Metropolitan Archdiocese of Owerri, Nigeria

Continent: Western and Northern Africa

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Metropolitan Archdiocese Metr. Archdiocese

Name: Owerri / Overrien(sis) (Latin)

Suffragan Sees: Aba, Ahiara, Okigwe, Orlu, Umuahia

Depends on: Dicastery for Evangelisation

Website:

Celebrations

Liturgical Calendar (National) 📅

History

1948.02.12: Established as Apostolic Vicariate of Owerri / Overrien(sis) (Latin) (from Apostolic Vicariate of Onitsha–Owerri)
1950.04.18: Promoted as Diocese of Owerri / Overrien(sis) (Latin) (became suffragan of Onitsha)
1958.06.23: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Umuahia
1961.05.16: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Port Harcourt
1980.11.29: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Orlu
1987.11.18: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Ahiara
1994.03.26: Promoted as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Owerri / Overrien(sis) (Latin) (with suffragan sees Aba, Ahiara, Okigwe, Orlu and Umuahia)

Present Prelates

Metropolitan Archbishop (2022.03.06 – ...):	Archbishop Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji (72) President of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria
Auxiliary Bishop (2019.10.17 – ...):	Bishop Moses Chikwe (57) Titular Bishop of Flumenzer

Ordinaries

Metropolitan Archbishops of Owerri (Roman Rite)

Archbishop Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji (72)
(2022.03.06 – ...)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Owerri (Nigeria)
President of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria

Caritas et Veritas

Born:	1952.01.13 (Naze, Nigeria)
Ordained Priest:	1977.04.16
Consecrated Bishop:	1990.07.01

Priest of Umuahia (Nigeria) (1977.04.16 – 1990.04.02)

Bishop of Umuahia (Nigeria) (1990.04.02 – 2022.03.06)

Apostolic Administrator of Ahiara (Nigeria) (2018.02.19 – 2024.05.03)

Vice-President of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (2018.02.22 – 2022.03.09)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Owerri (Nigeria) (2022.03.06 – ...)

President of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (2022.03.09 – ...)

Archbishop Anthony John Valentine Obinna (78)
(1994.03.26 – 2022.03.06)

Metropolitan Archbishop emeritus of Owerri (Nigeria)

To serve God and his people

Born:	1946.06.26 (Emekuku, Nigeria)
Ordained Priest:	1972.04.09
Consecrated Bishop:	1993.09.04

Priest of Owerri (Nigeria) (1972.04.09 – 1993.07.01)

Bishop of Owerri (Nigeria) (1993.07.01 – 1994.03.26)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Owerri (Nigeria) (1994.03.26 – 2022.03.06)

Bishops of Owerri (Roman Rite)

Bishop Anthony John Valentine Obinna (78) (later Archbishop)
(1993.07.01 – 1994.03.26)

(see above)

Bishop Mark Onwuha Unegbu
(1970.06.25 – 1993.07.01)

Born:	1917.06.30 (Nigeria)
Ordained Priest:	1944.06.30
Consecrated Bishop:	1970.09.20
Died:	2002.10.31 († 85)

Bishop of Owerri (Nigeria) (1970.06.25 – 1993.07.01)

Bishop Joseph Brendan Whelan, C.S.Sp.
(1950.04.18 – 1970.06.25)

Born:	1909.05.25 (Ireland)
Ordained Priest:	1937.07.04
Consecrated Bishop:	1948.04.25
Died:	1990.12.08 († 81)

Titular Bishop of Tiddi (1948.02.12 – 1950.04.18)

Vicar Apostolic of Owerri (Nigeria) (1948.02.12 – 1950.04.18)

Bishop of Owerri (Nigeria) (1950.04.18 – 1970.06.25)

Titular Bishop of Tre Taverne (1970.06.25 – 1976.08.10)

Vicars Apostolic of Owerri (Roman Rite)

Bishop Joseph Brendan Whelan, C.S.Sp.
(1948.02.12 – 1950.04.18)

(see above)

Special Churches

Cathedral: Maria Assumpta Cathedral, Owerri, Imo

Nnewi (↖), Orlu (↑), Okigwe (↗), Ahiara (→), Aba (↘), Port Harcourt (↓)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 2,996 km²

Population: 1,079,950 Catholics (69.4% of 1,555,338 total)

Pastoral Centres: 164 parishes

Personnel: 396 priests (279 diocesan, 117 religious), 629 religious (310 brothers, 319 sisters), 156 seminarians