By Chinedu Onyejelem

The head of the Archdiocese of Dublin’s African Chaplaincy has urged Africans in Ireland to “be joyful and thankful to God for everything he has done for us”. Rev Fr Cornelius Nwaogwugwu made the call at a ‘Harvest of Joy’ Mass in Swords, north Dublin to celebrate the chaplaincy’s seventh annual Harvest Thanksgiving, adding that such blessings from God would come to worshippers both individually and as a group. “Many good things have happened in our lives. We have experienced tremendous success in different facets of our lives,” he said, highlighting “good health, academic success, business, job opportunities, family reunion, better housing, fruit of the womb” as well as regularisation of immigration status as some of the blessings they might enjoy. The chaplain said the annual Harvest Thanksgiving recognises the “African community experience of ‘new life and movement from despair to hope, material and spiritual challenges to new possibilities in life.’” Hundreds of items from food to crafts to appliances donated by members of the congregation were auctioned to guests during the harvest bazaar after the Mass. Special donations were also made in support of the chaplaincy’s new Catholic Youth Organisation. Bruno Igwe, a legal consultant and PhD candidate at Maynooth University, and chair of this year’s bazaar, told Metro Éireann that he was honoured to have been invited to oversee the occasion. “It’s like a homecoming to me,” he said. “I was a founding member of the chaplaincy during its early days in St Peter’s Church in Phibsborogh, in 2000 and 2001, before I moved out of Dublin. ” Igwe concurred with the chaplain that the Harvest Thanksgiving was an occasion for joyful celebration among Africans in Ireland, as well a perfect opportunity to fundraise for programmes that will “encourage, develop and empower” young people in their community in the various social challenges they face.