Catholic Men Organization (CMO)
Men are not made religious by performing certain actions which are externally good, but they must first have righteous principles, and then they will not fail to perform virtuous actions. Martin Luther
EXECUTIVES
The current Executive Committee of the CMO in our parish is made up of the following:
- Arc Valentine Okogwu – Chairman
- Engr. Sylvester Maduforo – Vice Chairman
- Mr. Mike Ohiero – General Secretary
- Mr. Paul Itotoh – Assistant Gen. Sec
- Mr. Fiday Omoyhowo – Treasurer
- Mr. Raymond Ajanaku – Financial Secretary
- Mr. Remy Maduagwu – Assistant Fin. Sec
- Mr. Hakeem Bello-Osagie – Publicity Secretary
- Mr. George Udobia – Welfare Officer 1
- Mr. Cyril Ebosie – Welfare Officer 2
- Mr. Anthony Onyeweke – Faith Formator
- Mr. Anayo Okenyi – Provost 1
- Mr. Patrick Mbanefo – Provost 2
Ex-Officio members – Mr. Joe Okonkwo, Chief Kingsley Ikpe; and Dr. Barth Ebong.
ACTIVITIES
Some Regular Activities Undertaken By the CMO In Our Parish:
Our Monthly General Meeting holds every 4th Sunday of the month in the Parish Hall.
Our Monthly Devotion to St Joseph holds every 1st Wednesday of the month, inside the Church.
Our Annual Feast Day Celebration is on May 1st – Feast of St Joseph, The Worker.
Our Annual Men’s Week activities – every 3rd week of September.
Annual Deanery Lenten Retreat.
Annual celebration of Mothers’ / Fathers’ Day.
Annual Archdiocesan Convention.
Annual Novena to St Joseph.
Annual Parish Christmas Carols.
Visitation to sick and/or elderly members – as the need arises.
Our Monthly General Meeting holds every 4th Sunday of the month in the Parish Hall.
Our Monthly Devotion to St Joseph holds every 1st Wednesday of the month, inside the Church.
Our Annual Feast Day Celebration is on May 1st – Feast of St Joseph, The Worker.
Our Annual Men’s Week activities – every 3rd week of September.
Annual Deanery Lenten Retreat.
Annual celebration of Mothers’ / Fathers’ Day.
Annual Archdiocesan Convention.
Annual Novena to St Joseph.
Annual Parish Christmas Carols.
Visitation to sick and/or elderly members – as the need arises.
HISTORY
The Catholic Church of the Assumption, Falomo was founded on the 17th of May 1960 through the efforts of Most Rev. Dr. Leo H Taylor the 5th Bishop of Lagos with Rev. Fr. Patrick Braniff as the first Parish Priest with about 100 parishioners of Expatriate and Nigerian nationalities.
Over the years parishioners grew in numbers as Nigerians began to take responsibility of governance post independence and became domiciled in the erstwhile colonial neighborhood of Ikoyi.
As the Parish grew, active participation of all Parishioners at various levels became a necessity.
Taking heed from the proclamation of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria on the need to have an Organization for All Catholic men above 25 years and Baptized in the Catholic Church, with St. Joseph the Worker as the Patron Saint the then Parish Priest Rev. Fr. Innocent Okogah under the instruction of His Eminence Anthony Cardinal Okojie the then Archbishop of Lagos, established the CMO in the Catholic Church of the Assumption, Falomo in October 2009.
The following month, the pioneer president of the CMO, Ogbuefi Tony Nnachetta KSM who was unanimously elected by the PPC was informed through the Parish Priest that on His Eminence Anthony Cardinal Okojie’s instructions that the Lagos Archdiocesan CMO would hold its bimonthly meeting at the Parish on Sunday November 28
th 2009, this prompted an aggressive unitary drive for membership. To God be the Glory, the meeting was successfully hosted and CMO was firmly founded in our Parish!
The CMO as the Umbrella Group for all Catholic males of age 25 years and above, married or unmarried as directed by the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria was finally in CCoA, Falomo despite being around for so many decades in Nigeria. The pioneer members under the leadership of by Ogbuefi Tony Nnachetta KSM, was saddled to put in place the structures for a successful take off of the organization in the Parish.
