Fr. Osbert Viashima
Part of the post-graduate priest community
Fr. Osbert Viashima is a priest from the Diocese of Makurdi in central Nigeria, who is studying for a specialization in canon law at the Pontifical Lateran University Rome. He has been in Rome for seven years, and living at the Irish College for the past two years. This summer, he worked as a priest in St. Mel’s Cathedral, Longford. This is his account of his experiences.
My time at the College
In the last academic session, the College was home to students from six continents, hauling in quite a diversity of cultures and peoples of all shades and peculiarities, making it particularly outstanding. I have had a variety of life changing experiences ranging from the communal, liturgical, spiritual, to the academic. Ongoing formation and social programs are purposefully presented by the College, and proficiently coordinated by the team headed by the Rector, Fr. Paul Finerty, his deputy Fr. Marius Cojan and many others; whose ingenuity gives new breath to the College each passing day.
At the Pontifical Irish College, the opportunity to live among and have personal interactions with entire family members, younger lay students and seminarians, priests and the Church’s higher ranking clerics, as well as meeting church leaders and government officials most especially from Ireland, and many other nationalities, who pass through the doors of the College each passing day, is completely priceless.
If the neighboring institutions had speech, the Scala Santa overlooking the College’s entrance would testify to the Lateran Basilica, the commitment of the Catholic Church in Ireland in their continuing poise to the formation and shaping of the clergy and lay members of the Christ’s faithful in Rome, for the universal church.
My summer in Longford
Over the period of my stay in Ireland for the summer, I was greeted in the streets with friendly smiles. While in and around the church, many were not quick to end a conversation. On one occasion, I went to pray with a family in their home, and I ended up in five other homes when they noticed a priest in their neighborhood. I was thrilled by the priceless gifts of spiritual books, and the spiritual depth of the faithful.
From my nearly three months stay at St. Mel’s Cathedral Longford, I witnessed an unprecedented number of people constantly attending weekday and Sunday Masses, and actively taking up roles in the church. The dearth of priests to respond to the yawning spiritual needs of the teeming population of the faithful is concerning, but the willingness of the Bishops to welcome priests from other parts of the world, where the priest situation is better, is encouraging.
The impact of priest alumni of the College
With students from each continent of the globe, the community of priests based at the College while they undertake studies in Rome’s Pontifical Universities is a true melting pot of nationalities. Over their time at the College, they live and experience Rome but with a taste of Ireland through their interactions with the Irish members of staff and Irish students at the College, as well as visiting members of the Irish clergy and Bishops’ Conference. Pope Leo XIV sent students to the College from his Diocese in Peru during his time there, and as Cardinal Robert Prevost visited the College a number of times, to greet his students as well as the wider community. In fact, Pope Leo’s private secretary is an alumnus of the College.