NIGERIA: The Seminary named after the foundress of the Pontifical Society of St. Peter the Apostle reaches the 100-year milestone

Accompanying the formation of young priests in mission territories, ensuring that the seed of vocation grows and matures and that they can continue the work of evangelization of missionaries. The roots of the foundation of Bigard Memorial Seminary in Nigeria in 1924 are based on this intuition of Pope Benedict XV. Pope Benedict XV in his apostolic letter of 1919, the ‘Maximum Illud’, invited all missionaries to begin the formation of indigenous priests.  From this exhortation Bishop Joseph Shanahan took the cue to establish a seminary in Igabriam in 1924 under the name of St Paul's Seminary. After a series of ‘pilgrimages’, the seminary landed in Enugu in 1951 where it still stands today and covers over 25,000 hectares of land. It was thanks to the Congregation de Propaganda Fide that Msgr. Heerey obtained permission and funds to build the present seminary, which was inaugurated on 4 March, 1951. The name was chosen to honour the memory of two French women, mother and daughter, Stephanie and Jeanne Bigard, foundresses of the Pontifical Society of St. Peter the Apostle (POSPA), thanks to whose financial support this work began and today celebrates its 100th anniversary, taking strong roots in the area where it is located. The governor of Eunugu himself recently received a delegation of seminary leaders on the occasion of this significant anniversary. A milestone that deserves to be lived in celebration of a history, but also and above all with an eye to the future, which is why five years ago a series of initiatives began that will end in November. Together with the Eucharistic celebrations that have marked these 5 years, which began in 2019 and which have touched some of the places where the seminary was established in certain phases of its history including Okpala, Owerri Province ( between 1942 and 1950 ), Igbariam, Onitsha Province ( from 1924 to 1929) and Afaha-Obong-Calabar Province in 1967, during the Nigerian civil war, activities included the construction of a new student hostel (the Centenary Hostel), the renovation of the seminary chapel, other student hostels and the auditorium, the establishment of an endowment fund for needy seminarians and visits to people in need. For this significant occasion, the seminary will receive a visit from the secretary general of POSPA, Father Guy Bognon, accompanied by Father Alessandro Brandi, POSPA collaborator.  The Mass on Sunday, 10 November will kick off the Grand Finale of the Centenary Celebration, which includes games, sports competitions, cultural and training initiatives until 20 November. On 20 November, among other things, the presentation of a documentary on the seminary and the blessing of the new hostel built on the occasion of the centenary, which is not yet finished and for which a fund-raising campaign is underway. On the 21st with the Jubilee Mass and the ordination of deacons, this celebratory journey will come to an end.