Under his supervision an aggressive membership drive led by Barr. Akachukwu Igbokwe who was an active CMO member in his former parish in Festac yielded very positive results with about 400 registered members in a few months having members supporting the Harvest 2010 with close o N1.5 Million Naira! Our active participation in the Archbishop Adewale Martins football tournament saw us coming second by a hair’s breath.
Chief Kingsley Ikpe soon inherited the leadership of the organization and his team served from 2013 to February 2018 and was succeeded by the Joseph M. Okonkwo led Executive Committee who successfully hosted the epoch 10th Anniversary and Award Nite in on sptembr25th September 2021 with the current CMO Chairman, Arc. Valentine Okogwu as the Chairman of the Planning Committee.
The current Chairman Arc. Valentine Okogwu was elected on 27th October 2022. Over the years the leadership of the organization has worked hard to entrench the CMO in the parish as a befitting umbrella for all men; and they’ve also collaborated closely with the CMO at the Lagos Island Deanery and Archdiocesan levels to advance the interest of all our members.
Through their guidance, we have participated fully in all organized activities such as Retreats, Conventions, AGMs, Football competitions and other Spiritual, Social, Charitable and Sporting activities, including the CMO Archdiocesan Insurance scheme which provides cover for interested members and their spouses.
Our organization has continued to work closely with other bodies in the parish such as the CWO, the CYON, the Parish Laity Council, and the Harvest Planning Committee to carry out Developmental, Social, Economic and Spiritual initiatives in the Parish in furtherance to the mission and vision of our organization. Some of the activities we have regularly undertaken over the years include:
– Organizing free medical/health checks for Parishioners and the General Public
– The procurement and distribution of free eye glasses to needy members of our community
– Construction of ramps within the church premises for the convenience and ease of movement of the disabled members of our community
– Visitations to the homes of Motherless babies and the Elderly and providing them with Foodstuff, Cash donations and Clothing
– Visitation of Pacaeli School for the Blind and donation of 8 nos Laptops to support their Cyber Laboratory
– We have facilitated the registration of parishioners for the National Identity Card Scheme
– We organize seminars and workshops on entrepreneurship opportunities for the benefit of our members and other parishioners
– Celebration of our Annual St Joseph Patron Feast Day on every 1st of May with Business Breakfast and Seminars.
– The successful roll out of our flagship program – the CMO Entrepreneurship Support Fund – which mobilizes resources from affluent parishioners and then place same at the disposal of needy parishioners seeking to start or expand their businesses.
– We equally provided palliatives to many needy parishioners who were adversely affected by the outbreak of Covid-19 and became indigent due to the resultant lockdown.
CMO lay members and EXCO of the CCoA have been recognized with awards at the Laity, Deanery and Archdiocesan levels including Dr Barth Ebong, Sir(Chief) Kingsley Ikpe in 2019 and Mr Joseph Okonkwo in 2021.
Our CMO is also actively present in the Exco at the Deanery and is presently actively involved in the LACMON 2023 Convention Planning Committees.
As an organization we are instrumental in making our Parish one of the most disable friendly Parishes with the construction of Ramps, marking out disabled car parking, distribution of wheelchairs to deserving Catholics and non Catholics including Moslems.
As CMO, we stand by our brothers in good and bad times giving Spiritual, Emotonal and Financial Support when needed, through visitations, prayers:private , group and/or Mass bookings, counseling and cash gifts as appropriate.
Over the years parishioners grew in numbers as Nigerians began to take responsibility of governance post independence and became domiciled in the erstwhile colonial neighborhood of Ikoyi.
As the Parish grew, active participation of all Parishioners at various levels became a necessity.
Taking heed from the proclamation of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria on the need to have an Organization for All Catholic men above 25 years and Baptized in the Catholic Church, with St. Joseph the Worker as the Patron Saint the then Parish Priest Rev. Fr. Innocent Okogah under the instruction of His Eminence Anthony Cardinal Okojie the then Archbishop of Lagos, established the CMO in the Catholic Church of the Assumption, Falomo in October 2009.
