In a heart warming and spontaneous gesture of solidarity, the President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), Most Rev. Matthew Man-Oso Ndagoso, paid an unscheduled visit to the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN) in Abuja on Wednesday 15 April, 2026.
“Our successes and failures depend on this house,”
The CBCN President remarked.
What began as a simple courtesy call to the Secretary General while the in the capital city for a medical routine quickly evolved into a wider tour of the entire complex. Archbishop Ndagoso visited various departments and units, including Caritas Nigeria and the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS), offering words of encouragement to the staff at their duty posts.
During an exclusive interview with the CSN Media Office following his tour, the newly elected CBCN President emphasised that the Secretariat is the “engine room” of the Church’s mission in Nigeria.
”Our successes and failures depend on this house,” the CBCN President remarked. He underscored that the defining characteristic of the Catholic Church is communion, warning that without it, the Church would be no different from any other social organization.
Reflecting on the spirit of Synodality, he urged the management and staff to embrace teamwork:
”Let us work together as a family in communion. In any organisation, there will be human differences, but the principles of subsidiarity and solidarity must guide us. Decisions should be handled at the appropriate levels, and when we respect the rules that guide our operations, success is guaranteed.”
Turning his attention to the upcoming Communications Week (ComWEEK), Archbishop Ndagoso shared a moment of pride from the recent Ad Limina visit to the Vatican. He revealed that Church authorities in Rome were deeply impressed to learn that Nigeria is the pioneer in establishing such grassroots media literacy initiative.
”The President of the Dicastery for Communication at the Vatican was so impressed. He noted that we are the first in the universal church to introduce this great initiative,” the Archbishop stated.
Drawing a historical parallel, he stressed the importance of media and communication in the Church by recalling how St. Peter moved from Jerusalem to Rome specifically in order to utilise the advanced Roman communication systems of the time to spread the Gospel. He insisted that the modern Church must be equally strategic.
As the Catholic Church in Nigeria prepares for the fifth edition of ComWEEK, the Archbishop urged all priests and leaders of the different ecclesial institutions to give their full support, noting that the people must be well abreast with the new media forms for the Gospel to be effectively preached within the context of the current generation’s worldview.
”Everyone must support the success of ComWEEK because it is certainly the way to go. We have no other option but to train in the use of the new means of communication effectively,” he said. “The Gospel has to be communicated. We must understand the culture, the mindset of the generation we are dealing with and engage these tools to reach them. It is easy to start a good thing, but the challenge is to sustain it. We must pursue this mission to the end.”
The visit concluded with the Archbishop expressing his gratitude to the Secretary General and staff for their dedication, leaving a renewed sense of purpose across the Secretariat as they prepare for the national communication celebrations.
