For those who know him, it is apodictic that grace, spiritual muscle and the divine energy by which God operates, governs the theologico-spiritual architecture of the episcopacy of Archbishop Valerian Maduka Okeke. His forte is grace! This observation underscores and highlights the fact that his pastoral leadership flows from, and expresses, the conviction that the Church is fundamentally God’s work before it is human responsibility. Grace inspires; effort activates. Grace initiates; leadership responds. Grace commands; obedience cooperates. In fact, grace informs and perfects discipline. In his life and Episcopal ministry, the power of grace is alive and active. It is foundational to his being and doing, and it is expressive of his substance and style – he is both grace-filled and graceful. As such, though his presence communicates authority, it is without intimidation. He exudes compassion without indulgence.
The Archbishop’s twenty-four years of shepherding the flock of Christ in the Archdiocese of Onitsha make manifest the currency of grace. As a matter of fact, these twenty-four years in his episcopacy prove not merely a chronological marker; it is a theological epoch that demonstrates the power of grace. It has been a liturgy of grace in which the Archdiocese are led in amazement of God’s mysterious love, adoration of His Majesty and gratitude for what this grace has accomplished through a life surrendered to God. This grace undergirds a response of faith, which, in the main, is effortful. It elicits a spirituality of an active self-surrender that snatches victory from the grip of the agents of darkness, destruction and evil rooted in unbridled self-sovereignty. Archbishop Okeke’s pastoral leadership these years shows that if leadership merely manages continuity, the greatness of such institutions would remain a mirage.
Transformative leadership sets an agenda that defines an era, and to such belongs unmistakably the episcopacy of Archbishop Okeke. Indeed, his forte is grace. It is enduringly grace, which as an enabler, strength, and a governing principle orders vision, transforms action and sustains perseverance. The Archbishop appreciates grace as the coefficient of effort, the grammar of Christian leadership, preceding, sustaining and perfecting human cooperation with God’s salvific will. His Episcopal ministry stands as a sustained act of active theological consent to it. From the very inception of his episcopacy, he understood that leadership in the Church is first an act of discernment before it becomes an act of administration. His proactive pastoral agenda has steered the Archdiocese to a path of deliberate and forward-looking ascent, rooted in a clear reading of the signs of the times.
Appreciating the prevalent decadence in society and moral crisis as receipts for debts owed over the decades of neglect, he is intentional about investing simultaneously in souls and structures. It is out of the conviction that evangelisation delinked from social responsibility is incomplete, and social development severed from God soon loses its soul. In pursuit of the vision, he has reoriented pastoral priorities, expanded the Church’s presence, strengthened institutions and deepened the quality of formation across the Archdiocese. The steady growth of parishes, the renewed energy in spiritual renewal, the formation of clergy, the revitalisation of schools, the emergence of a Catholic tertiary institution – Shanahan University, and the strengthening of healthcare, media and economic institutions all bear the mark of a single coherent vision: a Church fully present to the human condition, yet unambiguously oriented toward eternal salvation.
At the heart of this vision lies soul-winning, which is actively witnessed as a lived pastoral commitment. Archbishop Okeke’s leadership has consistently focused the local Church to her primary vocation: bringing souls to God. His emphasis on sacramental life, diverse but integrated spiritual expressions and disciplined pastoral structures reflects a shepherd who knows that programmes save no one unless they open hearts to grace. His evangelisation has been holistic, touching intellect, conscience and daily life, and flowing from and back to the liturgy as the wellspring of mission. Yet his pastoral imagination has never ignored society. As his motto underscores, the Church’s mission must align with Christ’s manifesto of Luke 4:8, for the life in abundance of His flock (cf. John 10:10). As such, the Church has to be about soul-winning and society-saving.
Through education, youth empowerment, healthcare, prison ministry and economic initiatives, his pastoral leadership has stood as a consistent bulwark against despair, ignorance and exclusion. His ministry to prisoners, in particular, reveals a compassionate shepherd fully convinced that no human life lies outside the reach of redemption. Those who encounter him speak of his defining gift of presence — firm, attentive, loving and discerning. His leadership style combines decisiveness with patience, authority with listening, and indeed shepherding as a father conscious of the weight of souls entrusted to him.
The Archbishop’s administrative and leadership quality is both upstanding and outstanding, which make his episcopacy a school of leadership. Priests, religious and lay faithful alike have learned that greatness flows from interior discipline, moral integrity and devoted, humble and faithful service. His confidence has never rested in human cleverness, but in a deep reliance on God’s providence. In other words, the Archbishop’s willingness to initiate bold projects, sustain long-term commitments and endure challenges reflects a leader who believes that the Church is God’s work, and that obedience to grace is more important than immediate success. In sum, his ministry demonstrates a steady openness to grace, a willingness to cooperate with God’s purposes, and a serene confidence in the unfolding of His plans. This interior grounding gives rise to a compassionate shepherdship that defines his pastoral identity.
As a witness-teacher, his concern for the young, the sick, the poor and the marginalised reveals a heart attuned to human suffering and human hope. His generosity, accessibility and simplicity of life have endeared him to many and reinforced the credibility of his witness. As Archbishop Valerian Maduka Okeke marks twenty-four years in the episcopacy, the Church gives thanks for a ministry defined by grace, strengthened by vision and sustained by humble and faithful service. His legacy continues to unfold in souls formed, institutions strengthened, and a society gently transformed by the quiet power of the Gospel.
In these twenty-four years, we can boldly say, Archbishop Valerian Okeke’s forte is grace. Felicitations, Your Grace!
Fr George Adimike, PhD.
findfadachigozie@gmail.com
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