The Roman Catholic Diocese of Issele-Uku ( la, Isseleukuan(us)) is a

diocese In 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 provinces were administratively associa ...

located in the city of

Issele-Uku Issele-uku is an ancestral city in Nigeria's Delta State and headquarters for the Local Government Area of Aniocha North. It is also the Episcopal See of the Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Issele-Uku. It has its own post office and is s ...

, Delta State in the

Ecclesiastical province An ecclesiastical province is one of the basic forms of jurisdiction in Christian Churches with traditional hierarchical structure, including Western Christianity and Eastern Christianity. In general, an ecclesiastical province consists of seve ...

of the

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Benin City The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Benin City is the Metropolitan See for the Ecclesiastical province of Benin City in Nigeria. History * 1884.05.02: Established as Apostolic Prefecture of Upper Niger from the Apostolic Vicariate of Two Guin ...

, Edo State,

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 ...

. It lies on the west bank of the

Niger River The Niger River ( ; ) is the main river of West Africa, extending about . Its drainage basin is in area. Its source is in the Guinea Highlands in south-eastern Guinea near the Sierra Leone border. It runs in a crescent shape through ...

between Benin City to the west and Onitsha to the east. The diocese comprises six

local government areas A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a state, province, division, or territory. The phrase i ...

in the northern portion of Delta State. The Archdiocese of Onitsha borders it on the east and the

Archdiocese of Benin City The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Benin City is the Metropolitan See for the Ecclesiastical province of Benin City in Nigeria. History * 1884.05.02: Established as Apostolic Prefecture of Upper Niger from the Apostolic Vicariate of Two Guineas ...

borders it on the west. The Diocese of Uromi is to its north and the Diocese of Warri borders it on the south.

History

The first Mass in the diocese was celebrated on March 5, 1888 and the first missionary was Fr. Carlo Zappa. The Diocese of Issele-Uku was created on July 5, 1973 from the territory which was once part of the

. It now covers the northern part of Delta State west of the

River Niger The Niger River ( ; ) is the main river of West Africa, extending about . Its drainage basin is in area. Its source is in the Guinea Highlands in south-eastern Guinea near the Sierra Leone border. It runs in a crescent shape through Mali, ...

and the state capital, Asaba including the following six Local Government Areas of Nigeria: Aniocha North and

Aniocha South Aniocha South is a Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria. Its headquarters is in the town of Ogwashi-Uku. The communities that make up the Local Government Area are Abah Unor, Adonte, Ashama, Egbudu-Akah, Ejeme-Aniogor, Ejeme-Unor, Ewulu, ...

, Ika North East and

Ika South Ika South is a Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria. It's headquarters is the town of Agbor. Ika South is part of the greater Igbo speaking Anioma community of Delta State. It has an area of 436 km and a population of 162,594 at t ...

, Oshimili North and Oshimili South, and has a land mass of 3,011 square Km. The diocese has grown from the initial eight parishes with which it began to 44 parishes and 18 independent stations in 2011.

Diocesan statistics

The diocese at the end of the year 2006 had a population of 996,410 people, including 308,596 baptized Catholics, constituting 31% of the population. Statistics are taken from the ''Annuario Pontificio.'' , - , 1980 , , 64.312 , , 406.000 , , 15,8 , , 23 , , 13 , , 10 , , 2.796 , , , , 10 , , 21 , , 13 , - , 1990 , , 99.727 , , 358.142 , , 27,8 , , 35 , , 30 , , 5 , , 2.849 , , , , 12 , , 46 , , 22 , - , 1999 , , 240.184 , , 715.878 , , 33,6 , , 55 , , 47 , , 8 , , 4.366 , , , , 15 , , 60 , , 31 , - , 2000 , , 245.186 , , 734.199 , , 33,4 , , 60 , , 51 , , 9 , , 4.086 , , , , 18 , , 61 , , 35 , - , 2001 , , 254.995 , , 785.594 , , 32,5 , , 67 , , 58 , , 9 , , 3.805 , , , , 18 , , 61 , , 35 , - , 2002 , , 275.300 , , 883.790 , , 31,1 , , 65 , , 57 , , 8 , , 4.235 , , , , 17 , , 83 , , 36 , - , 2003 , , 283.850 , , 905.884 , , 31,3 , , 66 , , 57 , , 9 , , 4.300 , , , , 18 , , 93 , , 36 , - , 2004 , , 292.366 , , 951.117 , , 30,7 , , 76 , , 66 , , 10 , , 3.846 , , , , 19 , , 101 , , 36 , - , 2006 , , 308.596 , , 996.410 , , 31,0 , , 89 , , 79 , , 10 , , 3.467 , , , , 28 , , 118 , , 36 , - , 2012 , , 364.000 , , 1.153.000, , 31,5 , , 101 , , 89 , , 12 , , , , , , 30 , , 150 , , 64

