Called to love Jesus with all his heart
STATESVILLE — Applause greeted Father Bernard Oleru Thursday night as he was officially installed as pastor of St. Philip the Apostle Parish.
Nearly 400 people attended the special Mass to welcome their new pastor. The Mass also included priests from Father Oleru’s order, the Missionary Society of St. Paul of Nigeria, as well as Diocese of Charlotte clergy.
Born in Nigeria, Father Oleru was ordained in 2007 and comes from a large Catholic family of nine. Bishop Peter Jugis assigned him to the new role effective July 11, succeeding Father Thomas Kessler, who has moved to St. Matthew Parish in Charlotte.
Father Kessler, who was pastor of the parish for many years, also received thankful applause from the congregation. At the start of the Mass, he and Father John Eckert, who serves as head (vicar forane) of the Salisbury vicariate and represented the bishop, witnessed Father Oleru make his Profession of Faith and Oath of Fidelity and sign the documents officially naming him pastor. Also there as witness was Father Mark Lawlor, the pastor at Father Oleru’s previous assignment, St. Therese Parish in Mooresville.
As part of the installation rite, Father Eckert took the new pastor to key parts of the church building – the baptismal font, confessional, presider’s chair and tabernacle – stressing the importance of each in Father Oleru’s pastoral ministry.
In his homily, Father Eckert emphasized the burning love that Jesus has for each of us and called on the congregation to return that love – noting that this is the way Jesus set up the relationship from the very beginning when He sent out His apostles to continue His ministry. This included St. Philip, patron of the 122-year-old Statesville parish.
“He sends out real, fallen men to bring about that ministry. He sends out those who are called to be in love with Him,” Father Eckert said. Just as Jesus loves us with all His heart, so too “your new priest, your new pastor, Father Bernard, is called to love Jesus with all his heart.”
He encouraged Father Oleru to remember St. Peter’s three-fold affirmation of love to Our Lord after his triple denial – and Jesus’ response to feed His sheep.
Go each day to the Lord and listen as Jesus asks, “Do you love me?” Father Eckert said. “Respond from the depths of your heart every day and say, ‘Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.’ And then as you do that, feed your sheep.”
The Missionary Society of St. Paul of Nigeria, founded in 1976, has been active in the Charlotte diocese since 2012. Father Oleru is one of three priests from the order currently ministering here.
Parishioner Fred Myers and his wife said the close proximity of Father Oleru’s former parish in Mooresville meant they were already familiar with their new pastor.
“We have been down to several of Father Bernard’s Masses, and he’s highly regarded in both parishes,” Myers said. “We're lucky to have him.”
Overcome with emotion at the conclusion of Mass, Father Oleru said he only had one thing to say to his new parishioners: “I love you.”
Afterward, he added, “I feel so happy taking on the role as the pastor of St. Philip. I know a lot has been entrusted to me, a lot has been given to me by the Church and God. It is now my duty and my role to make sure that I lead the people of God to the kingdom of heaven.”
He said he will rely on the grace of God and the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary in his new ministry.
“It is not something that I can do alone,” he said. “I am excited now, but I see great work in the future, and it’s only God who can lead me on, so I call on the faithful of the parish and the faithful in the Diocese of Charlotte to always pray for us, and I hope to get there with the People of God.”
— Annie Ferguson. Photos by Troy Hull
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