Father Collins Okafor.

"In my experience, we can't do without God. When we abandon God we become violent and disordered," said Okafor, full-time chaplain of St. Benedict Chapel in downtown Edmonton.

Okafor, 48, spoke at a prayer breakfast of the charismatic renewal movement at Chateau Louis Conference Centre Nov. 10. More than 100 people attended.

"We in the Western World need redirection," he said. "We need to be reconnected (because) we are living outside the order of God."

As a young boy growing up in Nigeria, Okafor dreamed of being a lawyer one day. But he abandoned God and for four years after high school he couldn't even find a job.

Guardian Angel stepped in

He followed one of his brothers to another Christian church but things didn't work out. He felt empty and unfulfilled. Finally his Guardian Angel told him to return to the Catholic Church.

When he did return, things started to fall into place and soon he found a job. His spiritual life blossomed when he encountered the charismatic renewal movement.

"With the charismatic renewal, I began to participate in every aspect of the Church," he recalled. "I started to renew my life again."

As he put it, he found joy restored in his heart. "The charismatic renewal is where you experience the brotherhood of God."

Morning rosary

His experience in coming back to God is that God is a living, caring God. "He showed me he is a living God," he said. "Now I see God in everything I'm doing and also the Blessed Virgin Mary; that's why I start every morning with a rosary."

Okafor has also learned that when one returns to God, one returns to the community of God, which starts with the family.

"If we live by ourselves, we live away from God," he said. "As a child I wanted to be with myself, but I discovered that I wasn't happy. Other children were much happier than I was. Life is better when it is lived in the community, with the people of God."

After his experience with the charismatic movement, Okafor's desire to be a lawyer faded and he decided to join the Sons of Mary Mother of Mercy order of priests instead.

He had to quit after two years of seminary because of lack of funds. But a group of girls from Mary's League gave him enough money to return to the seminary. Soon he found enough money to buy books and fund the remainder of his seminary years.

Following his ordination, Okafor served in Cameroon and Nigeria before coming to Edmonton.

In Cameroon he found the parish had very little in its account. A Sunday collection would raise the equivalent of $2.50.

God is in control

"But then I learned to trust in God," he said. "I learned that God is in control - that no matter what the challenges, if you trust in him, he will provide."

The parish, with Okafor at the helm, started selling millet below cost and soon had enough money to run its programs and to help some poor children complete their school.

"The joy of being a Christian is being able to help others and being accessible to others," the priest said. "As a Christian you are the light of the world and the salt of the earth to others."

Okafor came to Canada at the invitation of the Edmonton Archdiocese some three years ago and has served as associate pastor of St. Thomas More Parish in Edmonton, part-time chaplain at the University of Alberta Hospital and chaplain of St. Benedict Chapel.

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