As it is in God’s plan, a small number of lay men and women who saw the depth of sincerity and passion in the work of Mrs. Angela Ugwuka began to join in her apostolate of propagation of the mysteries of our faith and the work of charity. They became known as Little Friends of Jesus and Mary Catholic Apostolate – a Private Association of lay people who promise to live exemplary lives according to the teachings of the Catholic faith and to use their gifts and talents to the service of God. Their motto became: Adore the Eucharist, Live the Eucharist and Reveal to others Jesus in the Eucharist. They were also called ìLay Apostles of the Eucharistî. These men and women were neither great in number nor were they people of high education, wealth or social status. They were simply ìordinary Catholicsî who have made themselves available for God’s use. It is on record that through their humble effort many lives were reconciled to God: fallen Catholics were brought back to the faith, non-Catholics were converted, unwed couples got wedded, prisoners were released and re-integrated into the society, the sick were medically treated and cared for, widows were assisted to start small businesses while orphans, destitute and indigent seminarians were cared for and sponsored through their studies. Through home ñto ñ home visitations, many fallen Catholics were brought back. It should be noted that even at this stage in the growth of this apostolate, its sole financier still remained the Foundress, Mrs. Angela Ogoamaka Ugwuka.
Due to the burning desire in the hearts of the members of the Little Friends of Jesus and Mary Catholic Apostolate to reach every corner of Nigeria with the message of the Apostolate, an effort was made to produce an audio record of some of their teachings. An Igbo version of two of their teachings was put in an audio form, namely ‘The power Inherent in the Holy Mass’ and ‘Emmanuel’. This effort brought much popularity to the work of the Apostolate and invitations began to pour in from various priests and parish societies for retreats and seminars. As a result, a good number of priests from Onitsha, Awka and Nsukka Dioceses became involved in the work of the Little Friends of Jesus and Mary Catholic Apostolate. It became registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission of Nigeria as a charity foundation known as Little Friends of Jesus and Mary Charity Foundation. Another step taken by the Apostolate was to establish a big warehouse where tons of foods items (tubers of yam, bags of rice, beans, crayfish, milk) detergents, clothes and foot wears are stored and gradually distributed to the poorest members of the society throughout the year.
In the year 2010, the Little Friends of Jesus & Mary Catholic Apostolate expanded its frontiers and entered the Republic of Cameroon . It settled in the Diocese of Buea among the poor farmers of Tole Camp, a small settler-community at the foot of Mount Cameroon. Due to the great impact the work of the Apostolate was making in the town of Tole Camp, the Bishop of Buea Diocese, Bishop Immanuel Bushu who was deeply impressed with its charism endorsed it as a Lay Society in his diocese.
