HISTORY OF THE CHURCH – SAINT HILDA

Precisely on the 25th of July, 1993, spanning twenty – nine (29) years
ago, St. Hilda catholic Church, Obadore came into existence at the
instance of late Rev. Father Patrick Adegbite of Holy Family Catholic
Church, Festac town alongside, Saint Augustine Catholic Church, Iba
Town, Saint Thomas Aquinas, Okokomaiko, Our Lady Help of Christian,
Iba and Saint John Catholic Church, Igando and later Church of the
Assumption, Agboroko, now of Igbo – Elerin. All of these were out
stations of the Holy Family Catholic Church, Festac town as earlier
mentioned.
It was the concerted efforts of the legionaries of Festac Parish (Curia) on
a mission tagged, weekend project (an evangelical outreach) with the aim
of forming a Catholic community in Obadore village as it was then. Just
the way others were likewise sent out to other areas mentioned. After
series of visits by the legionaries and prominent among them were
brothers Simeon Udemgba and Sylvester Chukwuma Young, it was the
miraculous meeting of the legionaries with Mrs. Elizabeth Santos Ojeniyi
of blessed memory that orchestrated the possible formation of the church
in Obadore town.

Their further discussion was very fruitful and
significant to the taking-off of Obadore outstation with tremendous joy to
the legionaries and late Mrs. Ojeniyi, in whose compound a small shelter
was erected few weeks later as a temporary site for the proposed Catholic
Church service. This gesture of late Mrs. Ojeniyi was gratefully
appreciated and accepted by the Legion Council (Curia) in Festac with
the then Parish Priest giving his blessings.
Precisely on the 25th of July, 1993, the first service was conducted
without the presence of a priest. Only seven (7) worshippers; three men:
Late Mr. Chidi Ogude and the two (2) service leaders. Two (2) women;
late Mrs. Elizabeth Ojeniyi and her friend, Mrs. Joy Okocha and the two
(2) children of Mama Ojeniyi: Vincent and Patricia.
To the glory of God, in a very short time, the church recorded a rapid
growth of population on the part of worshippers as it recorded thirty
eight (38) – 8 men,8 women, 8 youths and 14 children. Premised on the
above progress in 1995 the following appointments were made:
(1) Mr. Sylvester Young—Service Leader
(2)Mrs. Elizabeth Santos Ojeniyi—Vice Chairman
(3)Mr. Francis Chidi Ogude—Secretary

CHRISTENING OF THE CHURCH: The Parish Priest, Fr. Adegbite of
blessed memory announced the name of the church on the 28th of
November, 1993 through the Festac Church bulletin as “SAINT HILDA
CATHOLIC CHURCH.”

The first Mass and Infant Baptism was celebrated by the Parish Priest
Rev. Father Patrick Adegbite on the temporary site on the 24th of
September, 1994. On this day, four (4) children were baptized.
Historically and progressively, St. Hilda Catholic Church, Obadore
started in the compound of late Mrs. Ojeniyi at Gbolagade Balogun Street
with handful number of dedicated members and later moved to late Chief
(Mrs.) Osuagwu’s one plot of land, across the road, which she gave to the
church willingly as temporary site for a good number of years until we
purchased the two plots of land through the efforts of Saint Augustine’s
Parish Priest under whom we were an out-station in the person of Rev.
Fr. Pius Omofuma, which serves as our present place of worship.