GRATITUDE FROM KATHRYN's HEART
Author: Kathryn Hauwa Hoomkwap | Date:
This is indeed the Lord’s doing and it’s marvelous in our eyes. I give praise and thanks to God for the wonder of my being and for sustaining me from the moment of my conception to this day, for His blessings, graces and mercies to me and my entire family. I thank my dear Mother, Mary for her care and intercessions and for being my refuge. My gratitude to my great father, S. M. Bala who has departed this life about eight years ago, although a Muslim, he nurtured and encouraged my Catholic faith. To my beloved mother, the great disciplinarian, who ensured that as a girl child I received equal opportunity for education as her male children, who were in the majority. She nurtured my faith through her steadfastness and faithfulness to her Catholic faith. I owe the values of fear of God, respect, hard work, contentment, and honesty in dealing with others to them. Thank you Mama and Baba I know you’re resting with the Lord.
I want to acknowledge and appreciate all those who nurtured my catholic faith, Rev Father Clancy of blessed memory who not only married my parents but stood by them as a spiritual father and baptized me as an infant. To the great courageous and true emancipator of women, the St Louis Sisters who prepared me for First Holy Communion and Confirmation faith and be selfless in my dealings with others.
I wish to thank in particular Rev. Sr. Patricia Moloney (Derinella) for believing in me, nurturing my leadership qualities through her discipline, Saturday lectures, drills, concerts/drama and choir. Above all her love, trust and friendship gave me such confidence in myself.
What can I say to those men and women who have departed this life, Rt. Rev. Dr. John Reddington for his fatherly love and for the sweets/chocolates he shared with some of us who had the privilege of cleaning the Bishop’s house as students of
Most Rev. Dr. Gabriel Gonsum Ganaka of blessed memory, who as a curate of Sacred Heart Church Shendam, encouraged me to read the word of God and imbibed in me a reading culture as a young girl in form 1. As a man of prayer he taught me how to dialogue with God and the love for the Blessed Sacrament. He served as an
His Holiness Pope John Paul II for his love and encouragement of my participation in the Church, the Pontifical Councils, being part of the various Holy see delegations to the United Nations’ conference and PrepComs His Eminence Dominic Cardinal Ekandem for being a spiritual father and for encouraging me in my work in the National Council of Catholic Women organizations.
Rev. Srs. Bartholomew Ita, Eileen, SSL, for their love and teachings. May the souls of these holy men and women rest in perfect peace. Amen.
My gratitude and prayer to all the priests of Jos Archdiocese, Shendam and Kafanchan dioceses who contributed to my spiritual growth, particularly the SMA priests, Very Rev. Fr. Jeremiah O’Connell, Rev. Fr. B. Cotter,
I am highly indebted to His Eminence Francis Cardinal Arinze for choosing me out of many and recommending me to work in the
His Eminence Renato Cardinal Raffaele Martino, the former Holy See Permanent Representative at the United Nations and currently President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace Vatican city, for teaching me the art of negotiations and diplomacy at the United Nations. This sharpened my awareness of Family and Human life issues, which he UN have sought to destroy by promoting women sexual and reproductive rights and sexual rights for adolescents disregarding parental control and responsibilities.
I am grateful to Most. Rev. Dr. J. O. Onaiyekan for his spiritual guidance and for teaching me how to work with the Episcopal Conference of Nigeria when he was the spiritual director of the Kaduna Ecclesiastical Province of CWO for 10 years.
My appreciation and gratitude to the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria for encouraging me to serve Church Institutions and for inviting me to speak at different church functions
The occasion of Papal award and investiture would have not been possible without the special and strong recommendation of His Grace, Most Rev. Dr. Ignatius Ayau Kaigama, Archbishop of Jos and the acceptance and approval by the Papal Nuncio, Archbishop Renzo Fratini and the final approval and award by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI. I express my profound gratitude to his Holiness and your Excellencies, Your Grace thank you for making today possible.
I must not forget to thank the entire membership of National Council of Catholic Women Organizations NCCWO, my brothers, sisters, friends and colleagues, the Board of Trustees National Executive, Management and staff of Christian Health Association of Nigeria whose trust, love and cooperation I have enjoyed all these years.
Last but not the least my humble, patient, loving and supportive husband, who trusted me and selflessly gave me freedom to be a child of God, George I love you and thank you for your understanding and absolute faith in me. You indeed have Christ in you!
My children, for their love and understanding and being well behaved during your formative years, this encouraged me to serve the church and society without stress or anxieties, Kekuut, Rangtiem, Naanzem and Kwaphoom I love you and I am most grateful for your love, understanding and friendship. To all my domestic staff particularly Mrs. Virginia Okechukwu alias Mama Kekuut for her great sense of dedication, care and discipline of our children and for the delicious dishes that awaited me when I returned from my many travels.
This is indeed the day that the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it. Glory to Jesus! Honour to Mary. Praise the Lord, Alleluia1
Dame Kathryn Hauwa Hoomkwap
MON, DSGG
POVERTY AND THE FAMILY IN THE THIRD WORLD
The family remains the basic unit of society in the world today. In its modern meaning, the family is that social unit comprising a man, his wife and their children. In most sub-Saharan African countries, the extended family, which is a more inclusive definition of the family, includes uncles, aunts, cousins, grandparents and other distant relations. This paper has deliberately chosen to make the family its center-piece for a number of reasons.
Excerpt from: A/S-23/1 8
The Holy See delegation has participated actively in the negotiations leading to this special session of the General Assembly, a session which has raised issues of critical importance to the lives of millions of women worldwide, and which has been evaluating the progress that has been made since the Fourth World Conference on Women.
