To all Priests and Religious Working in the Archdiocese of Lagos, and the Lay Faithful.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,

1. The Lagos Archdiocesan Year of the Family: On the 1st of January, 2014, we formally declared the Year 2014 as the Lagos Archdiocesan Year of the Family. This is a follow-up to the announcement made at the end of the Corpus Christi Procession on the Grounds of St. Gregory College, Obalende. The theme for the year is: The Family as a Domestic Church.

The formal inauguration of this year has been scheduled for Thursday, February 27th 2014. It will be within the Holy Mass that would be celebrated at the Holy Cross Cathedral at 11.00am. Between now and the formal inauguration, the following meetings have been scheduled:

a. 15th January 2014: Meeting of the Archbishop with all Parish Priests at the Holy Cross Cathedral Hall starting at 11.00am.

1

19, CATHOLIC MISSION STREET, P. O. BOX 8, LAGOS-NIGERIATEL/FAX: 01- 8448669

SPECIAL CIRCULAR January, 2014/No.016.1

b. 23rd January 2014: Meeting with the leaders of the following Associations of the Lay faithful: Archdiocesan Laity Council, CMO, CWO, CYON, Catholic Charismatic Renewal, Small Christian Communities, Papal Knights and Medalists, Knights and Ladies of St. Mulumba, Knights and Ladies of St. John International, Association of Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary and Legion of Mary.

The details of the activities for the whole year will be published in a special document that is being prepared for the Year of the Family. We ask that everyone should not only put this project in prayers but also work at their various levels to ensure that we achieve the goals for which the year was declared. May God bless us all. Below is the official prayer and slogan for the Year of the family.

PRAYER FOR LAGOS ARCHDIOCESAN YEAR OF THE FAMILY

Almighty God, from whom every family on earth receives its name. In the beginning, you ordained that man and woman should come together in marriage as husband and wife, to form a family built on love and respect for life and one another. We acknowledge that oftentimes our families have not lived up to the ideals of Christ. In this Year of the Family, we ask you to forgive us our failings, renew your Spirit in us and accompany us through all the challenges we face as families. Help us by your grace, to make our homes a Domestic Church – where faith, love, forgiveness, justice and peace reign so that each member of our families will be led to a personal conversion and intimate friendship with Christ. May our lives be centered on your Word and the Eucharist as we become bearers of Christ and the light of his Gospel to our children and to all those around us. May the Holy Family of Nazareth inspire and assist us in this sacred task, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

2

SLOGAN FOR THE YEAR OF THE FAMILY

Leader: Year of the Family

Response: Rooting our Families in Christ

2. Creation of New Deaneries in the Archdiocese: For the physical and spiritual growth of our Archdiocese and to enhance our service in the administration of the Archdiocese, we saw the need to alter the administrative structure of our Archdiocese. This has led to the creation of eight (8) new Deaneries.

The former Badagry deanery has been divided into three and so we now have Badagry, Festac and Sattelite Town Deaneries. The former Agege Deanery has become Agege and Ipaja Deaneries. The former Mainland Deanery has been divided into Surulere and Yaba Deaneries while the former Ikeja Deanery has become Ikeja, Ikorodu and Maryland Deaneries. Lagos Island Deanery remains as it was. Apapa Deanery remains except for some parishes that were joined with other parishes from Badagry and Mainland Deaneries to create Isolo Deanery. The former Lekki Deanery has given way to Lekki and Epe Deaneries. With this, the total number of Deaneries in the Archdiocese has risen to fifteen (15).

