Sponsorship Program | nigopmissionsusa.org

A SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM (TRAIN A PRIEST)

The Dominican Province of St. Joseph the Worker, Nigeria and Ghana, is the larger of the two provinces of the Order of Preachers (Dominicans) on the African continent. We currently have a total of over 250 members. Of this number, about 100 brothers, living in our houses of formation/training, are at different stages of their initial training for priesthood and religious life (including pre-novitiate & Novitiate). We are a very young province. We became a self-governing province in 1993. As such, we still need to invest significantly in the spiritual and intellectual training of our younger members to prepare them for our various ministries and services to God’s people. Room and board for each brother is the responsibility of the Province. On average, it takes about $20 to support each brother per day. This comes to a total of $7,300.00 per year for each brother, over the course of the eight years a candidate’s training would normally last. Tuition only is a separate $2,000.00 for one academic year. However, $5,000 could also be utilized for tuition, room, and board per candidate per year.

Some members of our Province are involved in active ministries not only in Nigeria and Ghana, but also in various parts of Europe and North America. We are committed to bringing Christ in a relevant way to all the people that we minister to. However, often good vocations to the priesthood and religious life are lost because of inadequate means to support and nurture them. Every year, we receive more than 500 applications from young men who wish to become Dominican priests, but we are only able to accept about 15 individuals due to a shortage of funding. Also, young indigent Catholic students in colleges and universities are lured away from the faith by protestant and Pentecostal Christian groups who can attend to their material needs like food, clothing, and money.

We are aware of the financial implications of our work and strive to generate the needed funds to support ourselves and our ministries locally. However, our efforts fall short of meeting our needs. This is why we turn to men and women of good will like you. We are confident that the support we receive from you will enable us to spread the gospel message effectively. Your help could be in one of several ways, as outlined below:

- Full Sponsorship: $5,000.00, which could be paid either once a year or in 4 instalments. This annual contribution could last from 6 to 8 years. Please, write to indicate how many years you are willing to sponsor a student.

- Half Sponsorship: $2,500.00, which could be paid either once a year or in 4 instalments.

- Tuition Support for Students: $2,000.00 (or less) per annum. You may sponsor a student’s tuition payment annually. This amount goes toward tuition only.

- Daily Support for Students: $1,000.00 per month. You may sponsor a student’s room and board on a monthly basis.

- Other Supports for Students: less than $1,000.00 per month. Any amount you can afford to send ($20, $50, $100, etc.) will be channelled towards the feeding of Dominican seminarians trained for the priesthood.

- Tuition Support for Priests: You may sponsor a priest in training by contributing toward the individual’s tuition.

- You could support our missionaries working in different countries through a monthly generous contribution of your choice. You determine what you can give and make a commitment for a specified period of time, which could be renewed.

Finally, I want to assure you that your contribution will be used for whatever you indicate. All donations are tax deductible. Please consider this as an opportunity to be actively involved in training future Dominican priests to continue the mission of the Catholic Church. May the Good Lord help you to support us through one of the options outlined above.

Thank you!

Rev. Matthew Achunine, OP

Mission Director

Dominican Fathers & Brothers, Province of Nigeria

NB: You can make your check payable to:

Dominican Fathers & Brothers Province of Nigeria

Attn: Fr. Matthew Achunine, OP

P. O. Box 5087

W. Hyattsville, MD 20782

To give online through this website:

Scholarship Program (Education of Kids)

Community

The academic community is a common place to pursue the truth, which is essential for supporting students in their individual development to achieve their goals in mutual encouragement, creating a supportive atmosphere of like-minded individuals.

Study

All study leads to Divine Truth in God, but this does not mean that one only studies theology, but to many different subjects and has contributed great treasures to the development of the whole person, which contribute to Community, Church and Society.

Prayer

Prayer is the opening of our being to God. It is centred on private and community prayer, meditation, the Eucharist and the Holy Rosary. It asks of us to treat others the way we would like to be treated to achieve communion with God and to foster humility and kindness to all.

The Dominican Province of Nigeria and Ghana has several Elementary, Middle, and High Schools through which we impart Dominican intellectual heritage and guide the young ones on the path of the Catholic faith. Through these schools, we also provide education for poor indigent children in Nigeria. We take care of their tuition, feeding and provide them with the basic standards for their life. Because of the security situation in Nigeria, many parents no longer feel safe bringing their kids to schools that do not provide private security for students and staff. We, the Dominicans, do mission in Northern Nigeria where Christians are a minority and Catholics experience persecution because of their faith. Kids in our schools are exposed to kidnappings for ransom and many forms of abuse by hoodlums operating in those regions. Churches are under attack, people’s faith is under attack, and Christians are extremely persecuted in the North of Nigeria. In fact, most of the kids in our scholarship program are also from poor homes and are unable to pay the tuition fees. As a result, many of these kids withdraw from school and are deprived of basic elementary and high school education because of insecurity and poverty.

It costs approximately $500 to cover the tuition fee for a child in a year. There are approximately 200 of them in our scholarship scheme, and these children will be deprived of basic education without our collective help. Support us today to give these kids a brighter future. You can support as many kids as you can. All donations are tax-deductible. Please consider this an opportunity to be actively involved in changing the lives of children and providing hope and a better future for those in need in Nigeria. May the Good Lord bless you as you support us in our mission to those at the fringes of society.