Additional statistics

*Catholic Churches in the Diocese 61 *Nigerian Diocesan Priests 130 *Major Seminarians 179 *Priests on further studies abroad 7 *Priests on Mission in the USA 18

Special churches

St. Paul Cathedral in

. See picture of cathedral

Bishops

* Bishop

Anthony Okonkwo Gbuji Anthony or Antony is a masculine given name, derived from the ''Antonii'', a ''gens'' ( Roman family name) to which Mark Antony (''Marcus Antonius'') belonged. According to Plutarch, the Antonii gens were Heracleidae, being descendants of Anton, ...

(07.05.1973 – 11.08.1996), appointed Bishop of Enugu * Bishop

Emmanuel Otteh Emmanuel Nwafor Otteh (1 November 1927 – 27 July 2012) was a Nigerian Roman Catholic prelate. Otteh was born in Nigeria and was ordained to the priesthood in 1961. He served as titular bishop of Cova and as the auxiliary bishop of the Roma ...

(11.08.1996 – 11.14.2003) Bishop Emeritus * Rev Michael Odogwu Elue (

Apostolic Administrator An Apostolic administration in the Catholic Church is administrated by a prelate appointed by the pope to serve as the ordinary for a specific area. Either the area is not yet a diocese (a stable 'pre-diocesan', usually missionary apostolic adm ...

11.14.2003 until episcopal ordination on 02.21.2004 ''see below'') * Bishop Michael Odogwu Elue (''see above'' 02.21.2004 - )

Other priest of this diocese who became bishop

Augustine Obiora Akubeze Augustine Obiora Akubeze is a Nigerian prelate of the Catholic Church and serves as archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Benin City, as of 2011. On 18 March 2011, Vatican Information Service reported that Pope Benedict XVI had appoi ...

, appointed Bishop of Uromi in 2005

Bishop's house

*P.O. Box 63 *Issele-Uku, Delta State, Nigeria *Telephone: Office: 048 880 187 *Asaba Office: 056 280 412 *Fax 1: 056 280 412 *Fax 2: 048880 0187 *GSM: 0803 714 2369

Episcopal regions

Region #St. Paul's Cathedral, Issele-Uku #St. Raphael's, Akwukwu-Igbo #St. John the Evangelist, Illah #St. Theresa's, Ebu #St. Andrew's, Ezi #St. Matthew's, Idumuje-Unor #Our Lady of Lourdes, Onicha-Olona #All Saints, Onicha-Ugbo #St. James, Ubulu-Okiti #Sacred Heart, Obomkpa #St. Michael's Onicha-Uku #St. Anthony, Ogbe-Ofu, Issele-Uku #St. Lawrence, Issele-Mkpitime * Asaba Region #St. Joseph's, Asaba #St. Patrick's, West End, Asaba #St. Patrick's, Cable Point, Asaba #Our Lady of Assumption, Asaba #St. Brigid's, Asaba #St. Augustine's, Ibusa #St. Monica's, Ibusa #St. Michael's, Okpanam #St. Theresa's, Okwe #St. Michael's, Oko #Ss. Peter and Paul, Issele-Azagba #St. Benedict's, Akwu-Ebolo, Asaba #St. John Bosco, Asaba #Ss. Peter and Paul, Ugbolu #Sacred Heart, Bonsaic *

Agbor Agbor is the most populous city among the Ika people. It is located in Ika South Local Government Area of Delta State, in South-south geo-political zone of Nigeria, West Africa. Agbor is the headquarters of Ika South Local Government Area, in ...

