Diocese of Ilorin, Nigeria

Continent: Western and Northern Africa

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: Ilorin / Ilorinen(sis) (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: Ibadan

Depends on: Dicastery for Evangelisation

Website:

Celebrations

Liturgical Calendar (National) 📅

History

1960.01.20: Established as Apostolic Prefecture of Ilorin / Ilorinen(sis) (Latin) (from Diocese of Ondo)
1969.05.29: Promoted as Diocese of Ilorin / Ilorinen(sis) (Latin) (became suffragan of Kaduna)
1995.12.15: Lost territory to establish Apostolic Prefecture of Kontagora
2009: Became suffragan of Ibadan

Present Prelates

Bishop (2023.12.08 – ...):

Bishop Anselm Pendo Lawani (54)

Ordinaries

Bishops of Ilorin (Roman Rite)

Bishop Anselm Pendo Lawani (54)
(2023.12.08 – ...)

Bishop of Ilorin (Nigeria)

Born:	1970.09.12 (Igarra, Nigeria)
Ordained Priest:	2000.08.15
Consecrated Bishop:	2024.02.02

Priest of Ilorin (Nigeria) (2000.08.15 – 2023.12.08)

Bishop of Ilorin (Nigeria) (2023.12.08 – ...)

Bishop Paul Adegboyega Olawoore
(2019.06.11 – 2022.01.01)

Born:	1961.11.30 (Ikuri, Nigeria)
Ordained Priest:	1992.10.03
Consecrated Bishop:	2018.07.13
Died:	2022.01.01 (Ilorin, Nigeria † 60)

Priest of Oyo (Nigeria) (1992.10.03 – 2018.04.04)

Coadjutor Bishop of Ilorin (Nigeria) (2018.04.04 – 2019.06.11)

Bishop of Ilorin (Nigeria) (2019.06.11 – 2022.01.01)

Bishop Ayo-Maria Atoyebi, O.P. (79)
(1992.03.06 – 2019.06.11)

Bishop emeritus of Ilorin (Nigeria)

Born:	1944.12.03 (Okerimi-Oro, Nigeria)
Ordained Priest:	1978.12.17
Consecrated Bishop:	1992.05.17

Bishop of Ilorin (Nigeria) (1992.03.06 – 2019.06.11)

Bishop John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan (80) (later Cardinal)
(Apostolic Administrator 1990 – 1992.03.06)

Bishop John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan (80) (later Cardinal)
(1984.10.20 – 1990.07.07)

Cardinal-Priest of S. Saturnino
Metropolitan Archbishop emeritus of Abuja (Nigeria)

Fiat voluntas tua

Born:	1944.01.29 (Kabba, Nigeria)
Ordained Priest:	1969.08.03
Consecrated Bishop:	1983.01.06
Created Cardinal:	2012.11.24

Priest of Lokoja (Nigeria) (1969.08.03 – 1982.09.10)

Titular Bishop of Thunusuda (1982.09.10 – 1984.10.20)

Auxiliary Bishop of Ilorin (Nigeria) (1982.09.10 – 1984.10.20)

Bishop of Ilorin (Nigeria) (1984.10.20 – 1990.07.07)

Apostolic Administrator of Ilorin (Nigeria) (1990 – 1992.03.06)

Coadjutor Bishop of Abuja (Nigeria) (1990.07.07 – 1992.09.28)

Bishop of Abuja (Nigeria) (1992.09.28 – 1994.03.26)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Abuja (Nigeria) (1994.03.26 – 2019.11.09)

President of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (2000 – 2006)

President of Association of the Episcopal Conferences of Anglophone West Africa (2001 – 2009.09.01)

President of Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (2003.11 – 2007.06)

Cardinal-Priest of S. Saturnino (2012.11.24 [2013.04.07] – ...)

Apostolic Administrator sede plena of Ahiara (Nigeria) (2013.07.03 – 2018.02.19)

Bishop William Mahony, S.M.A.
(1969.05.29 – 1984.10.20)

Born:	1919.04.29 (Ireland)
Ordained Priest:	1947.06.17
Consecrated Bishop:	1969.08.01
Died:	1994.11.15 († 75)

Prefect Apostolic of Ilorin (Nigeria) (1960.12.06 – 1969.05.29)

Bishop of Ilorin (Nigeria) (1969.05.29 – 1984.10.20)

Prefects Apostolic of Ilorin (Roman Rite)

Fr. William Mahony, S.M.A. (later Bishop)
(1960.12.06 – 1969.05.29)

(see above)

Former Prelates

Coadjutor Bishop: Bishop Paul Adegboyega Olawoore (2018.04.04 – 2019.06.11)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan (80) (later Cardinal) (1982.09.10 – 1984.10.20)

Special Churches

Cathedral: St. Joseph’s Cathedral, Ilorin, Kwara

Oyo (↙), Dassa-Zoumé (←), Parakou (↖), N’Dali (↖), Kandi (↖), Sokoto (↑), Kontagora (↑), Minna (↗), Lokoja (→), Ekiti (↘), Osogbo (↓)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 32,500 km²

Population: 25,750 Catholics (1.0% of 2,613,000 total)

Pastoral Centres: 44 parishes

Personnel: 58 priests (47 diocesan, 11 religious), 160 religious (97 brothers, 63 sisters), 23 seminarians