Cathedral Church of St. Jude Honours Octogenarian Couple, Others for Faithful Service

It was all smiles, celebration and colour at the hallowed halls of Cathedral Church of St. Jude, Ebute Meta, in the Diocese of Lagos Mainland (Anglican Communion), on Sunday, as the church converged to celebrate octogenarian couple, Venerable and Lady Ope, alongside 15 other elderly personalities.

The Cathedral’s seventh edition of the Longevity and Octogenarian Awards is an honour given to elderly members for their unparalleled dedication and unwavering service to the church community, and Venerable Adeniyi Samuel Ope, 81 and his wife, Lady Christiana Emiola, 82 got the Octogenarian Couple Award for their exemplary faithfulness and commitment to their marital vows.

On the awardees list, six elders were honoured with The Longevity Award, four got The Octogenarian Award for Charity, five got the Octogenarian Awards for Service, and the Opes were the ones honoured with the Octogenarian Couple Award.

Congratulating the Pa and Mrs Ope alongside other 2023 awardees, the Standing Committee of the church, in the message thanked them for their remarkable commitment and affirmed their enduring legacy and immeasurable contributions to the church family.

“The Lord who has kept you this far will be with you till the end. You will continue to be sources of inspiration in the church and society in the name of Jesus, Amen,” the congratulatory message read.

As Venerable and Lady Ope accepted the Octogenarian Couple Award, they expressed their profound gratitude for the unwavering support and camaraderie of their fellow parishioners. They emphasised that the true reward lies in the shared moments of compassion, unity, and spiritual fulfilment that have defined their journey within the church.

“I feel happy and great for this award,” Lady Ope said with a smile. “I see this award as an encouragement for people to live upright, be faithful to their vows and to serve God.”

For Venerable Ope, it was gladdening that the church recognised the sacrifices of past years.  “For many years we’ve been contributing to the church, but we didn’t get noticed. Maybe it could be because we were out of the parish for 10 years after we were called to go serve at the Lagos Diocese. So surprisingly we were called upon that it is now our turn to be honoured in this edition.

“The award is a traditional honour for members of the church who are 80 years and above, who have impacted significantly over the years. I was parish secretary of the church for seven years, I also served as Vicar’s warden for six years, and People’s warden for two years before I went to the seminary. So I feel enthused and happy that the church has given me this award, especially the couple honour accorded to me and my wife,” Venerable Ope said.