On Sunday, 11 May, the World Communication Day, during the solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord, in St Mary’s Cathedral, Ibadan (Nigeria) Archbishop Most Rev. Dr Felix Alaba Job, launched the International Edition of the New Community Bible (NCB). Launching the Bible, the Archbishop said, “The new Bible has indepth explanations and references”, and he recommended it to elders, young couples and to the entire faithful. Commenting on the new edition, The Independent , a Catholic weekly in Nigeria wrote, “The volume is presented very attractively; the quality of the paper, the thumb index, the clarity of the text, the spacing of the lay out all make it easy to read. The illustrations are powerful”.
On Sunday, 18 May, the Solemnity of Pentecost, Most Rev. Dr Alfred Adewale Martins, Archbishop of Lagos, launched the International edition of New Community Bible during the solemn liturgical celebration in Holy Cross Cathedral, Lagos. Echoing the very same sentiments of Blessed James Alberione, the Archbishop said that every family should have a Bible. He exhorted or rather challenged the youth to posses a personal copy of the same and to read it regularly and attentively. Commenting on the efforts of the Society of St Paul to make the Word of God available to every family, he said, we all need to found our lives on the Word of God.
ST PAULS in Nigeria will distribute this edition at a special price as part of the celebration of the Year of Faith. A record sale of 700 copies of the Bible took place in and around Ibadan within seven days of its launch. More than 250 copies of the same were sold out during and after the mass at which the Bible was launched in the Cathedral of Lagos. We thank God that the Word of God is active and alive and is growing in this land blessed with lovely people and rich natural resources. Reports indicate that the Bible is well accepted and is highly appreciated for its pastoral commentary. This edition of the Bible is published by our Confreres of the Australian Region and is printed and produced in the main land China.
