This is an Incorporated Charity Body of the Society of the Holy Innocents of Our Lady Queen and Mother, Nigeria, (RC. 73691)
This charity body belongs to the society of the Holy Innocents of Our Lady Queen and Mother. It was established out of compassion for the Holy Innocents of Bethlehem who were the first to witness to Christ after his birth by shedding their blood. They died not only for Christ, but in his place and ultimately triumphed as ‘glorious martyrs for Christ’. Hence, the Holy Innocents of Bethlehem inaugurated the Christian martyrdom on earth. Therefore, the Church venerates them as martyrs and sees them as the first witnesses who sacrificed their lives for Christ in order that the work of redemption could be brought to fulfilment.
We lovingly remember the late Brother Innocent Chima Okorie, who had earlier introduced us to devotion to the Holy Innocents that was largely neglected, especially in our area. Through his pious life and charity works, God renewed in those gathered around him this precious devotion and zeal to imitate the Holy Innocents. This lead to the establishment of the Society of the Holy Innocents of Our Lady, Queen and Mother (Innocentian Society) in Nigeria in 2006 by his son, Rev. Fr. Chrysogonus Uche Okorie, ocd. In 2010, in obedience to his superiors, Rev. Fr. Chrysogonus Uche Okorie, ocd handed over the society and its charity works to a group of women desiring to live a consecrated life of evangelical chastity, poverty and obedience. They are the ones now running the charity apostolate as members of the religious association that Fr. Uche was drawn to establish.
The Purpose of Innocentian Care
Innocentian Care was established for the following:
1. To care for and to bring dignity to every human life out of compassion for the Holy Innocents of Bethlehem.
2. Given the level of attacks against human life in our society today, we look towards the Blessed Virgin Mary, trusting in her maternal protection of all lives in danger.
3. To be united and devoted in imitating the virtues of the Blessed Virgin Mary, particularly her compassion and love, applying them courageously in defending her Son, Jesus Christ, from attacks against Him in every human life in the world where Herod’s sword is still active. We trust and hope that through this practice, we shall by God’s grace, be constantly drawn away from the sins of human cruelty and live by the heavenly teaching that invites us to be one another’s keeper.
4. To be compassionate to everyone, especially those whose lives are threatened by the sword of today’s Herod and to serve them in such a manner as to be living witnesses to Mary’s maternal love and care in the world
.5. To see all lives in danger as precious souls that Mary is calling us to care for and bring to them her maternal love and care.
6. To live without hatred or wickedness and to act purely for the love of Christ
7. To safeguard the innocence of children under our care, especially, through education
8. To protect the most vulnerable from neglect and abuse.
Motivation
The sacrifice made by the Holy Innocents for the life and safety of the Child Jesus awakens within us the need to be in touch with the tragedies and suffering that children of God are experiencing, even in our world today. Under the Patronage of Our Lady, Queen and Mother
Inspired by the spiritual message of the Holy Innocents, we place this charity work under the special protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary and honour her with the title, 'Mary, Queen and Mother of the Holy Innocents', because as the mother of ‘all Christians’, she is, in a unique way, the Queen and Mother of the innocent infants of Bethlehem who were the first to suffer and to die for her Son, Jesus Christ. Right from the earliest centuries of the Catholic Church, Christians have looked upon Mary as Queen of Angels, Queen of Patriarchs, Queen of Prophets, Queen of Apostles, Queen of Martyrs and Queen of Virgins. Because of her intimate relationship with Christ, She is also Queen and Mother of the Holy Innocents, the first friends of the Child Jesus. Our Works of Charity
This charity body undertakes the following:
Hospital Apostolate
Our healthcare charity work is pursued mainly through our hospital apostolate animated with a deep spirit of the maternal love and care of Mary, the mother of Jesus; who cared and protected Her Son in those tender years of formation and maturity, and prepared Him to leave the home of Nazareth that He might be about His Father’s business. School Apostolate
We are motivated to establish and run schools by the sacrifice made by the innocent children of Bethlehem for the safety of the Child Jesus. We strive in this regard to give quality education and moral to our children through the school apostolate. We strive also to underscore the beauty of wisdom and innocence of life as truly excellent tools of protecting the flowers of learning in the world. Appeal for Help
We earnestly appeal for your financial support. Please, kindly send your donations through the following:
Bank: Access Bank
Account Name: Innocentian Care
Account Number: 0059692239
ORBank: Firstbank
Account Name: Innocentian Care
Account Number: 2033888105
ORBank: Zenith Bank Account Name: Innocentian Care Account 4 Account Number: 1015167818
Appreciation: We are deeply grateful to Fr. Brian Kavanagh and all the members of Alams Charity Ireland for their regular financial support to Innocentian Care.
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