By Samson Adeyanju
The Secretary General of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN), Rev. Fr. Michael Banjo, has praised the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of Caritas Nigeria, Rev. Fr. Peter Audu, for his prayerful, empathetic, trustworthy, emotionally grounded and resilient service to the Church and society.
Fr. Banjo gave the commendation during a Thanksgiving Mass held at the CSN headquarters in Abuja to mark Fr. Audu’s 60th birthday.
The celebration drew priests, religious and staff of the Secretariat, as well as personnel from agencies of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN).
In his homily, Fr. Banjo employed the acronym PETER to highlight the defining virtues of the celebrant; Prayerful, Empathetic, Trustworthy, Emotionally grounded and Resilient, describing Fr. Audu as a priest whose leadership and character reflect deep commitment to service, justice and compassion.
He noted that Fr. Audu’s stewardship at Caritas Nigeria and the Directorate of Church and Society has continued to strengthen the Church’s response to humanitarian needs, social justice advocacy and the promotion of human dignity across the country.
At the end of the Mass, during a reception, Fr. Banjo presented a commemorative card to the celebrant, amid warm applause from those present.
Responding, Fr. Audu expressed heartfelt gratitude to God for the gift of life and vocation, and thanked the CSN leadership, colleagues and well-wishers for their prayers, support and solidarity.
He described the occasion as a moment of thanksgiving and renewal of his commitment to serving the Church and the poor.
The celebration also featured a symbolic cake-cutting ceremony to mark the milestone “diamond” birthday, reflecting decades of priestly service and dedication to the mission of the Church.
