Hope from Nigeria: Archdiocesan Catholics grow in faith through ministry of Nigerian priests and religious

Father Dominic Chukwudi receives offertory gifts from Amanda Tovey, left, C. J. Murrary, Virginia Graf and Jacob Bray during a Nov. 9 Mass at Holy Rosary Church in Seelyville. Assisting Father Chukwudi are altar servers Sara Baugh, left, and Molly Tovey. A priest of the Diocese of Issele-Uku, Nigeria, Father Chukwudi has ministered in the archdiocese since 2006 and is currently the administrator of Annunciation Parish in Brazil and Holy Rosary Parish in Seelyville. (Photo by Sean Gallagher)

By Sean Gallagher

SEELYVILLE—As Father Dominic Chukwudi ministers in the small west-central Indiana towns of Brazil and Seelyville, it is hard to notice behind his quiet, gentle demeanor that he was born in a world filled with violence.

This peaceful priest came into the world 40 years ago when his home country of Nigeria was wracked by a civil war in which millions died.

“My father was killed in the war,” said Father Chukwudi. “He was a civilian. They raided my town, and they had many people killed. I was in my mother’s womb [at the time]. He died two months and eight days before I was born.”

Father Chukwudi didn’t allow the tragedy that marked his birth to fill him with despair. Instead, he chose hope and answered God’s call to the priesthood.

For the past two years, Father Chukwudi, currently the administrator of Annunciation Parish in Brazil and Holy Rosary Parish in Seelyville, has shown his dedication to his vocation by ministering in an archdiocese half a world away from his home.

Father Chukwudi is not alone. Ten other Nigerian priests are serving in the archdiocese as either parish administrators, associate pastors or hospital chaplains. And 18 women religious from Nigeria are now ministering here as well.

Tremendous growth

Father Chukwudi’s story of new life arising out of death and destruction in part encapsulates the recent history of the Church in his home country.

The Diocese of Issele-Uku, for which Father Chukwudi and several other priests serving in the archdiocese were ordained, was established in 1973, three years after Nigeria’s civil war ended. In 1980, it numbered 64,000 Catholics, which made up 16 percent of the population of the area.

Just 26 years later, Issele-Uku had grown to 308,000 Catholics. They accounted for 31 percent of the region’s population.

Father Chukwudi gave much credit to the tremendous growth of his diocese to its founding bishop, Anthony Okonkwo Gbuji, who served there until 1996.

The current bishop of Issele-Uku, Michael Odogwu Elue, has extended this missionary vision far beyond Nigeria.

“My bishop believes in the universal call of the Church to be a missionary Church,” Father Chukwudi said. “That is why even when he has the need for priests to be in the diocese, he isn’t very reluctant to send them out to minister elsewhere.”

Coming to Indiana

Issele-Uku priests started coming to Indiana in large numbers in 2006 after Bishop Elue made an offer to Archbishop Daniel M. Buechlein to send them here. He had come to Indianapolis in 2005 to visit Father Benjamin Okonkwo, a chaplain at St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis and the first Issele-Uku priest to minister here.

That same year, the Daughters of Mary Mother of Mercy, the first indigenous Nigerian women’s religious order, expanded their presence in the archdiocese. There are now 15 sisters from the order living in three convents in Indianapolis.

Sister Jennifer Otuonye was its first member in Indianapolis, coming here in 2001 to study at the University of Indianapolis.

She also ministered at St. Paul Hermitage in Beech Grove and cared for the father of Msgr. Joseph F. Schaedel, vicar general. She eventually met Msgr. Schaedel, who later helped her order establish its formal presence in the archdiocese.

The Daughters of Mary Mother of Mercy are now ministering in Catholic schools, hospitals and Catholic Charities agencies.

Sister Jennifer is amazed at what has happened simply because she came here to study.

“God works in a mysterious way,” she said. “You don’t know what he’s planning for you. You might be planning something else, but God may be planning something different for you.”

Msgr. Schaedel also sees the hand of God at work in the arrival of so many Nigerian priests and religious to central and southern Indiana.

“It has been an amazing example of Providence at work,” said Msgr. Schaedel. “The priests we have at the moment from Nigeria are working well, and fast becoming a part of our local Church.”

Broadening our vision

Pat Armstrong, a member of Holy Rosary Parish in Seelyville, also appreciates the ministry of Father Chukwudi in her parish.

“It broadens our knowledge,” she said. “The Church isn’t just Seelyville or isn’t just the Archdiocese of Indianapolis or the Church in the United States. It’s a worldwide Church. It encompasses all. [With him here], it makes it hit home more.”

Father James Farrell visited Nigeria in 2006 with Father Chukwudi when both priests were ministering at St. Barnabas Parish in Indianapolis.

“I think we have to be encouraged by [the Nigerian priests’] spirit of hope, both for the Church and for society,” said Father Farrell, now director of Our Lady of Fatima Retreat House in Indianapolis.

“They come from poverty, a poor nation. [But] you don’t experience them as despairing individuals. They come with a great sense of hope and expectation. I think that this is a witness to us, particularly as we’re facing economic hard times. We need to begin to realize that we need to put our faith in something beyond the stock market.”

Encouraging others to put their trust in God is precisely what the newest Nigerian religious in the archdiocese want to do.

Three members of the New Evangelization Sisters, an order founded in Issele-Uku 15 years ago, began their ministry at St. Lawrence Parish in Indianapolis this summer. It is the first time that the fledgling order has sent its members on mission outside Africa. Two are ministering at the parish school. The third, Sister Pedro Callista Opara, is a pastoral associate at the parish focusing on evangelization.

“It’s going to be fruitful. Very fruitful. Very positive,” Sister Pedro said. “I think that the Church here loves us. And we are happy. Even just our presence might have an impact.”

Katherine Kutan agrees. A St. Lawrence parishioner, she works alongside the two other New Evangelization Sisters in the parish’s daycare ministry.

“The kids over at St. Lawrence adore these women,” she said. “They attack them with hugs. And that’s been [true] since day one.”

Mutual benefits, mutual desires

Many of the Nigerian priests and religious spoke about how their experience here will help them when they return home.

“When you come to America, you see that they do things differently and you think, ‘OK, this might be a better way to do it’ because they’re more advanced than us in technology and everything,” said Sister Jennifer. “So we’ll try to implement that back in Nigeria.”

“Since we came here, we’ve learned so many things about the life of the people here, even the way they do things,” said Sister Pedro. “We’ll pick the good aspects of what we have seen and internalize them.”

Father Chukwudi ultimately sees the relevance for the ministry of Nigerian priests and religious in the archdiocese being rooted in a deep human desire that transcends nations and cultures.

“The longing of people to come close to God is everywhere,” he said. “People here long to be close to God. Likewise, people back home in Nigeria long to be close to God. We share the same faith and values.” †