Monsignor Paschal Nwaezeapu, the Parish Priest of the Catholic Church of Divine Mercy, Lekki, and the Episcopal Vicar, Lekki Region of Lagos Archdiocese, is the founder and convener of Unusual Praise, one among Africa’s largest Catholic reward and worship concert events. Nwaezeapu, alongside the Vice Chairman of Unusual Praise 2026, Tina Oruche, spoke on the upcoming version, the essence of the programme, and ideas on increasing the annual occasion past two cities. Ferdinand Ekechukwu brings the excerpts
What is the essence of this spiritual gathering and what are the defining factors of Unusual Praise?
When you speak about Unusual Praise there are numerous issues you’ll be able to speak about. But there are three that can stand out; one is thanksgiving. We are saying that possibly in the middle of the 12 months God has blessed us; it’s not as if we didn’t face challenges or something like that. Problems got here however that you’re nonetheless standing implies that God remains to be with us. So, taking a look at every part he has executed for us we’re not taking something without any consideration. Going to mattress, waking up, is a blessing. Sunlight is a blessing; air is a blessing. During Covid-19 you noticed how folks have been paying thousands and thousands to have oxygen. So, we’re not taking these issues without any consideration. What we simply determined on the finish of yearly we collect collectively to present due to God by means of reward for all of the issues he has executed for us. The second one is evangelisation. The church was established for mission and that mission is named evangelisation. Even as we collect folks to present thanks, we additionally sort of possibly attempt to proclaim Jesus to them anew for them to resume their dedication to Him and for individuals who haven’t been evangelise for them to come back to religion in him. There’s this angle of evangelisation, fulfilling the mission of the church. But we perceive evangelisation has two dimensions. There’s what we name the transcendental dimension whereby you attempt to join folks to God. But we’re additionally not oblivious that even right here on earth there’s what you name the horizontal dimension whereby it’s essential converse to the state of affairs of individuals right here on earth and that’s the place ‘’Unusual Entrepreneur’ is available in. We can’t do every part. The authorities could not be capable of do every part even when the federal government has the intention to. So, in our personal little approach we are attempting to do what we are able to do by empowering folks as a result of you’ll be able to’t inform a hungry man love Jesus and the person is hungry. A hungry man is an offended man. We wish to see how we are able to empower folks to allow them to know that additionally religion, Christianity isn’t just about come to God. It can also be about residing properly. Because God gave the human being dignity; it’s inherent in him. And something that assaults that dignity doesn’t glorify God. Extreme poverty assaults that dignity. Anything you do to liberate you from poverty turns into one thing that respects human dignity after which glorifies God. These three issues are key. But there may very well be different issues as I stated.
Can you converse to us about this 12 months’s theme?
Talking concerning the theme ‘Declaring His Glory Among the Nations’ I feel from what I’ve stated up to now, he has executed a lot for us. We will not be blind folks; we’re considerate folks, individuals who can replicate. And as I stated, we don’t take something without any consideration. Like folks say ‘oh my alarm woke me up’. But we all know that it’s not the alarm that wakes you up. Alarm can ring and nonetheless you don’t get up. God wakes us up day by day. The indisputable fact that we get up day by day we are able to see, we recognise it as a blessing. We see all of the blessing we are able to’t even title all of them. When you speak about ‘declaring the Glory of God’ is to proclaim Him. It’s a mission that has been entrusted to us. We wish to proclaim to the entire world that God is alive and God remains to be working regardless of the challenges we face He’s alive. And we have now a mission by advantage of our baptism to make it work. That’s why we wish to declare His glory to the nations and we’re not simply speaking about Nigeria as a result of Unusual Praise goes past Nigeria to no matter extent we are able to go.
How does the 2026 footprint fulfill your authentic imaginative and prescient of this programme contemplating Unusual Praise has advanced from a parish initiative to one among Africa’s largest Catholic reward and worship occasions?
We are nonetheless constructing as much as it. But every part we have now been doing earlier than we’re nonetheless doing. And we are attempting to see if we are able to even surpass what we have now been doing earlier than. So, speaking concerning the authentic imaginative and prescient of possibly giving thanks, in fact I do know that day individuals are coming to present thanks. And there might be thanksgiving. I do know that folks might be reached for Christ in order that approach it’s to meet my imaginative and prescient. And then I do know for positive that folks might be empowered. And that God might be glorified.
What’s the thought behind the venues, particularly Onitsha? Any plans to develop?
The venue for the Lagos one is Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), on THE second Friday in December, which is eleventh. Then the venue for the Onitsha one is the Catholic Basilica in Onitsha, on Friday, November sixth. The fact is that we’re in Lagos and the factor must be held in Lagos. And we can’t however begin from the place we’re. But then speaking about Onitsha, at a degree we truly considered transferring the programme outdoors Lagos. Onitsha was the very first thing placed on the desk and that was additionally as a result of the Chairman as on the time is from Anambra. And Onitsha being the Archdiocese in Anambra as a result of meaning it’s the middle of the Catholic Church there. So that was why we opted for it. But that doesn’t imply we are able to’t go to different locations. As God supplies, we’d be capable of develop to different locations and naturally when folks come on their very own and say we wish it and so they might help plan it, desirous about the various things concerned, then in fact we go. Its evangelisation wherever there’s want and wherever we have now the chance. In addition, we’ve had Onitsha. We simply thought Unusual Praise shouldn’t simply be solely in Lagos. I imply the plan for Unusual Praise is that in years to come back, we might have Unusual Praise not simply in Onitsha. It might be in different components of Nigeria and likewise even worldwide. People from outdoors of the nation have been calling us, we wish to host Unusual Praise in London; we wish to host Unusual Praise in Canada. But by the Grace of God, we’re working in the direction of that. Onitsha got here as a result of that’s the second place we may host Unusual Praise and the Archbishop there and all the parishioners there have been coming, saying you’ll be able to’t cease, hold coming again. We are hoping to go to different states in Nigerian in a short while. And then we expect that this 12 months can be a lot greater, than the earlier years’ editions.
