{"id":97871,"date":"2026-02-26T18:32:29","date_gmt":"2026-02-26T18:32:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/?p=97871"},"modified":"2026-02-26T18:43:40","modified_gmt":"2026-02-26T18:43:40","slug":"night-of-praise-unites-children-clergy-and-community-in-ota","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/?p=97871","title":{"rendered":"Night of Praise Night of Praise Unites Children, Clergy and Community in Ota"},"content":{"rendered":"

An atmosphere of music, prayer and celebration filled the grounds of the Ozanam Free Physiotherapy Centre last Friday as children with physical challenges, caregivers, clergy and community leaders gathered for a special faith-centered event tagged Night of Praise.<\/p>\n

The programme, organized in collaboration with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and the Daughters of the Holy Spirit of St. Peter\u2019s Catholic Church, Iganmode Road, Ota (Ogun State) formed part of ongoing efforts to foster inclusion and spiritual encouragement among children receiving rehabilitation support.<\/p>\n

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Participants in group photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The event received sponsorship from the Tim Tebow Foundation, a United States\u2013based humanitarian organization known for supporting vulnerable children around the world.<\/p>\n

Children Take Centre Stage<\/strong><\/p>\n

Participants traveled from various parts of Ogun, Osun and Lagos States, representing schools and care homes including 5T\u2019s Feel Safe Children School (SPED), Emmanuel Home (Lambe), Favid Orphanage School (Ijoko), St. Mary\u2019s Rehabilitation Center (Ipetumodo), So Said Charity Home (Lagos), as well as beneficiaries of the host physiotherapy centre.<\/p>\n

Rather than focusing on limitations, the evening spotlighted ability, resilience and joy. The children were ceremonially crowned \u201ckings and queens\u201d of the celebration by invited dignitaries, drawing cheers from parents and well-wishers.<\/p>\n

Among the guests were Mr. Chukwuma Chisom, National President of the Association of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary; Mr. Oyenekan Steven, Laity President of St. Peter\u2019s Parish, Ota, and President of the Lagos Metropolitan Council of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul; and Mrs. Abiade Sowunmi, former President of the Abeokuta Central Council of the Society.<\/p>\n

Message of Dignity and Hope<\/strong><\/p>\n

Speaking on behalf of the Vincentian family, Rev. Sr. Florentina Echem, DHS, described the gathering as more than a social event.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is an opportunity to unite in faith, love and hope,\u201d she said, expressing appreciation to the Tim Tebow Foundation for its support. She emphasized that every child present is \u201ca precious gift of God,\u201d deserving of dignity, recognition and celebration regardless of physical condition.<\/p>\n

Organizers noted that the initiative aligns with the centre\u2019s broader mission: providing free physiotherapy services while nurturing emotional and spiritual well-being.<\/p>\n

Culture, Colour and Community Spirit<\/strong><\/p>\n

The celebration featured lively cultural displays and choreographed performances by the Holy Childhood Association, adding colour and rhythm to the evening\u2019s worship sessions. Songs of praise echoed across the venue as children, volunteers and clergy joined in collective thanksgiving.<\/p>\n

Parents and caregivers described the event as uplifting, citing the rare opportunity for children with special needs to gather in a setting focused entirely on affirmation and joy.<\/p>\n

As the evening drew to a close, group photographs captured smiling faces \u2014 a visual testament to a night defined by unity, faith and shared humanity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

An atmosphere of music, prayer and celebration filled the grounds of the Ozanam Free Physiotherapy Centre last Friday as children with physical challenges, caregivers, clergy and community leaders gathered for a special faith-centered event tagged Night of Praise. The programme, organized in collaboration with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and the Daughters of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":97874,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5809,5777],"tags":[911,1445,3761,8052],"class_list":["post-97871","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-celebration","category-features","tag-children","tag-clergy","tag-community","tag-ozanam"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97871","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=97871"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97871\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/97874"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=97871"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=97871"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=97871"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}