Region #St. John the Baptist, Agbor #St. Joseph's, Agbor #St. Patrick's, Azu-Owa #St. Patrick's Agbor-Obi #St. Mark's, Alisimie #St. Dominic's, Boji-Boji Owa #Holy Rosary, Abavo #St. John the Evangelist, Ewuru #St. Columba's, Agbor #St. Benedict's, Agbonta #All Saints, Alihami *Umunede Region #Sacred Heart, Umunede #Immaculate Heart, Umunede #St. Dominic, Otolokpo #St. Augustine, Ute-Ogbeje #St. Joseph, Akumazi #St. Luke, Emuhu #Immaculate Heart of Mary, Ute-Okpu #St. Louis, Ekuku-Agbor #St. Martin's, Igbodo #St. Francis Xavier's, Idumesah #St. Jude, Owa-Oyibo *

Ogwashi-Uku Ogwashi Ukwu, sometimes spelt as Ogwashi-Uku, is an Igbo town in Delta State, Nigeria. Located west of the state capital Asaba, and is the headquarters for the Local Government Area, Aniocha South. The population of Ogwashi-Ukwu is about 50, ...

Region #Mary Immaculate, Ogwashi-Uku #St. Patrick's, Ogwashi-Uku #St. Charles, Ubulu-Uku #St. Michael's, Ubulu-Uku #Holy Trinity, Ewulu #St. Joseph's, Nsukwa #Immaculate Conceptini, Isheagu #Ejeme-Aniogor Independent Station #St. John the Baptist, Ubulu-Unor #St. Theresa's, Obior Diocesan Directory and Liturgical Calendar 2010, Catholic Diocese of Issele-Uku. ATCOM Press. pp.35-37.

Parishes

*Map with pointers to parishes and institution

#Abavo: Holy Rosary Parish, P.O. Box 88, Abavo #Abavo: St. Patrick's Parish, Azu Owa, P.O. Box 70, Abavo #

: St. Columba's Parish, P.O. Box 1051, Agbor #

: St. Joseph's Parish, P.O. Box 749, Agbor #

Boji-Boji: St. John the Baptist Parish, P.O. Box 1600, Boji-Boji, Agbor #

Obi: St. Patrick's Parish, P.O. Box 1725, Agbor-Obi. #Akumazi: St. Joseph's Parish, P.O. Box 336, Umunede #Akwu-Ebolo: St. Benedict's Parish #Akwukwu-Igbo: St. Raphael Parish # Asaba: Church of Assumption Parish, Asaba # Asaba: St. Brigid Parish # Asaba: St. John Bosco Parish # Asaba: St. Joseph's Parish, P.O. Box 25, Asaba. # Asaba Cable Point: St. Patrick's Parish, P.O. Box 793, Asaba # Asaba West End, St. Patrick's Parish, P.O. Box 997, West End, Asaba # Asaba:St. John Mary Vianney Asaba # Asaba: Emmanuel the Savior Church Asaba #Ebu: St Theresa's Parish #Ekuku-Agbor: St Louis Parish, P.O. Box 63, Ekuku-Agbor #Ewulu: Holy Trinity Parish, P.O. Box 137, Ogwashi-Uku #Ezi: St Andrew's Parish, PO Box 20, Ezi #

Igbuzo Igbuzo (also Igbo-ụzọ or ''Ibusa)'' is an Igbo community in Delta State, Nigeria, founded ''c.'' 1450. the community is in Oshimili North. It has an estimated population of 566,310 people in 2009. The people speak the Enuanị dialect of t ...

r (Ibusa): St Augustine's Parish, P.O. Box 93, Ibusa #

r (Ibusa): St Monica's Parish, P.O. Box 414, Ibusa #

r (Ibusa): St Thomas Parish #Idumesah: St Francis Xavier Parish, P.O. Box 77, Idumesah #Idumuje-Unor: St Matthew's Parish #

Illah Illah is a small town located on the bank of the River Niger, in Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State of Nigeria. It is situated on a table-land, some twenty-five kilometres north of Asaba, the State capital. Illah is one of the ...

