The turnout was large and amazingly awesome as the Catholic faithful gathered fervently for a memorable occasion on an expansive land provided by the FCT Administration at Kubwa.
The late Pope John Paul II, visiting Nigeria in 1998, had been billed to celebrate an open Mass on the ground, dubbed the Papal Ground.
The ground was later given to the Catholic Church after the papal visit.
But other Churches under the umbrella of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), FCT chapter, asked the administration for land as an association.
Although such a request may not have been fully met by the authorities, the fact that the Deeper Life Bible Church ended its FCT crusade on April 3 on the ground has, for the first time, demonstrated that CAN is part owner of the facility.
The request led to the sharing of the Papal Ground into two — one part exclusively for the Catholic Church and the other for CAN.
However, over the years, only the Catholic Church has put its own part of the land into use.
The altar, which the late Pope used for celebrating the Mass during his visit, has been expanded and renovated.
A few structures, including a house for priests, has also been erected.
Catholic faithful have elevated the ground to a quasi parish where Mass is said regularly, while virtually all other activities of a full-fledged parish take place there.
Only the part belonging to the Catholic Church has been cared for and kept clean with trees planted and maintained.
However, this section caters to needs of different church organisations which hold programmes there.
In the past, CAN members have had to organise their programmes in the section owned by the Catholic Church, leaving the other part bushy and unattended.
Observers were, therefore, stunned when Pastor W.F. Kumuyi,the leader of the Deeper Life Bible Church, preached to the faithful from March 26 to March 27 from the CAN section of the ground.
Putting that section into use has made a difference, as it marked the first time CAN members would use their portion of the ground instead of relying on the Catholic Church section, the observers say.
Preparatory to the crusade, the bushy CAN section was cleared by the Deeper Life.
One of the crusade worshippers, Ogeh Ude, lauded the effort of both the Catholic Church and the Deeper Life for making the entire ground usable.
According to him, the entire land provides enough space for big crusades within the FCT.
“The venue is very convenient. Everybody is properly accommodated and we have the Catholic part of the premises where there are well planted trees under which we park our cars.
“I wish they could develop the place further so that other programmes by the various denominations of the Church can take place there,’’ she said.
Another worshipper, David Ogunlade, said: “I hope CAN will not allow the place to be overgrown by weeds again.
“Now that it has been opened, let other members of CAN continue to organise more events and develop the place so that God’s blessings will continue to flow,’’ he said.
Mrs. Alice Udom, a trader who sold beverages and other items during the crusade, noted that the organisers did not charge her and other traders any money for selling their wares.
According to her, “whenever such crusades are organised traders usually pay some money for selling at such venues but here there is nothing like that.
“This is the first time I have received such a wonderful treatment and we are all happy.
“I believe it is because this is the Papal Ground. You know the Catholics are more or less the landlord here and they ‘no de too put money for their things’.
“I am a member of the Living Faith Church but each time we have big programmes I pay for the space I use for selling, though I am a member,’’ she said.
Rev. Fr. Willy Ojukwu, the current Chairman of the FCT chapter of CAN, says the association will soon start to develop the land.
“We agreed to organise a fundraising ceremony towards developing the place.
“We intend to construct our secretariat there and other structures, including a guest house and a worship ground, ’’he says.
It is Ojukwu’s belief that CAN members will be glad if the land is developed as it will provide a spacious worship ground for them.
Besides, the ground can host other programmes.
Christians say that if this done, and urgently too, winning more souls for Jesus Christ will be a less arduous task in the evangelism crusade.
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