..As He Marks 70th Birthday
By Uzo Ugwunze
It was a celebration as patients in hospitals visited by the Archbishop of Onitsha Catholic Archdiocese, His Grace, Most Rev. Valerian Maduka Okeke, received prayers.
Some previously discharged patients unable to pay their bills had their bills paid as part of activities marking the Archbishop's 70th birthday.
Hospitals visited included Iyienu Mission Hospital, Ogidi (Anglican Communion), St. Charles Borromeo Hospital, Onitsha (Onitsha Catholic Archdiocese), and Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Onitsha (Federal Government of Nigeria).
Archbishop Okeke’s entourage, included the Chancellor Very Rev. Fr. Dr. Prudentus Emeka Aroh, Vice Chancellor Very Rev. Fr. Dr. Basil Ekwunife, Vicar General Very Rev. Fr. Johnbosco Okafor, among others, prayed for patients and contributed millions of naira for the bills of 13 individuals.
The entourage first visited Iyienu Mission Hospital, paying bills for four discharged patients. At St. Charles Borromeo Hospital, bills for approximately four patients were settled with a cash donation exceeding a million naira. The final stop, Onitsha General Hospital, witnessed prayers and bill payments for five discharged patients.
Receiving the Archbishop's entourage, hospital administrators expressed gratitude for the unexpected generosity. Archbishop Okeke, as part of his 70th birthday celebrations, had earlier visited the Federal Correctional Centre in Onitsha, donating food items to inmates.
The Chancellor, Very Rev. Fr. Dr. Prudentus Emeka Aroh, disclosed the Archbishop's plan to feed about 2,300 indigent persons across Onitsha, regardless of their denominations or religious backgrounds.
The beneficiaries, including a 7-year-old accident victim, a fire accident victim, and a patient discharged since August 13, 2023, after medical surgery, thanked God and the Archbishop for liberating them from the burden of hospital bills, allowing them to reunite with their families after battling illness.
Post a Comment