: St John the Evangelist Parish, P.O. Box 18, Illah #Isheagu: Immaculate Conception Parish, P.O. Box 16, Isheagu #

: St Paul's Cathedral, P.O. Box 26,

#Nsukwa: St Joseph's Parish, P.O. Box 16, Nsukwa #

: Mary Immaculate Parish, P.O. Box 4, Ogwashi-Uku #

: St Patrick's Parish, P.O. Box 28, Ogwashi-Uku #Okpanam: St Michael's Parish, P.O. Box 155, Okpanam #Okwe: St Theresa's Parish #Onicha-Olona: Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, P.O. Box 40, Onicha-Olona # Onicha-Ugbo: All Saints Parish, P.O. Box 57, Onicha-Ugbo #Otolokpo: St Dominic's Parish, P.O. Box 281, Umunede #Owa-Boji: St Dominic's Parish, P.O. Box 8, Owanta, Boji-Boji #Ubulu-Okiti: St James Parish, P.O. Box 72, Ubulu-Okiti # Ubulu-Uku: St Charles' Parish, P.O. Box 42 # Ubulu-Uku: St Michael's Parish, P.O. Box 96 #Umunede: Immaculate Heart Parish #Umunede: Sacred Heart, P.O. Box 7, Umunede #Ute-Ogbeje: St Augustine's Parish, P.O. Box 9, Umunede

Independent stations

#Agbor-Nta: St. Benedict Catholic Church #Alisimie: St. Mark Catholic Church #Alihami: All Saints Catholic Church # Asaba: Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Bonsiac #Ejeme-Aniogor: St. Felix Catholic Church, P.O. Box 174 #Emuhu: St Luke Catholic Church #Ewuru: St John the Evangelist, P.O. Box 1053 #Igbodo: St. Martin de Tours Catholic Church #Issele-Azagba: Ss Peter & Paul Catholic Church, P.O. Box 78 #Issele-Mkpitime: St. Lawrence Catholic Church #

: St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, Ogbe-Ofu #Obior: St. Theresa of Avila Catholic Church #Obomkpa: Sacred Heart Catholic Church, P.O. Box 27,

#Oko: St. Micheal Catholic Church #Onicha-Uku: St. Michael Catholic Church #Owa-Oyibu: St. Jude Catholic Church #Ubulu-Unor: St. John the Baptist, P.O. Box 96 #Ugbolu: Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic Church #Ute-Okpu: Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church

Higher institutions chaplaincy

#College of Education,

#Delta State University, Asaba Campus, Asaba #Federal College of Education Technical, Asaba #St. John's, Alihagu

Nurseries and primary schools

#Holy Infant International School,

#Regina Mundi Nursery/Primary School, Asaba #St. Mary Anne Nursery/Primary School, Ebu #Mercy Nursery/Primary School, Ibusa #St. Maria Gorretti School,

#Immaculate Conception Nursery/Primary School, Ishiagu #Holy Child School,

#Divine Love Nursery/Primary School, Ogwashi-Uku #Holy Child School, Onicha-Olona #Divine Love School, Ubulu-Uku #Sacred Heart Nursery/Primary School, Umunede #St. Augustine Nursery/Primary School, Ubulu-Okiti

Secondary schools

#Dominican Vocational School,

#Holy Infant Secondary School,

#Madonna Comprehensive Secondary School, Akwukwu-Igbo #St John's Secondary School, Alihagu #Mercy Girls' Secondary School, Aliokpu Agbor #Juniorate Girls' Secondary School,

#Divine Love Secondary School, Ubulu-Uku # St. Patrick's College, Asaba #

St. Paul Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...

