By Fr Oluwafemi Victor Orilua CSSp, Spiritans Sound Director
“When the day Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly a SOUND came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.” Acts 2:1
“The sound was not the Holy Spirit Himself but rather the announcer of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit’s sound redirected the community’s focus to the birthplace of the Church. Spiritans Sound Outreach is dedicated to proclaiming what God is accomplishing and can achieve in people’s lives, with a particular emphasis on the younger generation.”
INTRODUCTION
Spiritans Sound Outreach at 5 is replete with chronicles of appreciation to all who have contributed to its success so far. The Outreach is simply a divine vision dropped in the soul of one person to be nurtured by a host of other people. This assertion has been concretized by the gestures of supportive individuals who openly or discreetly have associated with our mission.
Human life can only be meaningful the moment it becomes impactful. Just like other humanity-oriented organizations, Spiritans Sound Outreach dons similar attributes. The latter’s making would be utterly incomplete without delving, albeit briefly, into my antecedents. My personal and unique experience in the Spiritan way of life was accentuated by the boost I got from my parish priest, Rev. Fr Anthony Oparah, CSSp. He was my parish priest back then in the year 2000. While I was contemplating joining the diocese as advised by my family, who thought being there would keep me within reach, Fr Anthony however, planted a seed of curiosity in my subconsciousness regarding joining the Spiritans. He said and I quote, “Femi, go, don’t mind the distance. I know you love adventure.” I began to wonder what exactly gave him that idea. I had never travelled far from home previously nor attempted any feat that could have won me such a description.
However, those words rang incessantly in my subconscious all through my stay in the seminary. That statement kept me on my toes whenever I faced challenges. “I know you love adventure. You can do it. You can face it.” These words kept resonating and became a source of motivation for me.
Now, it’s my turn to motivate others.
Spiritans Sound Outreach is simply an answer to a call to enunciate inert potentials in people. Upon joining the congregation of the Holy Spirit where my talents were unleashed and having met people from all walks of life, I made it a point of duty to assist other individuals realize their abilities. Hence, the story of Spiritans Sound Outreach is centered around a life scripted and born out of grace.
I grew up as a quiet young man, an introvert one may say, who presently has only succeeded in refining his temperament by virtue of his profession which has placed me in the spot serving the public and humanity. This reserved nature of mine nearly prevented me from exploring my abilities, despite harboring the notion that the future would be auspicious. As a young mass server, I had the enthusiasm to sing but never made moves to join the choir until much later when I got enrolled in the seminary, where everyone was an automatic member of the choir. Incidentally, I was made a choir master both in philosophy and in theology.
However, nurturing personal talents in the seminary with its rigorous academic schedule, is often considered a case of personal choice which requires sacrifice. I had by then already begun composing melodies. My first song was in Igbo language, titled “Ihunanya”. It is a communion hymn. This song found its way into the Spiritan School of Philosophy hymn book at Isienu, Nsukka, Nigeria. Its inclusion in the hymnal motivated me to compose other songs. As a choir master in the School of Philosophy, I thereupon charged fellow scholastics to compose the Magnificat in various tongues: Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, Efik, Idoma, Tiv and Twi. My personal compositions were in Hausa, Efik and Twi (Ghana). My Hausa version of the Magnificat “RUHU NAKUWA” was later released with my first music album titled, “I Will Extol” in 2015.
I wish to state categorically at this point that I am not a musician per se. Rather, I’m a lover and composer of music, a singer, and a mentor for those who also have a soft spot for singing. I’m not conversant with most musical instruments, except for the drums which I can beat to a certain extent.
THE BIRTH OF SPIRITANS SOUND OUTREACH
The emergence of Spiritans Sound Outreach was occasioned by the hurdles I faced while producing my first album. I had spent more money than usual, and I equally had to work with three producers prior to finishing the project. Ruminating on the stress I went through made me vow that my next album must be in my own studio, dedicated as well to helping talented singers with no means of exploring their talent, hence, the inauguration of the outreach on December 1, 2018. My vision for the outreach transcends the realm of music. It aims to expose gifted youths to the world, all to the glory of God. Spiritans Sound Outreach is threefold: music production, book publishing and digital media.
The organizational objectives focus on educating and entertaining the society based on the foundation of God’s word. This is done via music and writing, utilizing the social media in reaching out to people. The constituents of our ministration come in various forms which comprise songs, reflections, homilies, interviews, and drama. Moreover, as a platform for human emancipation, chiefly, we encourage and develop raw talents in music and writing. Nonetheless, other areas of human endeavor are not relegated to the background.
KEY PLAYERS IN SPIRITANS SOUND
Some of the friends I had made in my journey as a seminarian and a priest, a handful of whom are members of the religious and clergy, are prominent benefactors of the outreach. These and other members of the lay faithful spread across the various parishes where I had worked since I was ordained a priest include, Corpus Christi Catholic Church, Amassoma, Bayelsa, State; SS Mulumba and David, Lawanson, Surulere, Lagos; SS Joachim and Anne, Meiran, Lagos, and St. Joseph Catholic Church, Ketu-Ijanikin, Lagos. These individuals have given concrete support and are a part of the ministry. Among these groups and persons are a bunch of spirited people who have given me the much- needed push as I sojourn and strive to keep abreast of the mission of the outreach.
