HOLY TRINITY CATHEDRAL ORLU

THE ADVENT OF CATHOLICISM IN THE DIOCESE OF ORLU

The early Missionaries to Nigeria only set their feet on what is now known today as the Catholic Diocese of Orlu in 1910. The first resident Priest, Rev. Fr. John Cross Anyaogu, settled at Akokwa in 1936, but available records show that the first Parish to be established in the area was at Amaigbo in 1937, with Rev Fr. Daniel Hackette as its Parish Priest, and later in the same year at Urualla with Rev. Fr. Michael Folley as its Parish Priest. It was in 1966 that the confines of the present Catholic Diocese of Orlu was raised to a Deanery with Rev. Fr. Lawrence Doyle, C.S.Sp., as its first Dean.

THE CREATION OF ORLU DIOCESE:
On November 29, 1980, the Diocese was created out of the then Owerri Diocese (now Owerri Archdiocese), by His Holiness, Pope John Paul II. Most Rev. Dr. Gregory O. Ochiagha, ordained bishop in Rome on the 6th of January 1981, was appointed its first bishop subsequent to the inauguration that took place on February 15, 1981. The Patron of the Diocese is the “Most Holy Trinity”. The total population of the Diocese today is above Two Million (2, 000, 000) with Catholics numbering 700, 000. It has 711 Junior Seminarians and 176 Senior Seminarians. Presently 9 Rev. Brothers and 86 Rev Sisters are working in the Diocese. With the Priestly Ordination on January 9, 2010 the number of Diocesan Priests in the Diocese is now 323 excluding 14 Priests who have gone to their rest in the hope of rising again. At the creation of the Diocese on 19th November 1980, and the installation of its first bishop on 15th February 1981, there were only 23 established Parishes. At her 10th year of existence, another 27 Parishes were created making it 50. it is on record that within the first ten months of its existence, the bishop created the first three Parishes – St. John’s Parish Umuobom, St. Patrick’s Parish Amucha, and Sacred Heart Parish Orsuihiteukwa. The Diocese now enjoys the total number of 138 Parishes.

THE CREATION OF PASTORAL REGIONS:
It is on record also that the diocese was created into four zones (what we have now as the Pastoral Regions), with a view of making its administration easier and more efficient. The Pastoral Regions are: St. Gregory’s Pastoral Region with its Regional Headquatres at St. Gregory’s Parish, Amaigbo and its Dean as Very Rev. Fr. Patrick Obinabu; Regina Pacis Pastoral Region with its Regional Headquartres at Regina Pacis Parish Ihioma and its Dean as Very Rev. Fr. Finian Nwaozor; St. Michael’s Pastoral Region with its Regional Headquartres at St. Michael’s Parish Urualla and its Dean as Very Rev. Fr. Kenneth Nwokolo; and St. Theresa’s Pastoral Region with its Regional Headquartres at St. Theresa’s Parish Uli and its Dean as Very Rev. Fr. Dominic Nwuzor. The Deans are charged with the responsibility of co-ordinating and helping to enhance the Pastoral Ministry.

SOME OF THE NOTABLE EVENTS IN THE DIOCESE:
Worthy of mention is the inauguration of the first Diocesan Synod from 22nd – 27th November 1999 and the dedication of the Diocesan Cathedral on the 6th of December 2000 by His Excellency Archbishop Osbaldo Padilla, the Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria. With the celebration of her Silver Jubilee on the 18th of February 2006, which was graced by the then Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria, His Excellency Archbishop Renzo Fratini, there is no doubt that there is a high sense of unity, co-operation, and co-ordination between the Bishop, the Priests, the Religious and the Laity of the Diocese. Under the charismatic leadership of Bishop Gregory Ochiagha, the establishment of various solidalities and communities especially Porta Caeli Cistercian Monastery on the 10th of March 2007 at Owerre-Akokwa, Ideato North, has helped the spiritual growth and propagation of faith. The emphasis on the duties of the apostolate is yet to be out-classed. Indeed, this is our pride.

THE ELECTION OF THE SECOND BISHOP OF ORLU:
We are equally happy to note that, on the 25th of March 2008, the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI announced to the world the election of a new Bishop of Orlu Diocese. Very Rev. Fr. Augustine Toochukwu Ukwuoma was elected as the second bishop of Orlu to succeed Bishop Gregory Ochiagha in the administration of the Catholic Diocese of Orlu. The Consecration and installation of Most Rev. Dr. Augustine Ukwuoma as the 2nd Bishop of Orlu took place on Saturday 21st June 2008 at the Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity Orlu. It was presided over by the then Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria, His Excellency Archbishop Renzo Fratini as the Principal Consecrator and the Bishop Emeritus Most Rev. Dr. Gregory Ochiagha as the Co-consecrator. With his Consecration and installation, Bishop Augustine T. Ukwuoma becomes the New Shepherd and the Local Ordinary of the Catholic Diocese of Orlu.

FUTURE HOPES AND ASPIRATIONS:
We live in the hope that the dynamic leadership of our Bishop, the creation of more parishes, the increase in the number of Priests and vocations to the Priesthood, the contributions of the religious and the support of the laity, will go a long way to enhance continually the work of Evangelization in the Diocese.

SECOND ANNIVERSARY OF EPISCOPAL ORDINATION

The Clergy, the Religious and the Lay Faithful of the Catholic Diocese of Orlu – Nigeria, gathered at the Holy Trinity Cathedral Parish, Orlu on Monday 21st June 2010, to celebrate the second anniversary of the Episcopal Ordination and Enthronement of Most Rev. Dr. Augustine Toochukwu Ukwuoma as the second Bishop and the Local Ordinary of the Catholic Diocese of Orlu – Nigeria.