's Grammar School, Ebu # St. Brigid's Girls Grammar School, saba Delta State#St. Martin De Porres Girls Grammar School, nicha-Olona

Institutions

#Madonna School for the Handicapped, Okpanam #Regina Mundi Computers, Ogwashi-Uku

Hospitals and maternities

#Catholic Health Centre, Ewulu #Catholic Maternity and Hospital, P.O. Box 98, Ekuku-Agbor #St Anthony's Catholic Maternity, P.O. Box 206, Ubulu-Uku #St Elizabeth's Catholic Maternity, P.O. Box 43, Umunede #St John's Hospital, P.O. Box 1896,

#St Joseph Hospital, P.O. Box 911, Asaba #St Mary's Hospital, P.O. Box 38, Ogwashi-Uku #St Theresa's Hospital, P.O. Box 63,

Special homes

#Pro Labore Dei, Asaba #Home for Old People, Asaba #Home for Destitutes,

#Home for Destitutes, Umunede

Special institutions

#Pastoral Centre,

#School of Evangelization,

#Leprosaria, Abor Ogwashi-Uku #Leprosaria, Ute-Enugu

Female religious houses

# Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul, Okpanam # Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul, Box 121, Umunede #DDL Daughters of Divine Love, Akwukwu-Igbo #DDL Daughters of Divine Love, Box 63,

#DDL Daughters of Divine Love, Gbenoba, Agbor-Obi #DDL Daughters of Divine Love, Illah, c/o St John’s, Box 18,

#DDL Daughters of Divine Love, Ubulu-Uku #DMMM Daughters of Mary Mother of Merc

Aliokpu #DMMM Daughters of Mary Mother of Mercy Convent, Box 60,

#DMMM Daughters of Mary Mother of Mercy Convent,

r #DMMM Daughters of Mary Mother of Mercy, Onicha-Olona #DMMM Daughters of Mary Mother of Mercy, Ubulu-Uku #Dominican Sisters of St. Catherin

Agbor-Obi #Franciscan Sisters, Ogwashi-Uku #Immaculate Heart Sisters, Okpanam #NES New Evangelization Sisters of Mother of Perpetual Help

,

#NES New Evangelization Sisters of Mother of Perpetual Help, Box 63,

#NES New Evangelization Sisters of Mother of Perpetual Help, Box 72, Ubulu-Okiti #NES New Evangelization Sisters of Mother of Perpetual Help, Ogwashi-Uku #OLA Sisters of Our Lady of Apostle

Box 2170,

#OLA Sisters of Our Lady of Apostles Convent, Box 54, Asaba #SSL Sisters of St Louis (in Nigeria

Ewulu

Male religious houses

#OSA

Order of Saint Augustine The Order of Saint Augustine, ( la, Ordo Fratrum Sancti Augustini) abbreviated OSA, is a religious mendicant order of the Catholic Church. It was founded in 1244 by bringing together several eremitical groups in the Tuscany region who were fo ...

, Box 32,

r #OP

Order of Preachers The Order of Preachers ( la, Ordo Praedicatorum) abbreviated OP, also known as the Dominicans, is a Catholic mendicant order of Pontifical Right for men founded in Toulouse, France, by the Spanish priest, saint and mystic Dominic of Cal ...

, St Patrick’s Church, Agbor-Obi, Box 1725,

#SMA

Society of African Missions The Society of African Missions ( la, Societas Missionum ad Afros; ) abbreviated SMA, also known as the SMA Fathers, is a Catholic religious Society of Apostolic Life of pontifical right for men founded by Melchior de Marion Brésillac in 1856 ...

, St Patrick's Church, Cable Point, Asaba, Box 793, Asaba

Priestly formation

*Saints Peter and Paul Major Seminary,

Ibadan Ibadan (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Oyo State, in Nigeria. It is the third-largest city by population in Nigeria after Lagos and Kano, with a total population of 3,649,000 as of 2021, and over 6 million people within its me ...

Oyo State Oyo State is an inland States of Nigeria, state in southwestern Nigeria. Its capital is Ibadan, the List of Nigerian cities by population, third most populous city in the country and formerly the second most populous city in Africa. Oyo State is b ...

*All Saints Major Seminary, Uhiele-Ekpoma, Edo State,

*Saint Felix Minor Seminary, P.O. Box 174, Ejeme-Aniogor, Delta State,

Politics

The diocese is located in the northern area of Delta State which is structured according to political divisions known as

(L.G.A.s). There were in 1991 twelve LGAs, then nineteen and now there are 25 LGAs. The Diocese of Issele-Uku now covers six of the

: Aniocha North and