Transferring data to the US

After the fall of man God saw it fit to redeem the world through a woman Our Blessed Mother Mary, the greatest woman of all times. By her disarming humility and unparallel obedience, she became a means through which God created a better world. V.V.I. Okoye (personal communication July 27, 2015) says that women are still seen as the heart of the

Church especially through their collective work as Catholic Women Organization (CWO).

Catholic Young Women Organization (YCWO) which are the strongest organs of the Church. That the parish is progressing or falling today depends on these groups especially the Catholic Women Organization. Some are Catechists and some are extraordinary ministers. They are also very active in the teaching ministry of the Church, by involving themselves in the mission of the Church. In the family the women act as the first educators of their children. They inculcate in them the family values. Mby-Beya (1998) among other things states that;

the Church is a family. I am not an outsider or a slave girl, I will no longer walk on tip toe that is the good news that the African Synod has brought to us: everyone of us must feel at home in the Church… and women should not be deprived of their rights and of the respect that is their due.(p.13).

Omike (nd) avers that the work of the local Church has substantially been lightened by the apostolate services of the Women. Such services include the following; helping to beautify the physical environment of the Churches. Direct financial contributions and fund raising functions for the needs of the Church and society (Social Centres, Hall, Domestic Science Centres). Building of Health Clinic, seminary Food apostolate, sponsorship of Seminarians, organising aid to the Destitute and helping the youths and advocating Youths Training Programme. Again, spiritual formation programmes e.g. Retreats; Catechism Education for the young ones, helping the Clergy in some areas of needs e.g. Food, Money. Motivating community development schemes; example Maternity Homes, Health Centres, Schools, Rural Industries, Massive Cultivation of Scarce food crops and thus helping to stabilize the economy. Fund raising at Masses which comes up on first Sundays and making representation to Governments over retrogressive and un-Christian measures. Example

Government Take-over of Schools and regulations about child birth - abortion rules and methods.

The above seem to be special areas of activity for the Christian Women Organization and looking through the items with un-biased mind; one cannot but accept the idea that the women in Onitsha Archdiocese has scored percentages of success in building both Church and society.

This squares up with Acholonu„s (1995) view of the Igbo woman as possessing the characteristic of rising to heroic levels or intervening in difficult situations and issues when men prove incapable of succeeding. Uzukwu (1996) also points out that Igbo women exercise power in a corporate manner. No wonder Njoku states that;

I have the experience of women groups as powerful institutions both in the Church and in the wider society. In the context of the Church of my locality, there exist women‟s groups, called Catholic Women Organisation (CWO). Some of their activities include keeping the Church premises clean, especially in preparation for the Sunday liturgy, contributing food for the maintenance of priests and other mission workers. In some instances, they are involved in the building of Churches or civic halls, hospitals, generating money for the parish‟s projects. (p.129).

The easiness with which women come together to discuss issues and take vital decisions;

their rigidity and discipline in the enforcement of decisions, their sense of commitment and devotion in implementing programmes, their promptitude to rise to occasions of emergency in the Church and society is a mark peculiar only to the women folk. Describing the painstaking efforts of these women, Odueze (nd) states that these women during their

meeting sit on a fragile low school children‟s desk in a crowded room, some sit on the bare floor in an uncomfortable atmosphere, and they will be there for hours without being in haste, talking, singing, dancing and at the same time taking far-reaching decisions on vital issues of investments, embarking on projects of capital intensive for the success of a parish Church project. A meeting that started at 9 a.m. could end at around 5 p.m. without any of-ficial adjournment or break. Random levies were given, and were quickly collected for disbursement. The Women work relentlessly to ensure the growth of the Church and the society and flavoured with feminine touch, they have been able to manifest the real meaning of woman as shown on the acronym.

W - Working towards Fruitful Goals O. - Organizational Aptitude

M. - Movement to Spiritual Heights A. - Answerable to God

N. - Nurturing the Home and the Church

According to Nwosu (1985), these women have made remarkable achievements in recent years. These include weekly supply of food items in the diocesan junior and senior secondary schools and sending of gifts items to the priests working in the diocese and their mothers, the running of pre-marriage and manage courses and adult education classes for women and girls. In socio-economic sphere, the Catholic Women Organisation has embarked on a number of self-help projects such as the distribution of livestock to some poorer members.

V.V.I. Okoye (personal communication 18^th April, 2016), says that in addition to the already mentioned remarkable works, the C.W.O. also established bread and garri-making

plants in places like Ozubulu and Agulu in Onitsha Archdiocese especially after the Nigeria/Biafran civil war. They also built a modern leadership training centre and women hostel (Bethany house) in Onitsha which was officially opened on 9^thJune, 1984.

Commenting further, she also said that in pursuit of civil rights for all, especially for young women, the C.W.O. joined women societies in other parts of Nigeria to successfully oppose the attempt to legalise abortion in Nigeria in 1981.