LIST OF DEANERIES IN THE ARCHDIOCESE OF LAGOS

1. SURULERE DEANERY

3

i. Our Lady of Fatima, Aguda

ii. St. Anthony, Gbaja

iii.Ss. Mulumba & David, Lawanson

iv.St. Anne, Itire

v. St. Brigids, Ijesatedo

vi.Christ the King, Ilasamaja

vii. Regina Mundi, Mushin

viii. Our Lady of Apostles, Ilupeju

2. YABA DEANERY

i. St. Paul, Ebute-metta

ii. Our Lady Queen of Nigeria, Clegg

4

iii.St. Dominic, Yaba

iv.St. Denis, Bariga

v. Ss. Peter & Paul, Shomolu

vi.St. Gabriel, Ladi-lak

3. APAPA DEANERY

i. St. Mary, Ajegunle

ii. St. Matthew, Amukoko

iii.Sacred Heart, Apapa

iv.St. Joseph, Kirikiri

v. CKC, Ojo Road

vi.St. Martin the Porress, Ojo Agric

5

vii. St. Charles, Olodi Apapa

viii. St. Margaret, Olodi

ix.St. Vincent, Olodi

x. Our Lady of Lourdes, Orile iganmu

xi.Church of Immaculate Conception, Snake Island

4. IKEJA DEANERY

i. St. Peter Claver, Ajao Estateii. Church of Ascension, Airportiii.Church of Presentation, Ikeja G.R.Aiv. St. Leo, Ikeja

6

v. St. John the Evangelist, Ladipovi. St. Jude, Mafolukuvii. Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, Ogba

viii. St. Timothy’s, Ojodu

ix. Holy Spirit, Omolex. St. Francis, Oregun

2. MARYLAND DEANERY

i. Church of Resurrection, Magodoii. St. Agnes, Marylandiii.Our Lady Queen of Peace, Ifako-Gbagada

7

iv. St. Michael’s, Ketu

v. Sacred Heart, Ojotavi. St. Benjamin, Oloworavii. St. Gerald, Soluyi, Gbagadaviii. St. Flavius, Oworonsoki

