Joint Thanksgiving Mass of Abuja Grand Commandery
For members of The Abuja Grand Commandery and Ladies Auxiliary, Sunday the 3rd of May, 2026 was a special day set out for Thanksgiving.
The Thanksgiving Mass was held at The Cathedral of Twelve Apostles, Papal Ground, Kubwa. The atmosphere in the church was simply ecstatic. Graced and laced with the cute and adorable uniforms of Brothers and Sisters of Grand Commandery and The Grand Ladies Auxiliary, they matched gracefully into the church, with their military fashion. One cannot but be moved by the ecclesiastical grace that accompanied them as they sang along into the interior of the church – The Cathedral of Twelve Apostles.
The exterior of the church is a melting point of celestial beauty with its modern, circular shape, yet multi-layered structure. Broad and expansive on ground, it still hits the skyline with a dome structure topped by the unique symbol of our Faith – The Cross.
It is a masterpiece of construction as the colourful half sphere hanging aloft without any supportive column acts as a focal point of attention from the congregation who feel amazed at this celestial wonderment.
Quite a significant Catholic Project, anyone would agree. It is in this atmosphere that members of The Abuja Grand Commandery and Grand LAUX sat and listened intently to the celebration of Mass in honour of our successful convention and election which ushered in new leaders into the Abuja Grand Commandery and Grand LAUX of the Noble Order.
HOMILY
The homilist drove home the entire episode by his didactic preaching. He gave the congregation a lecture in a catholic preaching way, to enable them extract cautionary lessons from his well thought out ecclesiastical language.
He urged Christians to remain steadfast in faith, unity and service to God. He further challenged the congregation (comprising mainly members of the Noble Order) to reflect on their roles in the Order with a view to
ensuring that they remain committed to the rules and regulations of the Order.
In addition, he called on all to continue to pray for the development of the nation.
Finally, he congratulated the New leadership and called on them to embrace the basic tenets of leadership – courage, commitment and deep sense of service.
THE CHOIR:
Mention must be made of the Choir as they displayed profound professionalism in their conduct as well as the richness of their voices. They ripped apart old tunes and re-assembled them in fresh beautiful and elevating chants that hit responsive chords in the minds of listeners.
Blessing of the Leaders
END OF MASS
The Mass ended by 1.20pm but not before the following events marking the celebration took place.
Goodwill messages were sent by the Supreme Subordinate President. He emphasized the need for sustained unity in the Knighthood especially as
“Unity and Sacrifice remained the foundation of our strength and guardian of Development”. Other members of the Supreme Subordinate executives praised the successes recorded in the last election which ushered in this new executive.
In his response, Brig. Gen. Francis Njoku (The Grand President) thanked all present for their contributions and presence.
After the Mass, Brothers and Sisters moved to the parade ground of the church. There, a beautiful display of the military aspect of the Ancient and Noble Order of the Knights of St. John International took place. The march past was a powerful display of precision, discipline and synchronized movement of a cohesive entity of members of the Noble Order. Their steps falling together in sharp and rhythmic cadence. It showcased our level of dedication and espirit de corps. It was all so splendid.
Handing Over of Colors
At the end of the parade, the official handing over of the colours to the new leaders took place. It was another historic affair – a remake of an affair to always remember.
It was indeed a splendid show - a dexterous military affair with an institutionalized Catholic bent! A veritable showcase of all that the Knighthood stands for – call it a marvelous display of social cohesion with a deeply felt religious depth.
ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST……..PRAY FOR US.
