For one extraordinary week, the serene academic environment of the Catholic Institute of West Africa, Obehie Campus, was transformed into a living theatre of voices, cultures, languages, scholarship, liturgy, media, and human encounter as the Institute joined the local Church in celebrating the 5th Edition of Communication Week (COMWEEK), an initiative of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, and the Universal Church in the celebration of the 60th World Day of Social Communications.

From Sunday, May 10 to Sunday, May 17, 2026, the entire CIWA community became immersed in a rare festival of communication, not merely communication as technology or information exchange, but communication as encounter, memory, culture, identity, spirituality, and humanity itself. Anchored by the vibrant Centre for the Study of African Culture wCommunication (CESACC), the celebration rose beyond routine academic festivity into a profound ecclesial and intellectual experience that many participants would later describe as unforgettable.

The opening ceremony carried the solemnity and grandeur befitting a Pontifical Institute. Presiding over the inauguration was the distinguished Professor of Digital Communication and Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Fr. Prof. Inaku K. Egere, whose presence immediately set the intellectual and spiritual tone for the week. Beginning with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the ceremony formally unveiled the theme chosen by the Holy Father for the 2026 World Day of Social Communications: “Preserving Human Voices and Faces.” The theme echoed through the week like a prophetic refrain.

In a world increasingly overwhelmed by artificial intelligence, digital imitation, algorithmic culture, cloned identities, and synthetic realities, Prof. Egere passionately re emphasised the urgent need to preserve authentic human communication, communication rooted in presence, encounter, memory, emotion, and truth. He called for the domestication of COMWEEK within local Churches and Catholic institutions, insisting that the Church must not surrender the human soul of communication to technological excesses.

And thus began a week unlike any other. What followed was a dazzling unfolding of communication in its many forms and expressions, linguistic, cultural, digital, liturgical, artistic, academic, and interpersonal. Each day emerged with its own distinctive rhythm, colour, and intellectual fragrance.

Monday blossomed into a magnificent celebration of the French language and Francophone identity. Staff and students from Cameroon, Benin Republic, Burkina Faso, and Niger Republic took centre stage, turning the Institute into a miniature continental forum where Africa’s multilingual soul found eloquent expression. French hymns echoed through the halls, conversations flowed with elegance, and the beauty of linguistic diversity became unmistakably evident. It was historic to witness the evening Mass for the day presided over by Fr. JohnPeter Bebeley from Sierra Leone and the homily delivered in French by Fr. Joseph Agani from Benin Republic.

Then came Wednesday, one of the most intellectually symbolic moments of the week. As a Pontifical Institute deeply rooted in the heritage of the universal Church, CIWA dedicated the day entirely to Latin, the ancient language of ecclesiastical memory and theological continuity. The atmosphere was at once nostalgic and majestic. Priests who had studied in Rome, alongside those whose formation predated the democratisation of formation language, animated the celebration with remarkable fluency and enthusiasm. Yet perhaps the most enchanting dimension of the celebration was the subtle but beautiful integration of Italian, which gave the event an unmistakably Roman ambience. The Wednesday Latin Mass was presided over by Fr. Dr. Justine Tenswang of the Department of Canon Law.

The Masses throughout the week themselves became liturgical masterpieces of inculturation and communication. Friday’s Italian Mass was presided over by Fr. Dr. Anthony Abel of the Department of Systematic Theology. It radiated solemnity and intellectual depth. Every chant, every response, and every liturgical gesture reminded the faithful that communication within the Church transcends speech; it is sacramental, symbolic, and profoundly human.

By Saturday, the celebration had reached an electrifying crescendo.

The day began with a richly celebrated Igbo Mass presided over by Revd Fr. Dr. Onyewuenyi Modestus Chukwuma of the Diocese of Orlu. It was a liturgy alive with rhythm, indigenous spirituality, sacred song, and cultural elegance. From the sanctuary flowed not merely words, but identity, memory, and belonging.

Then came the road walk. In one of the most symbolic moments of the entire COMWEEK celebration, staff and students poured onto the streets carrying the message of the Holy Father’s theme to the wider society. With banners raised high and voices united, they called on humanity not to lose the sacredness of the human face and voice amidst the expanding possibilities of artificial intelligence and digital substitution. It was theology meeting society. It was communication becoming witness.

Throughout the week, the Institute itself became a bustling media hive. Articles, interviews, photographs, video documentaries, commentaries, liturgical recordings, and visual productions emerged in abundance. Fr. Joseph Agani led the camera crew with admirable dexterity, assisted by Sr. Mary Obande, Bernardine Olagunju, and Collete Obi, whose dedication ensured that every moment was preserved with professional brilliance.

