Peter Ajayi DADA

 

Pa Bright Oge Azugbene and Madam Paulina Oge Azugbene celebrated the 50th (golden) anniversary of their wedding solemnly at St. Thomas Catholic Church, Papa-Ibafo on July 18th and 19th, 2026 respectively. They marked the Golden wedding anniversary with a solemn thanksgiving after the morning Mass on Saturday, July 18. 

The following day, Sunday, July 19th, 20226, the Golden jubilarians surrounded by their children, their sons and daughters in-law, grandchildren, family members, relatives, friends, well-wishers and parishioners danced joyfully in thanksgiving to God. They donated two pews and some bags of cement to the parish to mark the 50th wedding milestone, saying that there is no human formula fòr any couple to succeed in marriage but by the grace and mercy of God.  

Rev. Fr. Joseh Ochigbo, the priest of St. Thomas Catholic Church, Papa-Ibafo, in his post-communion remarks after the morning Mass on   Saturday, July 18, 2026, congratulated the couple for sustaining their marriage for the last 50 years and wished them many more fruitful and prosperous years ahead.

 

 

He also commended them for their spirituality and active participations in the development of the parish. He advised other families and couples in the parish to see the Golden jubilarians as a role model to emulate. He urged parishioners to cultivate the habit of always celebrating various landmark achievements in their lives such as birthdays and weddings and use such opportunities to thank God for sparing their lives. ”Just as you join hands in celebrating the ordination anniversaries of your priests, also celebrate yourselves to the glory of God. Put small life into it. Celebrations should and must not be for old people but for all of us”, the priest said.

Fr. Ochigbo also  pray for those seeking life partners that God would answer their prayers and those whose partners had died that God would always console and strengthen them.

He said, "Pa and Mama Oge are likely to still have misunderstandings and challenges once in a while, they should look up to the Lord for solutions and stand firm in the faith they both professed."

According to Fr Ochigbo, this couple we are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary has been preaching the Gospel of Christ through their actions, utterances and deeds. That is what Christ and His Church requires of every man, he said. They have demonstrated to us that families can surpass every trial and tribulation with absolute faith in God, he said.

The priest implored the jubilarians to continue praying for the rest of the parishioners so that they can always surmount the challenges confronting them as married couples, priests and people of God.

Pa Bright Oge speaking in his house after the Sunday Mass recalled that the wedding was solemnized on 18th July, 1976  at St. Agnes Catholic Church, Maryland, Lagos with Rev. Fr. Raphael Adebayo and Rev. Fr.(later Msgr) Philip Hoteyin, both of blessed memory as the concelebrating priests.

The 79 year-old Pa Oge reflecting on  the journey in the last five decades said that it has not been easy; an admixture of challenges and rosy sides. He attributed the sustenance of the marriage to the grace and mercy of God recalling that he was 30 years old when he wedded his wife who, was 17 years old then. “I was able to cope with the marriage because I took my wife as my own sister, born of the same father and the same mother,” he said.

He recalled that because they were leaving together, they jointly shared the responsibilities of nurturing their children up till date. Pa Oge advised couples especially the young ones not to be over ambitious in pursuing material wealth. “Children of nowadays are too fast (very ambitious). They want to reap from where they did not sow. Mariage is not like that. Marriage is about collaboration between couples, cooperation and showing understanding with themselves. Forget about material acquisition first but show genuine love to yourselves from the outset and every other thing will fall in place,” he advised.

According to Pa Oge, most marriages in contemporary times scatter after two or three years after wedding. He advised young and old couples especially the women that if they want their marriages to be very strong, successful and fruitful, they should desist from checking their husbands’ handsets/mobile phones.

He explained that if you as a wife keeps opening your husband’s handsets, you will find pictures of women that are more beautiful than yours there. That will definitely upset your peace of mind, and affect your relationship with your spouse.

He said that wives should not suspect their husbands of cheating because men are naturally born to be flirt. 

“Since I wedded in 1976, I have never had a girl-friend because I hate it and it has never been part of my life. Women are very sensitive to many things and when your wife had tested you and found out that you are very sincere, truthful and upright in your marital life with  her; she will shower you with all her genuine love and the relationship will be solid," he advised.

 

 

He reminded couples that  marriage `no be moin-moin o’ adding that every couple would start experiencing one challenge or the other from the day they are pronounced husband and wife, adding that the challenges are much more than its rosy side.

Pa Oge advised both young and old couples to be prayerful in and out of season; “That is in your palms. Be closer to your God and He will surely bless you through the hard works of your palms." He also implored couples to always tolerate themselves and be ready to accept their faults and make amends. He specifically urged husbands despite being the head of the house and the man that married the woman to accept their mistakes and seek forgiveness from their wives when they erred.

 

He charged couples  to always show love, kindness, understanding and cooperate with themselves and lay good examples and solid foundations as parents for their  children to follow while growing up.

 

 

Mama Paulina Oge in her remarks said that there is no human formula to succeed in marriage except the grace and mercy of God. She supported her husband by confirming that marriage is not a ‘moin-moin’ business but a union that  requires divine intervention, understanding ones partner, tolerance and  being prayerful always for it to succeed.

“God’s grace has always seen us through our challenges as husband and wife. We learn to forgive ourselves our mistakes and let by-gone be by-gone. God has continued to see us through till date and we give thanks to Him,” she said.