Rev Fr Jerome Ituah (OCD), pioneer Priest, Christ The King Catholic church(CKC) Kurudu, has described the miraculous events that occured at the sudden demise of Catechist Sylvester Dalok as that of a Saint.
In this interaction with IGNATIUS OKOROCHA, Fr Jerome who flew from UK on the eve of the funeral of late Catechist ( Sir) Sylvester Dalok last week Thursday said he used Sir Dalok’s name to receive spontaneous answers to his prayer requests.
Excerpt:
Fr its surprising seeing you all the way from Uk to this Parish without notice to attend the funeral of Catechist Sylvester Dalok. How did it happen?
About a week ago, I desired to be here when I knew that the funeral was fix for my dear Papa, friend, confidant, a very nice and holy man but then, there were going to be challenges for me to make it down here but I said I was going to pray through his intercession and that if he grants my request, I will be here for this funeral. And I requested very simple prayers. It may be simple but very difficult things.
I had just submitted a VISA renewal application and it ought to have taken five days to be ready for collection. They said it ought to have taken five days but I got it in less that 24 hours. That was the first miracle.
Secondly, l was now waiting for the residence permit card that will enable me to travel. Again, they said it would come out within seven days and I said to Dalok if you want me to be at your funeral, I need to get my residence permit to enable me travel and by Monday and I got it immediately and booked a flight for Tuesday. And another miracle was performed before Monday I and got it above £1000 but by the time I was booking for the flight, I said Dalok if you want me really to come Nigeria for your funeral, I want the flight to be less than a thousand pounds (£1000) and what I got was £950. Again that was another miracle. And then there was something else I asked him and I said if you want me to attend your funeral ceremony, I need you to give me a sponsor,a donor for my ticket and a parishioner call me and said, what can we do for you, we know you want to go for this funeral and your Dad is not feeling fine and you would like to see him and I said, I don’t know, but what do you want to do for me and she said, we can support you with a ticket and two days later I got an alert of £900 in my account which was almost what I used to buy my ticket.
So, these are the things I received from Dalok and like I just said, this is what I expected from a saint and he wanted me to be at his funeral and so, I had no choice than to be here for the funeral. When I wasn’t getting my residence card, I was thinking of booking my flight for Wednesday, just immediately I got my card, I had to change it to Tuesday and that is how I got here.
So, it was a miracle and for me that is the beginning of all the miracles that we are going to be registering from this great man, he is saint.
I gathered that late Catechist Sylvester Dalok was here even before you started the development of this parish and that he worked with his Eminence Late Cardinal Dominic Ekandem. How far is it true?
Before I came to this parish, Kurudu, Catechist Dalok was already here. Dalok happened to be the catechist of Karish parish but was taking care of this church in Kurudu. When we came to Kurudu, I was afraid that he was going to go back to Karish and I prayed and said God, I want this man to work with me but I didn’t know how to tell him because he had to make a choice and eventually I consulted with him and I said what would you like, would you like to go back to Karish or with me here, he said no I want to work with the Carmelite and that was the beginning of our relationship with him and how we worked together. Again my working experience with him was smooth and because he was not just a catechist for me, he became a father, friend, confidant, someone you could talk about issues and even when I left here, Sir Dalok had difficult things he wanted to discuss with me and he would ring me and said, father can we talk about this and I said can we talk about it and that was how we became very close.And each time I came here we always had a little time to talk about issues and he will tell me how it is done.
Once again I say, Dalok is a man of God. He loved God, he served God so much and I keep repeating it that he is a saint and I am just waiting for his canonization.
We gathered that late Sir Dalok was a member of the Carmelite Order( OCDS) in Nigeria. What can you say about him?
Yes, this is a very deep aspect of Dalok’s life that I know. Although many people knew him as a catechist not as a Carmelite. But he is a Carmelite and so,I am honoured to be part of a funeral for a Carmelite and a Knight too.
The Secular Carmelites Order (OCDS) that is here in CKC Kurudu, and Dalok was here from its formation in FCT. You know he was interested in the order, he is a humble man and devoted to learn about the Carmelite life, prayer life and exceptionally good. Eventually he made his promises as a Carmelite and today, I am happy that he died as a Carmelite. He is buried by Carmelites surrounding him. For me, he is going to join the carmelite saints in heaven.
What is your advise to the parishioners of CKC Kurudu that you nurtured to this level?
You can see the parish priest crying openly alongside with parishioners for the sudden death of Catechist Dalok.
I also wept myself and as I was weeping, I said to myself, I hope people will not be disappointed seeing me in tears and I just remembered the gospel of Saint John when Jesus wept and I said, if Jesus could weep at the death of his friend. He was going to raise him up but he still wept because of the feeling, the emotional attachment or connection, I said no, its no different from me. Yes, I cried and I know that he is with God but I am going to miss him and I think that is the same thing for everybody here. People are going to miss him and the impact is going to be felt from now onwards. When you come into the church you will not see him. When you come into the church and wants somebody to talk to, you won’t see him there. You come in and you are looking for the man who teaches the children catechism, who is always around the church, and teach marriage course etc.
