Cosmas Agwu Uka is a priest of the Diocese of Umuahia, Nigeria. He is currently studying for a degree in Philosophy at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, Rome, thanks to a scholarship from CARF - Centro Academico Romano Foundation. He recounts his vocation and how praying the rosary strengthened his faith in "a predominantly Muslim area where living our Catholic faith means risking one's life every day".
"My journey in this world started on June 29, 1990. My father, Stephen Ukwa Uka, who passed away some time ago, and my mother, Mrs. Felicia Uka, were living in the northern part of Nigeria at that time. My father worked as a civil servant while my mother was a trader. Both were Catholic and raised all their children in the Catholic tradition. I was baptized at St. Joseph's Catholic Cathedral in Kaduna on July 21, 1990. I am the last of six children, four boys and two girls.
Looking back, it is very interesting for me to see that, throughout my education, I have only attended missionary schools. In fact, I started my early childhood education at St. Joseph's Nursery and Kaduna Primary School. From there, we moved and I went to St. Anne's Nursery and Primary School in Kakuri, still in Kaduna State.
It was at St. Anne's that I first received the call to become a priest.. This desire for the priesthood motivated me to begin catechetical classes to receive Holy Communion even at an early age. It was then that I was able to join the altar boys and serve at the altar.
Since childhood, all of us children had already joined the group called Rosary Crusade, where we went and learned to pray the rosary every day and read the Bible.. And all this took place within a predominantly Muslim area where living our Catholic faith means risking our lives every day, but this really strengthened my faith.
"When they imposed the white cassock on me, it meant to me what I was going to be inside and also that I was going to be a light in the world.. It was a big responsibility, but it gave me joy."
Cosmas Agwu Uka was born on June 29, 1990. His father, now deceased, worked as a civil servant while his mother was a merchant. Both were Catholics and raised all their children in the Catholic faith. He is the youngest of six children, four boys and two girls. His family and the formation he received in missionary schools strengthened his faith and desire to become a priest.
He recalls how praying the holy Rosary helped him in his childhood: "Even as a child, all of us kids had signed up for a group called the Rosary Crusade, where we went and learned to pray the rosary every day and read the Bible. And all of this took place within a predominantly Muslim area where living our Catholic faith means risking your life every day, but this really strengthened my faith."
Having completed my primary education, my parents, remembering that I had expressed a deep desire to become a priest, enrolled me in the Immaculate Conception Ahiaeke Umiahia Minor Seminary in Abia State. There I gradually began to understand more closely the call to the priesthood.
This desire was further fueled by the exemplary and dedicated formators who were in the seminary at that time. In the seminary I came to love the Eucharist through the daily celebration of the Holy Mass.
From the minor seminary I went on to the year of spiritual discernment, after completing a year's apostolic work. In the spiritual year I was invested with the cassock, which was for me a fundamental stage in my journey towards the priesthood.
The cassock at that time meant that I had put my hands to the plow and could no longer look back. The white cassock also signified to me what I was going to be inside and that I was going to be a light in the world.. It was a big responsibility, but it gave me joy.
In 2009, I began my philosophical studies and then my theology studies, which I finished in 2017. Good formation is essential to be a priest, it is a pillar of your vocation, as it teaches you to appreciate the wisdom of the Church in order to be a good shepherd in the lives of the faithful.
Moreover, an edifying and inspiring aspect of my seminary formation was the fact that at the end of each academic year we were sent to do apostolic work. Each seminarian was assigned to a locality where he lived among the people, taught them, prayed with them and nurtured their faith.
Having fulfilled the philosophical and theological requirements and having been installed as a lector and acolyte, I was ordained a deacon in December 2017 and from there I was ordained a priest on July 21, 2018. From the day of my ordination it became clearer to me that God really directs the affairs of men. This is so because providentially I was ordained on the same date of my baptism, July 21. It was a happy and significant coincidence.
After my ordination to the priesthood, I was sent to work in the seminary as a formator. It was truly a wonderful experience to come back to help accompany vibrant young seminarians in discerning their call to the priesthood. My life as a priest has been full of great experiences, beginning with the celebration of the sacraments and especially with the daily celebration of Mass.
"My time in Rome is truly wonderful and uplifting. The philosophical study has been eye-opening and mind-blowing. Therefore, I will always be indebted to CARF for providing me with this opportunity to study at the University of Holy Cross. I remain grateful for this scholarship that was awarded to me and I assure you of my prayers."
Cosmas explains that the need to study in Rome was based on the request of the Provincial Major Seminary to send more priests to the seminary to meet the demands of the spiritual, intellectual, pastoral and human formation of the seminarians.
"My bishop, Msgr. Lucius I. Ugorji (in the picture) who is the provincial president of the seminary commission, decided that I should go to Rome to study philosophy, at a Pontifical University, in order to obtain the required qualification that would allow me to teach at the major seminary," he says.
The need to come to Rome to study was based on the request of the Provincial Major Seminary to send more priests to the seminary to meet the demands of the spiritual, intellectual, pastoral and human formation of the seminarians.
My bishop, Msgr. Lucius I. Ugorji, who is the provincial president of the seminary commission, decided that I should go to Rome to study Philosophy, in a Pontifical University, in order to obtain the required qualification that would allow me to teach at the major seminary.
After this, my bishop applied for a scholarship from the "Aid to the Church in Need" Foundation. However, due to the large number of scholarship applications, our application was not accepted. Great was my joy when I later received the news that there was a possibility for me to be trained in Rome thanks to the help of the Centro Academico Romano Foundation. So we applied for a scholarship for me to study at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross and, thanks to the support of CARF, I was able to obtain it.
My time in Rome is truly wonderful and uplifting. The philosophical study has been eye-opening and mind-blowing. Therefore, I will always be indebted to CARF for giving me this opportunity to study at the University of the Holy Cross. I remain grateful for this scholarship that was awarded to me and I assure you of my prayers.
In addition, I will do my best to make the most of this opportunity.
Gerardo Ferrara
BA in History and Political Science, specializing in the Middle East.
Responsible for the student body
University of the Holy Cross in Rome