Music equally carried the soul of the celebration. Sr. Joy Ejikeme SJS enchanted participants with a golden rendition of the Responsorial Psalm that lingered in memory long after the liturgy ended. Academic presentations also enriched the week immeasurably. Beginning with Sr. Roselyn Egbuchulem SDV, through Fr. Clement Detso, Sr. Appolonia Budzee, and Sr. Chika Udeh, and culminating in the intellectually incisive presentation of Fr. Wilson Baba, students and scholars reflected deeply on the Holy Father’s Message for the 60th World Day of Social Communications, offering critical insights into the future of human communication in an AI driven age.

The grand climax arrived on Sunday with the solemn Mass for the World Day of Social Communications, presided over by the Acting Rector of CIWA, Very Revd Fr. Prof. Luke Ijezie.

The liturgy carried both celebration and warning. In his address during the post Mass activities, Fr. Prof. Ijezie strongly re emphasised the necessity of prioritising authentic human communication above artificial cloning and digital imitation. Drawing from his own initial encounter with Communication Studies in Kaduna, he spoke passionately about the transformative power of communication education and his deep attachment to the discipline.

With unmistakable conviction, the Acting Rector declared that CIWA’s Department of Communication Studies remains unparalleled within the West African sub region. He noted that, guided by the Catholic intellectual tradition and the Church’s historic commitment to education, the Institute continues to offer one of the finest models of communication studies imaginable.

Fr. Dr. Chijioke Azuawsiefe SJ, Head of the Department of Communication Studies, expressed profound gratitude to the Rector, the Local Organising Committee Chairman, Fr. John Effiong, and all whose sacrifices and dedication brought the week long celebration to such resounding success.

Yet, even amidst the speeches, dances, music, and festivities, one programme item towered above all others in emotional impact and audience fascination.

Tales of Travels.

Anchored with remarkable brilliance and conversational elegance by Fr. Dr. Okhueleigbe Osemhantie Ãmos, the session became an unforgettable tapestry of memory, migration, education, culture shock, intellectual formation, and human experience across continents.

The audience listened in spellbound silence as Sr. Dr. Judith Ngibhi SJS, a Cameroonian lecturer at CIWA, retraced her educational experiences across Nigeria, Poland, and Rome. Fr. Dr. Cajetan Ani CMF narrated the fascinating contours of his years in Spain, while Fr. Dr. Andrew Otu reflected on the unique academic and ecclesiastical atmosphere of Rome.

Sr. Dr. MaryJane Aririguzo’s narrative proved especially captivating. Having arrived in Rome at a very youthful age, her experiences bore an entirely different texture, one shaped by youth, adaptation, discovery, and cultural immersion.

Fr. Dr. Paul Kangkai transported listeners into his experiences at the Catholic University of East Africa and later in Ireland, while Fr. Dr. Chijioke Azuawsiefe SJ offered deeply reflective insights into academic life in both the United States and the United Kingdom.

Then came the crowning narrative of the Acting Rector himself, Fr. Prof. Luke Ijezie, whose reflections brought together wisdom, humour, struggle, scholarship, and spiritual maturity in ways that deeply moved the audience.

Questions on culture shock, adaptation, academic discipline, liturgical life abroad, intercultural encounters, and identity produced responses that were alternately humorous, touching, intellectual, and profoundly human. By the end of the session, the audience was not merely entertained; they had journeyed through continents without leaving their seats.

And there was celebration in abundance. The Master of Ceremonies for the day’s socials was equally the homilist at Mass, Fr. Hezekiah Konova of Wukari Diocese and a postgraduate student of Pastoral Communication Studies.

Food flowed generously. Music filled the atmosphere. Dance electrified the halls. Laughter mingled with scholarship. Cameras flashed endlessly as photojournalism students and media enthusiasts continued documenting moments that many believe will remain part of CIWA’s institutional memory for years to come.

Finally, with the solemn final blessing pronounced by Fr. Prof. Anthony Umoren, and the vote of thanks delivered by Fr. Victor Yakubu, the curtains gently fell on what had become far more than a programme.

It had become an experience. It had become a statement.

It had become a prophetic reminder that even in an age of artificial intelligence, digital replication, and technological acceleration, the human voice remains sacred, the human face irreplaceable, and authentic encounter still the deepest form of communication.

As COMWEEK continues to grow as one of the most visionary initiatives of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, annually applauded by the Holy See, many now look toward the future with both hope and curiosity, especially as the remarkable tenure of Fr. Dr. Michael Umoh, the National Director of Social Communications, gradually draws to a close.

What the next chapter of COMWEEK will become is a question history itself will answer. But at CIWA in 2026, communication was not merely discussed. It was lived.

Fr. Dr. Okhueleigbe Osemhantie Ãmos is a priest of the Catholic Diocese of Uromi and a Lecturer at CIWA, Port Harcourt, Nigeria.