"I'm Here to Return the Favor:" Fr. Augustine Ibezimako to Spend at Least a Year at St. Bruno
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[July 20, 2012 will mark the 16th anniversary of Fr. Augustine Ibezimako's ordination into the priesthood. At that time, he put his folded hands into the open palms of his Bishop and pledged obedience.
His calling is to be a pastor and he's happy to go where his Bishop directs him.
"I hear God's voice in the voice of my Bishop," he explains.
Shortly after his church was recognized as the best parish in the diocese in 2010, his Bishop asked him to come to America. It took about a year to get the necessary visa.
On Sept. 1, 2011, Fr. Ibezimako arrived in the U.S.
Once here, he spent 10 weeks at Bishop Edward K. Braxton's home in Belleville getting his driver's license and other official paperwork in order and visiting parishes. He then spent time as an Associate Priest at the Blessed Sacrament Church in Belleville and helped out with duties at Holy Rosary Church in Fairmont City when the priest there had knee surgery.
In February, Fr. Ibezimako arrived at St. Bruno and took over the parish on a temporary basis in March when Fr. Brian Barker departed. When Bishop Braxton did not appoint him to a different parish when this year's postings came out on July 10, his posting became permanent for the next year.
"When my fathers and forefathers did not know God, missionaries from America and Europe brought the good news to us," he said. "They taught us to love. Now that America and Europe are in need of priests, missionaries from Africa including me are here to return that favor."
Fr. Ibezimako is the youngest of eight children, seven of whom are still living. His family had a strong faith and he was exposed to the church and priesthood at an early age. There was no kindergarten when he was young so his siblings dropped him off at the parish house on the way to school and picked him up afterward.
Another family member also had a religious calling, his aunt is a medical doctor and a nun.
The area where he grew up in Imo State, Nigeria is 95 percent Catholic. After his early schooling, Fr. Ibezimako attended St. Peter Claver Seminary in Okpala, Nigeria- It's a junior seminary, which is like a Catholic high school here. He attended St. Peter Claver for five years.
After high school, he did a year of apostolic work then studied Philosophy at St. Joseph Major Seminary in Ikot Ekpene in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria for four years. St. Joseph Seminary is affiliated with Pontifical Urban University in Rome, Italy.
After another year of apostolic work, Fr. Ibezimako returned to St. Joseph to study Theology for four years.
After his ordination, he was associate priest, a pastor and then was directed to study agriculture development. After completing the agriculture program. Fr. Ibezimako founded the Mater Farm Project which teaches local farmers to grow food.
The program was named for the Mater Ecclesiae Diocese in Ahiara Mbaise in Imo State. He ran the project for four and a half years.
After the program was up and running the then Imo State government got involved through empowering the trained farmers in its poverty alleviation program.
Fr. Ibezimako wrote the handbook for local farmers in the program called "Integrated Farming: A Practical Guide."
In addition to the handbook, he has also published the book "Journey to God's Bosom" and the play "If You Can't Beat Them..."
He also has written two unpublished plays- "The Witness" and "Candles in the Rain."
Fr. Ibezimako said he enjoys writing and reading as in order to be a writer, one must also be a reader. It keeps him busy.
"I stay out of trouble," he said.
The word for priest in Ibo, Fr. Ibezimako's native tongue is "uko chukwu" which translates to "go-between." Priests carry the prayers and sacrifices of their parishioners to God and return His grace to them.
Though his home diocese in Nigeria and the Belleville Diocese share a faith, there are cultural differences. The differences are more about attitude than numbers. Though Fr. Ibezimako comes from a parish of more than 9,000 people with 800 to 1,000 students in the parish school. By comparison, St. Bruno has 600 families in the parish and 130 students in the school.
Fr. Ibezimako attributes some of the difference in attitude to time. At home, the faith is newer. The Catholic Church in Owerri Province where he comes from is celebrating 100 years of Catholicism.
Because of that newness, Catholics are closer to the sacraments and seem to appreciate them a bit more. As a result, priests are held a little bit in awe by their parishioners as long as they live up to their expectations of how a priest is supposed to conduct himself. Priests are expected to live spiritual lives.
It takes 18 to 20 years from preparatory high school or junior seminary to ordination. When Fr. Ibezimako started, it took a little less time, but was still a long journey that included five years of preparatory school, eight years of study and several years of apostolic work. Once a man reaches the ordination stage, he is very sure of his calling and very well-prepared.
As in the United States, not everyone who attends the junior seminary (equivalent to a Catholic high school) goes on to the priesthood. Out of a class of more than 280, Fr. Ibezimako is one of nine who were ordained.
He misses that understanding of the priesthood, but has been striving to adapt to the differences here.
"I'm ready to learn to be the priest St. Bruno needs," he said. To that end, he's making adjustments such as reducing the length of his sermons. Fr. Ibezimako loves to preach and is used to preaching for at least 30 minutes at Mass, which lasts at least two hours in Nigeria.
Here, brevity is appreciated. In addition to reducing the length of his sermons, Fr. Ibezimako is working with a professional to lessen his accent.
Nigeria was colonized by the English and as a result, he has spoken the Queen's English since grade school. It takes a little effort to communicate effectively and he's willing to make that effort.
While here, he hopes to maintain the historically high standards at the school. There are several new teachers beginning this fall, including Sister Maria Nnedimma to teach 8th grade and math, Ms. Autumn Konkel to teach fifth grade and Ms. Chrysse Rennegarbe to teach fourth grade. Mr. Keith Senior was hired as the new Principal.
Fr. Ibezimako also hopes to institute a prayer program of adoration of the blessed sacrament called Surrender. It will meet once a month in the church. This is something he did in Nigeria, which he truly misses.