Atang Izang
Fate and ambition have been man’s greatest companions; whether as his assets or Waterloo. Fate, we are told, can conspire by calling other oddities to action and throw spanner in the work of humans and shatter it. Ambition, according to the sages, is useful when properly handled but destructive when not properly handled.
Rev. Fr. David Ajang, the newly installed Bishop of Lafia
Diocese, comes to mind. He may have had an ambition when he chose the life of
celibacy over the conventional one but to think of becoming a higher ranking
Catholic priest, that in itself was left to fate to decide and it has been
decided.
The Catholic faith and church may have been late arrival in
Izereland compare to other denominations. According to church history as
regarding Christianity in Izereland, the Church was introduced around 1945 in
Jos Jarawa, which is the heartland of the Izere nation by one Irish Rev. Fr.
Frances Hughes.
After 76 years the Catholic Church has many adherants of
Izere extraction and many of them both males and females have excel well in the
church's hierarchy and rankings, i.e., from being Catchists and other
layleaders to Rev. Father's/Sisters.
However, with the installation of Rev. Father Ajang to the
rank of a Bishop, makes him the first Afizere Catholic priest to attain such a
ranking and office in the Church. This of course, calls for celebrations
whether you're a Catholic or not so long as you are an Afizere.
With his elevation to the office of a Bishop, it is hope
this will signal the beginning for many of our Afizere priests to aspire
through hard work and dedication to attain such a rank. It should not only be
in the Catholic Church but in other Christian denominations.
For Bishop David Ajang, this should just be the beginning of
his Ecclesiastical journey to the summit of the Catholic Church's hierarchy.
Who knows may be he will be come a cardinal and perhaps a pontiff?
Monsignor David Ajang was born 31 March 1970 in Zaria, Zaria
Diocese.
His journey to priesthood began immediately after his
primary and secondary education as he entered St John Vianney Minor Seminary in
Barkin Ladi (1982-1987). As a seminarian of the metropolitan archdiocese of
Jos, he carried out his studies in philosophy at the St Thomas Aquinas Major
Seminary in Makurdi (1987-1990), and in theology at the St Augustine's Major
Seminary in Jos (1990-1994).
Ajang was found worthy of ordination as priest on 3rd
December 1994 and incardinated in the metropolitan archdiocese of Jos. He was
subsequently awarded a licentiate in philosophy from the Pontifical Urban
University of Rome (2002-2004) and doctorate from the University of Jos.
After a priestly ordination he held the following offices:
a) Parish vicar of St James in Gombe (1994-1995)
b) Parish priest of St Mulumbain Nassarawa Eggon
c) Vocational Director of the metropolitan archdiocese of
Jos
d) Parish vicar of St Theresa's in Jos (1998-1999)
e) Parish priest of the Immaculate Conception Parish in
Zaramaganda and Youth Chaplain of the metropolitan archdiocese of Jos
(1999-2001)
f) Administrator of the Our Lady of Fatima Cathedral Jos
(2001-2002), and,
g) Formator at St Augustine's Major Seminary in Jos
(2004-2012)
h) Parish priest of the Ugandan Marty's Parish and Dean in
Kuru.
Since 2012 he has served as member of the College of Consultors
of the metropolitan archdiocese of Jos; since 2015, Chaplain of the governor of
Plateau State and since 2018, Parish priest of the Immaculate Conception Parish
and Dean of Zaramaganda.
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