The Corpus Christi Experience
I embarked on my first musical album journey in 2011, shortly after my ordination when I was an assistant parish priest to Fr Vincent Nnatuanya CSSp at Corpus Christi Catholic Church, Amassoma, Bayelsa State, Nigeria. My first band members then were the Catholic students at Niger Delta University, Amassoma, Bayelsa State, Nigeria. It also featured Jude Ikpaikpai, a seminarian on apostolic work experience at the parish, and who is now a priest. They were part of the album “I will Extol” from the onset.
A fertile ground at S S Joachim and Anne, Merian, Lagos.
My first musical project was completed in 2015 at SS Joachim and Anne Catholic Church, Meiran, where I had worked as an associate parish priest between 2012 and 2017, under the tutelage of Monsignor Livinus Ukah and Fr Stephen Enearu. There, I engaged the youths who actively participated in the launch of the album. My engagements with those youths gave rise to the inception of their drama troupe, “Lumen Christi Drama Group” and the premier edition of their magazine “Trestle.” My collaboration with Topnaija Music started in Meiran. And the CEO, Paul Oghoghorie has been a boost to the Outreach till date.
St Joseph’s Ketu-Ijanikin, the place for the boost
My transfer to St Joseph Catholic Church, Ketu-Ijanikin, Lagos in 2017, opened a vista of growth for the emergence of the outreach. Posted as the priest-in-charge, I had an expansive opportunity to explore the singing ministry further. Our first musical studio was opened at St Joseph’s, under the auspices of the duo of Adako Kunle (JentuPiez) and John Ibhafidon (Jaystone Gold) as producers and a disc jockey by the name Dj Clinton, who circumvented as the studio engineer. The release of my album “Iri Orun,” “Heavenly Dew” and another album, “No Limitation” for the kids in 2018, marked the official kick-off for Spiritans Sound Outreach studio’s operations. I ensured that the nine kids who took part in the songs composed the lyrics themselves. My third album, “I Lift up my Voice” was released in 2021 and was launched during our Treasures Unveiled program. I still have other single tracks to my credit some of which are available on our website and other streaming platforms.
The studio made it possible to tap into individuals with musical talents in the parish and beyond. Both young and old were engaged vis-a-vis music, either as individuals or as a group, and some of them were given the privilege and opportunity to produce their first track in our studio free of charge.
My ministry to young people has been packed with lots of exhilarating experiences. At one point, I wrote a play “Arrested for Service, the conversion of St Paul.” published and dramatized by a group of St Joseph’s parish children at an archdiocesan competition. Often, I do co-opt the youth into my musical performances, especially at parish events and on feast days.
SPIRITANS SOUND OUTREACH AND MY SPIRITAN CALLING
I reserve the glory and gratitude to God almighty who made me a part and parcel of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit at a time the liberty of self-expression (positive) is hugely available and at an era when one is free to exhibit his innate potential. The privilege of being a Spiritan has ignited a sense of fulfilment in me, and it has really assisted in my self-discovery and development. The Spiritan mode of formation has greatly helped create a resilience which gives me the temerity to delve into unknown waters.
I can categorically say at this juncture that my hobbies have indeed become appendages of my apostolate. My musical prowess, although, requires an upgrade, that I know, has added color to my ministry. Writing as a skill has equally contributed to my work of evangelization.
As Spiritans, we are called to make people’s well-being and needs topmost in the list of our priorities. Being attentive to the signs of the times (SRL 25) gives me inexplicable joy attending to the needs of the youth which I think is so important in this present age.
People tend to be influenced more by the media in this 21st century than before. Hence, taking on the aforementioned mission demands special obligations for new ways of evangelization. Otherwise, we may not be able to give tangible expressions to the gospel and make an impact on the young people of our time who are God’s beloved.
CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS
As its initiator, the Spiritans Sound Outreach is driven solely by my personal passion. Because of this, most of the resources and the financial implications fall on my shoulders. I am deeply grateful to the concerned key players who equally throw in their support whenever we have events. Notwithstanding this, it is crystal clear that as an enterprise of one individual, it is a bit tedious running the outreach for substantial growth. Its operations require financial grants and other human resources.
To achieve milestones in all the affairs Spiritans Sound Outreach is involved, most especially in the aspect of music, the organisation is in dire need of a state-of-the-art musical studio with all the paraphernalia that come alongside it. Personal resources are limited in what can be achieved in the execution of the group’s daily tasks and long-term goals.
Interestingly, as one of the fruits of the Provincial Chapter of the Holy Ghost Fathers and Brothers [ Southwest Nigeria] of August 2022, the outreach has been officially enlisted as a one of the Youth apostolate wings of the province. By this, the outreach has assumed the image of a corporate entity in the congregation. By this upgrade, it ceased to remain a personal vision, which is what informed the name “Spiritans Sound”. As the outreach grows, I look forward to a time when I would simply be a mere player in its operations. I look forward to that day when it metamorphoses into a full-blown project of the congregation with an international broadcasting franchise (radio and television) functioning as a platform for the promotion of Spiritan mission worldwide.
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