THE Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese, Most Rev. Dr. Bulus Yohanna, has conducted a mass wedding ceremony for 21 couples in Niger State.
The ceremony, which took place at the St. Mark Catholic Church in Nsanji Nkoso, Magama local government area, brought together couples who had completed their traditional marriage rites and undergone three months of marriage counseling.
According to Bishop Yohanna, the ceremony was necessary to ensure that the couples were properly married in the eyes of the church.
He emphasized that until a couple is joined together in marriage legally and blessed in the church, it is wrong to cohabit. The bishop encouraged the couples to build their marriages on love and companionship, stressing that marriage is a lifetime commitment.
One of the couples, Mr. and Mrs. Cyprian Uche, expressed their gratitude to the bishop for helping them formalize their union. The couple, who had been cohabiting for 22 years and have five children, said they were excited to finally be officially married. Mrs. Uche noted that she was now eligible to hold positions in the women’s fellowship, which she had been unable to do previously.
The parish priest, Rev. Fr. Francis Joshua, disclosed that the couples had undergone rigorous counseling and had met all the requirements before being joined in holy matrimony.
He praised the bishop for his commitment to ensuring that the couples were properly married and encouraged them to remain faithful to their vows.
