Ikenna Collins
What appears to be desecration of the alter was recorded at Blessed Tansi Catholic Church, Ugwu-Orji, Owerri, Imo State on Saturday 6th April, 2013, as pandemonium rocked Special Eucharistic celebration to mark the First Saturday of the month which is always attended by the Catholic Women Organization (CWO), as two women were forced to leave the church by the Parish Priest.
According to some members of the church who spoke to Trumpeta reporter in anonymity, the Christian Women were over the years told not to wear the Catholic Women Organization Uniform if they are not duly registered in any CWO group of the church, but to appear on casual dress whether wedded or not.
The Parish Priest, Rev Fr Ben Oparaugo, shortly after starting the Mass, left the alter to the defaulters seat and forced them to leave the church or he calls their husbands on phone to come and whisk them off the church.
The two women refused to leave the church, hence pandemonium erupted, as the congregation roared, trailing their eyes and mouths at the raging priest and the defaulters.
The priest raged, and after making calls, he calmed down and started the Mass again, while the two women stayed in the mass.
Efforts made by the Trumpeta reporter to interview some elders of the church to get their own side of the issue proved abortive as it was learnt that the elders were fully in support of the Parish Priest. The elders raged and demanded to know the reporter’s identity, and whether the Priest was aware of his presence in the church.
In the course of the investigation, a reporter from Announcer Express Newspaper was harassed and embarrassed by an elder of the church as her camera was seized.
The two women refused to speak to the Trumpeta reporter for fear of being bullied.
