You're not defined by your past mistakes, Bishop tells inmates

 Archbishop Okeke Preach Message Of Hope As He Celebrate Christmas With Prisoners In Onitsha Correctional Center. 

By Tobias Ekirika

The Catholic Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Onitsha Ecclesiastical Province, His Grace, Most Rev. Dr. Valerian Maduka Okeke, on Thursday, December 25, 2025, celebrated Christmas with inmates of Onitsha Custodial Center in line with his annual Christmas outreach to the Center.

The event was started with a Holy Mass which was presided over by the Archbishop.

In his homily during the Eucharistic celebration, the Archbishop called on the inmates to take good advantage of facilities and programs in the Custodial Center to improve themselves to become useful to themselves and the society when they leave the facility.

He said, "Today, I stand before you not only as your Archbishop but as a fellow servant of Christ, sharing a message of hope, faith, and renewal. It is important for you to know that your lives have intrinsic value and purpose, even in this challenging chapter.

"Each of you carries a story and a future that is yet unwritten. While your present circumstances may seem dark, I urge you to remember that even the most tumultuous storms will eventually pass. God’s love and mercy can reach you in the depths of despair.

"You are not defined by your past mistakes. Instead, this time can be a transformative period - a moment for reflection, growth, and healing. Embrace this opportunity to draw closer to God, to cultivate your strengths, and to seek forgiveness and understanding. 

"Remember that no one is beyond redemption. Many saints and people of faith have walked paths filled with trials, yet they found their way to new beginnings through grace and perseverance. Let your faith be your guiding light, illuminating new possibilities and shaping your future.

"I leave you with a reminder that you are never alone. God is with you, and His infinite love surrounds you always. Keep your hearts open to His guidance, and trust that brighter days lie ahead. May His grace strengthen you and lead you towards a path of redemption and peace."

He encouraged them to have open mind and positive disposition towards their stay in the Custodial Center - to see it as a place of transition and transformation - not a place of torment or punishment.

He also advised those taking care of the inmates to treat them with care, not with hatred, so that their stay in the center will be memorable.

He further assured that he would continue to do his best to ensure that their stay in the center is not wasted.

The Archbishop also announced Christmas gifts he brought to the inmates to include one live cow, cooked foods, toiletries, tooth pastes, footwears, drinks, tooth brushes, soaps, among many other items.

In his vote of thanks, the Chaplain of St. Maximilian Kolbe Chaplancy, Onitsha Custodial Center, Rev. Fr. Nnamdi Batholomew Okpalaugo, thanked the Archbishop for his deep love and interest in the lives of the inmates, and urged the local ordinary not to relent.

He also thanked all the stakeholders that came around to celebrate the day with them, including his brother priests, Reverend Sisters and government officials.

The Officer in Charge of Onitsha Custodial Center, Deputy Controller of Prisons, Anthony Chidi Eke, thanked the Archbishop for his positive activities in the Custodial Center, which he said, have improved the lives and well-being of inmates.

He said, "When I arrived here, I was told of all that he has been doing in this facility. He has done much to ensure that inmates are well cared for. 

"He built Skills Acquisition Center here where inmates are trained in various handworks like tailoring, ICT, carpentry, etc, so that as they leave the facility, they will become good citizens useful to the society.

"The Archbishop also took the education of the inmates as his top priority. Now, if you're in this facility, you can't feel it, because, you'll attend classes like any other free citizen and earn certificate or degree because, we run Open University program here, which is bei