Bishop Ukwuoma started his journey to the Episcopal See of Orlu Diocese on March 25, 2008. On that fateful day, the then Bishop, Most Rev. Dr. Gregory Ochiagha used the ocassion of the Solemnity of Annunciation to announce the election of a new Successor Bishop for Orlu Diocese. This announcement was made in a Mass, where a good number of the clergy, Religious and the Lay faithful of the Diocese gathered at the Holy Trinity Cathedral Parish, Orlu, to mark the launching and the formal innauguration of the N-Trinity Press of the Diocese. The announcement was made shortly earlier in a press relaese from the Vatican in www.catholic-hierarcy.org.

As at the period of the election, Bishop Ukwuoma was still the Parish Priest of St. Theresa’s Parish, Uli. He was born in Amucha to the family of Late Mr. Polycarp and Late Mrs. Beatrice Ukwuoma. He was ordained a Catholic Priest in 1983 by Bishop Gregory Ochiagha. He had some pastoral experiences in many places in the diocese such as Amaigbo, Nkwerre, Orlu and Uli and further studies and pastoral experiences in the United States of America. He was the Dean of St. Theresa’s Pastoral Region, Uli till his appointment as the Bishop.

The Episcopal Ordination and Enthronement as the 2nd Bishop of Orlu Diocese took place on Saturday, 21st June, 2008 at the Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity, Orlu – Nigeria. It was presided over by the then Apostolic Nunctio to Nigeria, His Excellency, Most Rev. Dr. Renzo Fratini assisted by Bishop Ochiagha and Archbishop A.J.V. Obinna of Owerri.

THE HOLY MASS:
The celebration started with a Concelebrated Pontifical Mass which at about 10: 05 am at Holy Trinity Cathedral Parish, Orlu. It was presided overy by the incumbent Bishop, Most Rev. Dr. Augustine Toochukwu Ukwuoma flanked by Rev. Fr. Cornelius Ekwebelem (the Cathedral Administrator) and Rev. Livy Obioha. On the concelebrating side were the Bishop Emeritus, Most Rev. Dr. Gregory Obinna Ochiagha and many Orlu Diocesan Priests. The Religious Men and Women, the executive members of the Diocesan Pastoral Council, C.W.O., and many other lay faithful from all walks of life were in attendance at that Holy Mass of Thanksgiving.

Preaching the Homily, Bishop Augustine Ukwuoma, explained that it was a Mass of Thanksgiving to God for His gift of life, faith, the Church and Leadership in the Church, especially for the gift of the two years of service as the Chief Shepherd of the Diocese of Orlu. Though the celebration was done in a very low key in view of the forthcoming great event of the Golden Jubilee of the Priestly Ordination of the Bishop Emeritus, Bishop Gregory Ochiagha on 26th August 2010, the Bishop appreciated the turn up number and mentained that all was done for the good and in the name of the Diocese.

Preaching further, the Bishop stressed that the good of the diocese or the common good should supercede the good of the individual. He enjoined on all to seek not so much the individual comfort but the common good of the Diocese and of the Church in general. He thanked God for the gift of faith and His love especially for the Diocese of Orlu and the gift of our bishops as the leaders of His Church. He reminded all that some Dioceses today have no Bishop to shepherd the flock of God and are thereby vacant. He therefore, advocated that we should always be appreciative of God’s love and gifts to us in our everyday life and activities. He sollicited that as we celebrate the 2nd anniversary of the new Pastroral Administration in the Diocese of Orlu, we should be ever thankful to God and be ever more open to the works, activities and promptings of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Church.

The Bishop regreted that many people, because of their position in the Church, have blocked and stiffled the promptings and activities of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Church. He prayed God to be always mindful of Orlu Diocese, the Clergy, the Religious and the entire Lay Faithful, to guide and direct our life, faith and activities and never allow us to pay deaf ear to the promptings of the Holy Spirit in our lives and activities as Christians.

After the Post-Communion Prayer, Bishop Ukwuoma thanked all that gathered to grace the ocassion. He thanked especially the Executive members of the Diocesan Pastoral Council, the Diocesan C.W.O. Executive members, the Religious Men and Women, and the Cathedral Choir. He thanked in a special way, the Cathedral Administrator Rev. Fr. Cornelius Ekwebelem and his work force for getting the Parish Church ready for the Celebration amidst the enormous renovation works going on in the Church. He thanked the Bishop Emeritus Bishop Gregory Ochiagha for laying a very good solid foundation for proper and effective evangelization in the Diocese of Orlu. He finally thanked the Priests of the Diocese both home and abroad for their unalloyed support both to him and to the Diocese of Orlu in general.

At the end of the Mass, there were group photographs of the Bishops and other concelebrants, the Pastoral Council, CWO and others.

RECEPTION IN THE HALL:
The 2nd phase of the celebration saw a very well organised reception in the CCC Hall of the Holy Trinity Cathedral Parish Orlu. The Cathedral Choir gave a very wonderful and excellent rendation that coloured the celebration. There were tokens of appreciation to the celebrating Bishop and lighter moments for all during the reception. The entire celebration came to an end with the closing remarks made by the celebrant, Bishop Ukwuoma and the closing prayer by the Bishop Emeritus.