The Catholic Diocese of Ogoja in Cross River State, has on Saturday, November 14, 2020, ordained 7 new Priests to add to the Ministry of Jesus Christ and the Church.
The Priests were ordained by the Bishop of the Diocese, Most Rev. Donatus Edet Akpan.
The 7 new priests of the Ogoja Catholic Diocese are:
1. Rev. Fr. Charles Bisong
2. Rev. Fr. Nicodemus Ajil
3. Rev. Fr. James Ushie
4. Rev. Fr. Gregory Okpotu
5. Rev. Fr. Simon Peter Ibu
6. Rev. Fr. Simon Abem
7. Rev. Fr. Victor Ogamode Ochu
The Diocese of Ogoja is the one of the oldest of the Dioceses in the Calabar ecclesiastical province which forms one of the nine provinces of the Catholic Church in Nigeria.
Evangelization started in the province on December 5, 1885 when Fr. Lutz (a long bearded man) a dynamic Holy Ghost father from France arrived Onitsha. He worked among the people until he died in 1895.
Fr. Lejeune succeeded him. After him came Fr. Joseph Shanahan who became Bishop in 1920 and a great Apostle of southern Nigeria and the Cameroons.
Under him the catholic faith reached Calabar, Ogoja and other parts of the Cross River area, Tiv land now Benue State and the Cameroons.
See photos of the priestly hood ordination below;