How are the native communities and the Catholic Archdiocese in each areas collaborating to maximise the outreach?
It’s been loads of work. We have committee members in several components of Lagos within the archdiocese. As I converse to you now, we have now committee members in Ikeja Deanery, Ipaja Deanery, Surulere Deanery, Yaba and so far as Ijaniki and Badagry. So Unusual Praise is for everyone; not simply even within the Lagos Archdiocese. We have folks outdoors of Lagos, in Abeokuta planning Unusual Praise as properly to make it greater. There’s actually loads of collaboration amongst parishes and likewise not simply even Catholics. Even these that aren’t Catholics, faculties have reached out to us that they wish to be part of this 12 months’s Unusual Praise. We are actually trying ahead to an even bigger programme this 12 months.
Speak to us on the planning and expectation of Unusual Praise 2026?
We’ve been planning because the final version. Once 2025 ended we began planning for 2026. Planning has been ongoing. There’s been a lot going behind the scene. There have been loads of actions, media, going to completely different parishes in archdiocese, a lot on the social media platform at Unusual Praise each on Facebook, Instagram, and there’s been a lot with attempting to organise our gospel ministers each the as soon as which might be native and the worldwide ones. We have an entire lot of ongoing actions behind the scene in the direction of 2026 Unusual Praise.
You talked concerning the gospel artistes performing, how do you curate a stability between these artistes whereas sustaining a deeply non secular surroundings on the occasion?
You know I hold saying ministers while you say artistes as a result of we take a look at them as not simply artistes however ministers. We will not be simply working with these women and men of God as those that sing. We are working with them as folks which might be coming to minster to the attendees on that day. We’ve been talking to them. They know Unusual Praise a few of them have been up to now years’ editions. Some are simply coming for the primary time and we do imagine God that God will work wonders by means of these minsters on that day. They are actually aligned with what the imaginative and prescient for Unusual Praise is which may be very deeply non secular to begin with to win extra souls for Christ. And then in fact the opposite a part of Unusual Praise which is the “Unusual Entrepreneur” to empower folks. I imply it’s collaboration between parishioners, between those that wish to attend and likewise between the gospel ministers.
How do you deal with new conventional voices inside the Church who see otherwise this contemporary fashion of evangelisation – mixing conventional Catholic worship with modern gospel music?
You see it’s simple. I feel Pope John Paul II already addressed that within the ‘Mission of the Redeemer’. What stays fixed is the gospel. How you propagate the Gospel can change so long as it doesn’t take away the substance of the gospel. If you take a look at Jesus Himself Jesus didn’t play the organ. But organ got here from Europe. But the gospel has remained the identical in order that’s essential. It’s the gospel we’re propagating and even Pope John Paul II stated folks ought to give you initiatives with which they will make the gospel attain the center of the folks of right this moment. And in our church, we have now the youths which might be going this different approach. The fact is a mix of the 2 will at all times present that you’re assembly these ones’ needs and assembly these different ones their needs as properly. I simply imagine that and other than that, from expertise, we have now additionally found that a number of the folks we see or name as so conventional a few of them are keying into the entire thing.
Given the present financial headwinds, how essential is the church’s function in offering bodily empowerment to match non secular revival?
I feel I’ve touched on that already by means of Unusual Entrepreneur we’re ready to try this. And is a key side of no matter we’re doing as a result of evangelisation has two legs. We have the transcendental, and we have now the vertical and horizontal dimensions. We don’t simply inform folks to simply come to God. But what we are able to do to assist them dwell properly now we additionally do. I invite all to be a part of Unusual Praise 2026.
The turnout of worshippers at Unusual Praise typically turns into overflow. What plans have been made to accommodate the gang for safety causes and all that?
Last 12 months we noticed the next quantity completely different from the earlier 12 months and we all know that this 12 months might be a lot greater once more. We are planning for that. Last 12 months the overflow was we had folks at TBS and we all know that this 12 months we might even have folks on the overflow. We are actually planning in the direction of that and naturally in the event you’ve been to Unusual Praise earlier than you’ll know if there’s one factor that stands out for Unusual Praise is safety. You wouldn’t see even with the surge, the gang you’ll not see any sort of stampede. There’s at all times coordination from entry to exit to motion, every part is at all times so seamless and so fantastically organized. We are actually making far more plan even with the Lagos State safety personnel; LASTMA, police folks and we’re very positive nobody can have any points coming to Unusual Praise 2026 at TBS and even in Onitsha.
What message do you hope resonates with the viewers this 12 months and past?
When you speak concerning the viewers, I do know which may be while you go to completely different nations there are issues which might be specific to them.
Like Nigeria now, what’s, possibly, on the (heart) CENTRE of dialogue is 2027.
But one factor I imply stays clear to everyone that God created the world; He is the proprietor of the world and we should acknowledge God in every part we do. God have to be on the heart of every part we do. I imagine personally that when you take away God, mankind dies.
Once you take away God, society collapses. And go to any nation the place issues will not be proper, you will notice that someway there’s an effort to push God to the aspect and produce man to the (heart) CENTRE.