The following month, the pioneer president of the CMO, Ogbuefi Tony Nnachetta KSM who was unanimously elected by the PPC was informed through the Parish Priest that on His Eminence Anthony Cardinal Okojie’s instructions that the Lagos Archdiocesan CMO would hold its bimonthly meeting at the Parish on Sunday November 28
th 2009, this prompted an aggressive unitary drive for membership. To God be the Glory, the meeting was successfully hosted and CMO was firmly founded in our Parish!
The CMO as the Umbrella Group for all Catholic males of age 25 years and above, married or unmarried as directed by the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria was finally in CCoA, Falomo despite being around for so many decades in Nigeria. The pioneer members under the leadership of by Ogbuefi Tony Nnachetta KSM, was saddled to put in place the structures for a successful take off of the organization in the Parish.
Under his supervision an aggressive membership drive led by Barr. Akachukwu Igbokwe who was an active CMO member in his former parish in Festac yielded very positive results with about 400 registered members in a few months having members supporting the Harvest 2010 with close o N1.5 Million Naira! Our active participation in the Archbishop Adewale Martins football tournament saw us coming second by a hair’s breath.
Chief Kingsley Ikpe soon inherited the leadership of the organization and his team served from 2013 to February 2018 and was succeeded by the Joseph M. Okonkwo led Executive Committee who successfully hosted the epoch 10th Anniversary and Award Nite in on sptembr25th September 2021 with the current CMO Chairman, Arc. Valentine Okogwu as the Chairman of the Planning Committee.
The current Chairman Arc. Valentine Okogwu was elected on 27th October 2022. Over the years the leadership of the organization has worked hard to entrench the CMO in the parish as a befitting umbrella for all men; and they’ve also collaborated closely with the CMO at the Lagos Island Deanery and Archdiocesan levels to advance the interest of all our members.
Through their guidance, we have participated fully in all organized activities such as Retreats, Conventions, AGMs, Football competitions and other Spiritual, Social, Charitable and Sporting activities, including the CMO Archdiocesan Insurance scheme which provides cover for interested members and their spouses.
Our organization has continued to work closely with other bodies in the parish such as the CWO, the CYON, the Parish Laity Council, and the Harvest Planning Committee to carry out Developmental, Social, Economic and Spiritual initiatives in the Parish in furtherance to the mission and vision of our organization. Some of the activities we have regularly undertaken over the years include:
– Organizing free medical/health checks for Parishioners and the General Public
– The procurement and distribution of free eye glasses to needy members of our community
– Construction of ramps within the church premises for the convenience and ease of movement of the disabled members of our community
– Visitations to the homes of Motherless babies and the Elderly and providing them with Foodstuff, Cash donations and Clothing
– Visitation of Pacaeli School for the Blind and donation of 8 nos Laptops to support their Cyber Laboratory
– We have facilitated the registration of parishioners for the National Identity Card Scheme
– We organize seminars and workshops on entrepreneurship opportunities for the benefit of our members and other parishioners
– Celebration of our Annual St Joseph Patron Feast Day on every 1st of May with Business Breakfast and Seminars.
– The successful roll out of our flagship program – the CMO Entrepreneurship Support Fund – which mobilizes resources from affluent parishioners and then place same at the disposal of needy parishioners seeking to start or expand their businesses.
– We equally provided palliatives to many needy parishioners who were adversely affected by the outbreak of Covid-19 and became indigent due to the resultant lockdown.
CMO lay members and EXCO of the CCoA have been recognized with awards at the Laity, Deanery and Archdiocesan levels including Dr Barth Ebong, Sir(Chief) Kingsley Ikpe in 2019 and Mr Joseph Okonkwo in 2021.
Our CMO is also actively present in the Exco at the Deanery and is presently actively involved in the LACMON 2023 Convention Planning Committees.
As an organization we are instrumental in making our Parish one of the most disable friendly Parishes with the construction of Ramps, marking out disabled car parking, distribution of wheelchairs to deserving Catholics and non Catholics including Moslems.
As CMO, we stand by our brothers in good and bad times giving Spiritual, Emotonal and Financial Support when needed, through visitations, prayers:private , group and/or Mass bookings, counseling and cash gifts as appropriate.