HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

The Catholic Charismatic Renewal in Nigeria owes its origin to the Dominican Order. The coming of the Order itself was the fruit of the desire of Archbishop David Mathew, the Apostolic delegate to English Speaking East and West Africa for its presence in West Africa. On 4 October 1949, he wrote to the Provincial Fr Edward Hughes O.P. asking for Dominicans of the Province of St. Albert the Great in the United States of America to come to Nigeria. This request prompted Fr Hughes to visit Lagos in November 1949. Following his recommendation, the Provincial Council approved the Lagos foundation. The pioneer team comprising Frs. Dempsey, Lawton and Kinsella flew into Lagos on 27 February 1951. The following day, the Archbishop of Lagos formally requested the Dominicans to take responsibility for the Yaba mission then on the outskirts of Lagos. On 18 May, 1951, Archbishop Mathew renewed his earlier request to Fr. Hughes for the Dominicans to take a mission prefecture comprising the old Sokoto Province. After two years of groundwork, the prefecture of Sokoto was established on 29 June 1953.

With a house of the Province at Yaba and the Prefecture of Sokoto, Nigeria became a vicariate of the Dominican Province of St. Albert in September 1957 with Fr. Dempsey as Vicar. On 1 May 1985, the Vicariate was raised to the status of Vice-Province. Archbishop Mathew’s desire for the presence of the Dominicans in West Africa to start a centre of higher studies in philosophy and theology began to be fulfilled when in 1967 the novitiate at Ibadan was opened. By 1969, there were four American Dominicans in the house, including Frs. Ed. Riley, Mathias Walsh, Bertrand Ebben and Brother Gilbert Thesing. Another American Dominican, Richard Farmer, was assigned as chaplain to the University of Ife, Ile-Ife.

Some of them that went home on leave in the United States came back with news about a new Pentecostal experience in the Catholic Church in the United States and which was spreading across the country. Catholics were reported to be gathering in prayer groups to pray for the out-pouring of the Holy Spirit, which they received with obvious charismatic gifts such as speaking in tongues, prophecy, healing and so forth, an experience, which was called “baptism in the Holy Spirit”.

Before coming to Nigeria in 1968, Fr. Riley had been teaching at Xavier University in New Orleans. It was there that he heard from a colleague named Fr. Kilian Downey of the charism of “speaking in tongues”. He had his own experience when he went on home leave in 1970. It was really out of curiosity that he participated in a group meeting in Wisconsin and asked to be prayed with. The next day on passing by a church, he was moved to go in and pray. There he had a wonderful experience of God’s presence and a deeper awareness of His love and goodness. Thereafter, the desire to read the bible and to praise God remained strong in him

On returning to Nigeria, he gave a talk to the novices about the Renewal. The interest generated by that talk led to the decision to hold a Pentecost novena in 1971. The novena was concluded on the eve of Pentecost, and the participants, which included Frs Riley and Fr. Walsh, Sr. Maura, and Brothers Nonye, Calistus Iheme, Gilbert Thesing, Chukwubikem Okpechi, Clement Tyulen, Jude Mbukanma, John Ekekwe-Nwanze, prayed with one another on Sunday evening. There were no spectacular outcomes from that novena but a weekly prayer meeting followed. Before long, some individuals from outside the Dominican house started participating in the prayer meeting. By the middle of 1972, the group had outgrown the classroom in which it had been meeting; and, so, it moved to a more spacious place called the Hall of Martyrs. Among the early lay people that joined the group were, Justina Odogwu, Fred Isichie, Pius Molokwu, Akin Otiko, and Mrs Chinwuba. The growth of the group was facilitated with the two series of Life in the Spirit Seminars that were organized in 1973. Clear manifestations of charismatic gifts followed.

Among the regular activities in the prayer meeting were songs, reading of the Bible, teachings, testimonies, and intercessory prayer. Those who needed prayer for any intention were prayed with at the end of the prayer meeting. Counselling service was also provided principally by the Dominicans in the group. These activities gradually assumed such level of importance that “ministries” developed around them. The healing ministry emerged quite early as the demand for prayer for specific personal needs, especially healing and counselling, could no longer be met with the time available during and after the prayer meeting. Another evening in the week was needed; and, so, the healing ministry started to attend to people on Friday evening. Other ministries, namely, teaching, singing, greeting, and steward came into being with time.

It must be noted that the Prayer Group at the Dominican Institute in Ibadan, which adopted the name “Glory Bound Community” became a watershed for the spread of the Renewal to parishes in and outside the present Archdiocese of Ibadan.