The Roman Catholic Diocese of Awka ( la, Avkaën(sis)) is a

diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, pro ...

located in the city of Awka,

Anambra State Anambra State is a Nigerian state, located in the southeastern region of the country. The state was created on August 27, 1991. Anambra state is bounded by Delta State to the west, Imo State to the south, Enugu State to the east and Kogi State ...

in the

Ecclesiastical province An ecclesiastical province is one of the basic forms of jurisdiction Jurisdiction (from Latin 'law' + 'declaration') is the legal term for the legal authority granted to a legal entity to enact justice. In federations like the United State ...

Onitsha Onitsha ( or just ''Ọ̀nị̀chà'') is a city located on the eastern bank of the Niger River, in Anambra State, Nigeria. A metropolitan city, Onitsha is known for its river port and as an economic hub for commerce, industry, and education. ...

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

. The Diocese boasts of having the highest number of priests amongst other Catholic dioceses in Africa as a whole.

History

* 10 November 1977: Established as Diocese of Awka from the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Onitsha * 5 March 2020: Lost territory to the newly created Diocese of Ekwulobia

Special churches

The

Cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denomination ...

is St. Patrick's Cathedral in Awka.

Bishops

Bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

s of Awka (Roman rite) ** Bishop

Albert Kanene Obiefuna Albert Kanene Obiefuna (January 30, 1930 – May 11, 2011) was the Roman Catholic archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Onitsha, Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, k ...

(10 November 1977 Appointed - 9 September 1994 Appointed, Coadjutor Archbishop of Onitsha) ** Bishop

Simon Akwali Okafor Simon Akwali Okafor (November 16, 1934 – August 29, 2014) was a Roman Catholic bishop. Born in the old Ifiteukpo, now Ifitedunu in Dunukofia Local Government Area of Anambra State, Nigeria on 16 November 1934, to his parents, Ogbuefi Okafor ...

(9 September 1994 Appointed - 17 April 2010 Retired) ** Bishop Paulinus Chukwuemeka Ezeokafor (8 July 2011 – present)

Auxiliary Bishops

* Solomon Amanchukwu Amatu (2000-2005), appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Okigwe * Paulinus Chukwuemeka Ezeokafor (2007-2011), appointed Bishop here *

(1992-1994), appointed Bishop here *

Jonas Benson Okoye Jonas may refer to: Geography * Jonas, Netherlands, Netherlands * Jonas, Pennsylvania, United States * Jonas Ridge, North Carolina, United States People with the name * Jonas (name), people with the given name or surname Jonas * Jonas, one of ...

(2014-2021)

Other priest of this diocese who became bishop

Peter Ebere Okpaleke Peter Ebere Okpaleke (born 1 March 1963) is a Nigerian prelate of the Catholic Church who has been Bishop of Ekwulobia since 29 April 2020. He was appointed Bishop of Ahiara in 2012 and consecrated in 2013, but after the local clergy and laity ...

, appointed Bishop of Ahara in 2012

References

Sources

GCatholic.org Information

Roman Catholic dioceses in Nigeria Christian organizations established in 1977 Roman Catholic dioceses and prelatures established in the 20th century 1977 establishments in Nigeria Roman Catholic Ecclesiastical Province of Onitsha {{Nigeria-RC-diocese-stub