In an interview with ACI Africa, Fr. Samuel Kanta Sakaba, rector of the Major Seminary of the Good Shepherd, said that the trainers of the Catholic institution, which currently has an enrollment of 265 seminarians, make it clear that being a priest in Nigeria represents for seminarians in danger of being kidnapped or murdered.
“As formators we have the duty to take our seminarians through practical experiences, both academic, spiritual and physical. We share this reality of persecution with them, but for them to understand it, we connect the reality of Christian persecution in Nigeria with the experiences of Jesus. “In this way, we feel that it would be easier for them to not only have the strength to face what they are facing, but also to see the meaning of their suffering,” he noted.
Father Sakaba added: “Suffering only makes sense if it is related to the pain of Jesus.” “The prophet Isaiah,” he noted, “reminds us that ‘by his stripes we are healed.’ Jesus also teaches us that unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it will remain a single grain, but only when it falls and dies does it yield a rich harvest. Teachings like these are what deepen our resilience in the face of persecution.”
The priest also spoke of the joy of those who hope to “return to God in a holy way.” “No matter what happens, we will all return to God. How joyful it is to return to God in a holy way, in the form of sacrifice! ”He stated.