5. IKORODU DEANERY

i. Corpus Christi, Egbin

ii. St. Monica, Igbogbo

iii.Divine Mercy, Ijede

iv.St. Augustine, Ikorodu

8

v. Sacred Heart, Odogunyan

vi.Good Shepherd, Owode-Ajegunle

vii. St. Patrick, Owode-Ibeshe

3. AGEGE DEANERY

i. St. Sabina, Idimangoro

ii. St. Cyprian, Oko Oba

iii.Church of Presentation, Oko-Oba

iv.St. Kizito, Iju

v. St. Theresa, Ifako, Agege

vi.St. Catherine, Alakuko

vii. St. Thomas Onilekere

9

6. IPAJA DEANERY

i. St. Joseph, Gowon Estate

ii. St. Ferdinand, Ipaja

iii.St. Alphonsus, Aboru

iv.St. Patrick, Igbogila

v. St. Anthony, A.I.T Road, Alagbado

vi.Ss. Joachim & Anne, Meiran

vii. C.K.C, Akowonjo

viii. Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Shasha-Akowonjo

ix.Army Chaplaincy

x.Maria Assumpta, Airforce

10

7. BADAGRY DEANERY

i. Sacred Heart, Badagry

ii. Holy Family, Ajara

iii.St. Leo, Ikoga-Zebbe

iv.St. Andrew, Kweme Sea Beach

v. St. Cecilia, Ijanikin

vi.St. John, Ilufe

vii. St. Andrew, Ilemba

viii. Holy Spirit, Ayetoro

ix.St. Joseph, Aradagun

x. Blessed Tansi, Magbon

11

8. FESTAC DEANERY

i. Holy Family, Festac Town

ii. Church of Annunciation, Festac Town

iii.Church of Presentation, Festac Town

iv.Church of Nativity, Festac Town

v. Church of Visitation, Festac Town

vi.Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Amuwo Odofin

vii. St. Stephen, Agboju

viii. St. Monica, Mazamaza

ix.St. Cyril, Okota

x. St. Joseph, Abule-Ado

12

9. SATELLITE DEANERY

i. Archangels, Satellite Town

ii. Ss. Peter & Paul, Tedi

iii.St. Martin De Porres, Ojo Agric

iv.St. Thomas, Okokomaiko

v. Holy Trinity, Isashi

vi.St. Patrick, Alaba

13

10. ISOLO DEANERY

i. St. Francis, Idimu

ii. Holy Rosary, Arida

iii.St. Lawrence, Isheri-Olofin

iv.St. John, Igando

v. Ss. Joachim and Anne, Ijegun

vi.Ss. Timothy & Titus, Isheri Oshun

vii. St. Peter, Ejigbo

viii. St. Mary, Isolo

ix.Ss. Peter & Paul, Oke-Afa

x. St. Joseph, Agodo

xi.Immaculate Heart, Iba New Town

xii. St. Augustine, Iba

14

11. LAGOS ISLAND DEANERY

i. Holy Cross Cathedral, Lagos

ii. St. Michael, Lafiaji

iii.St. Patrick, Idumagbo

iv.St. Joseph, Elegbata

v. Church of Assumption, Falomo

vi.St. Charles Borromeo, 1004 Estate

vii. Perpetual Help, V/Island.

12. LEKKI DEANERY

15

i. Divine Mercy, Lekki Phase 1

ii. Church of Epiphany, Ologolo

iii.Ss. Philip & James, Lekki

iv.St. Theresa, Ikota

v. Our Lady Star of the Sea, Northern Foreshore

vi.Church of Transfiguration, VGC

vii. Good Shepherd, Moba

viii. Perpetual Help, Ajah

ix.St. Peter, Ado Langbasa

x. Our Lady Mother & Queen, Badore

13. EPE DEANERY

16

i. Church of Annunciation, Abraham Adesanya

ii. Regina Pacis, Sangotedo

iii.Church of Assumption, Awoyaya

iv.Regina Caeli, Bogije

v. Mother of Mercy, Abijo

vi.Holy Rosary, Ibeju-Lekki

vii. St. Theresa, Epe

viii. Immaculate Conception, Ibonwon

3. APPOINTMENT OF DEANS: With the development mentioned above, it has become necessary to appoint Deans to administer the deaneries also. To that effect, the following have been appointed deans to the respective deaneries:

1. Badagry Deanery Very Rev. Fr. Eddie Hartnett SMA

2. Festac Deanery Very Rev. Fr. Jerome Akinyemi

3. Satellite Town Deanery Very Rev. Fr. Francis Ike

4. Isolo Deanery Very Rev. Fr. Matthew Ogunyase

5. Ipaja Deanery Very Rev. Fr. Stephen Enearu

17

6. Ikeja Deanery Very Rev. Fr. Patrick Obayomi

7. Ikorodu Deanery Very Rev. Fr. Augustine Medaiyedu CMF

8. Agege Deanery Very Rev. Msgr. Christopher Boyo

9. Maryland Deanery Very Rev. Fr. Anthony Fadairo

10. Lekki Deanery Very Rev. Msgr. Francis Ogunmodede

11. Epe Deanery Very Rev. Fr. Ethelbert Ukpabi

12. Apapa Deanery Very Rev. Msgr. Anthony Erinle

13. Lagos Island Deanery Very Rev. Fr. Anthony Oyeniyi

14. Yaba Deanery Very Rev. Fr. Felix Onomhegie OP

15. Surulere Deanery Very Rev. Msgr. Bernard Okodua

4. REGIONS AND EPISCOPAL VICARS: With the creation of the new Deaneries, it has become necessary to reconfigure the structure of the regions as well. So we now have the following regions and their constitutive deaneries. Lagos Region shall be composed of Surulere, Yaba, Apapa and Lagos Island Deaneries. Ikeja Region shall be made up of Ikeja, Ikorodu, Agege, Maryland and Ipaja Deaneries. Badagry Region shall be made up of Badagry, Festac, Sattelite Town and Isolo Deaneries. Lekki Region shall be made up of Lekki and Epe Deaneries.

The Episcopal Vicars of these regions retain their positions taking note of the adjustments to their various jurisdictions.

18

(Signed)

+ Alfred Adewale Martins

Archbishop, Metropolitan See of Lagos.

19