THE STORY OF MY VOCATION
A Brief Introduction of Myself/Family Background
I am Salisu Yakubu Sabo SMA. I was born and brought up in a village called Dukuki, Garko Local Government Area of Kano State; my parish is called St. Peter’s Catholic Church, Gamashina, Kano Diocese. I am the third born, but the first son among eight children. I began my nursery and primary school in my village in 1995 and completed in St. Louis Primary School, Airport Road, Kano in 2001. Then I proceeded to St. Thomas Secondary School, also Airport Road, Kano from where I graduated in 2007.
How and When I Felt Called
It all began with Fr. Michael Waters SMA, my first parish priest whose life I greatly admired as a child. Fr. Waters was very hardworking and very much committed to the course of the minority and marginalized indigenous Hausa Christians in Kano. It was also a pleasure for me to see him around as he visited our school. I also loved to see him celebrating Mass in our outstation. Because of this, I used to see him as a saint and all I wanted was to be like him. But at that time I never knew anything about the SMA.
I got to know about the SMA in 2006 when Fr. Patrick Kwis SMA, the then Vocations’ Director for northern Nigeria visited our school and gave a talk to the senior Catholic students on the SMA. I became almost convinced that this is where God wants me to be when I realized that Fr. Michael Waters is a member of this congregation. From then on, I developed a strong desire to be an SMA priest. I could not apply immediately after graduation in 2007 because my parents were opposed to my ambition. So I took one year to reflect more and to get the support of my parents.
Discernment Process and Journey to Join the SMA
I began my journey with the SMA on the 4th of March 2009 when I was admitted to the preparatory program in Kagoro, Kaduna State. After that, in October 2009, I went to the SMA House of Formation, Ibadan where I continued with my formation and philosophical studies in SS Peter and Paul Major Seminary, Bodija, Ibadan. I graduated in June 2013. From there I was admitted into the SMA International Spiritual Year program 2013/2014 in Calavi, Benin Republic. I took my first oath on 25 June 2014. Subsequently, I gained the opportunity to witness the mission first-hand when I was sent to the parish of Our Lady of Fatima, San Pedro, Ivory Coast for pastoral experience in 2014 and finished in 2015.
The final stage of my initial formation was in the SMA House of Studies, Nairobi, Kenya between August 2015 to May 2019. During that time, I had my theological studies at the Tangaza University College, Nairobi, Kenya. I have ordained a deacon in Mary Mother of God Parish, Ngong, Kenya on the 12th of May, 2018 and served for one year in St. Monica Parish, Kitengela, Kenya. Then I was ordained a priest in Holy Family Parish, Abuja on 06 July 2019. And now I am happy to be in Angola for my first missionary experience
Fr. Sabo Yakubu Salisu, SMA