It’s beautiful to finally join the BLURT community. I am Simon Faeren Yateghtegh from Benue State, Nigeria. Every 15th June I mark my birthday. I am the second out of nine sibling even though we lost our last, baby Rita to the cold hands of death on the 16th of February 2016. This means we are eight siblings comprising six boys and two girls (I guess that’s massive... 😄)

Haven studied and gained a Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy (B.Phil) and Sacred Theology (BST) at St. Thomas Aquinas’ Major Seminary, Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria, an Affiliate of Urbanian University Rome, I was ordained to the Catholic Priesthood on 4th July, 2020 and since then I have been basking in the sublime mystery that I have embraced. Immediately I was ordained I was sent on secondment (loaned) to another Diocese (Katsina-Ala Diocese) to work for three years before I can return to my home Diocese (Gboko Diocese). Interestingly, from July 13th 2020 to December 31st 2020 I work at the Cathedral Church of St. Gerard Majella as the Assistant Cathedral Administrator where I experienced the busy life of the Cathedral Church, ranging from celebrating at least two masses a day and at most three for days with special needs. While at the Cathedral I was primarily charged with the responsibilities of caring for the sick, aged and invalids; school administrator of the Church’s Nursery and Primary School and other pastoral engagements that kept my pastoral life always on the move – this was challenging but interesting (after all, am just a young man with fresh zeal and zest ready to explore the demands of my calling). Just 6 months down the line when I was becoming acquitted with the environment and the beautiful community of Christ’s Faithful, I got a transfer letter to report at my new place of pastoral assignment on the 1st January, 2021 – this wasn’t pleasant a news you know😀 but the vow of obedience always has the day.

How does it feel to have a busy life schedule and all of sudden you get a new job that is almost a direct opposite of it? Life could be frustrating you know. This is my story. On 1st January 2021, I reported work at St. John the Baptist Parish, Gbise, a lowly parish community ravaged and torn apart by local community clashes and wars (about 20 years running) that have left the people impoverished rather than improved; a community where the faith of the people is still feeble and needs proper catechesis and nurturing; a community where life can be described at best as natural, a community where everyone is a suspect until proven otherwise; a community where education is viewed as a luxury and not a tool for liberation; a community where the priest is basically the beacon of hope; the list is simply endless. I wonder what your feelings are as you read through these lines.

Truth be told dear friends, my spirit was dampened and my zeal became shaky. A lot of unanswered questions puzzled and preoccupied my thoughts, I felt dejected, I felt I was been treated unfairly, I felt it shouldn’t be me. But guess what? The past one year pastoral experience has been awesome mixed with high and low moments; sorrowful and joyful moments and a life time experience that can never be taken away from me, its priceless. I have learnt to change my stumbling blocks into stepping stones and I have learnt to take one day at a time while hoping for the best but expecting the worse (absurd I guess). I have come to appreciate life in its crude nature and feel the pain and anguish of a people living in penury’s dark cell who don’t have the best life can afford yet live as though they had what the rest of the world is scrambling for. Here, I have come to embrace the reality that a life of a Priest is a total sacrifice. Without any intentions to provoke a debate, I dare to say that EVERYBODY DIES BUT NOT EVERYBODY TRULY LIVES. And so, life is meant for the living and so we need to make the most out of every experience so that posterity will always remember us for living even with conditions that challenge our living.

Before I get you guys bored with details of my pastoral experience, let me quickly mention that I love reading books, listening to good music, playing basket ball (even though it’s been awhile I played due to my location at the moment) lending a helping hand, caring for the sick and living life in its fullest and making impact no matter how little, that’s why I always smile. This is me.

Before I forget, warm regards to Kizito my friend who gladly and graciously introduced me to BLURT and I hope to have a great life experience with the BLURT community. And so I say stay safe everybody and let’s live life. Cheers!

Simon Faeren YATEGHTEGH
A lowly Priest in the hinterlands