Diocese of Umuahia

There is also a Bishop and Diocese of Umuahia in the Church of Nigeria Province of Aba.

Diocese of Umuahia Dioecesis Umuahiana
Location
Country	Nigeria
Metropolitan	Onitsha
Statistics
Area	2,460 km2 (950 sq mi)
Population Total Catholics	(as of 2004) 884,209 199,000 (22.5%)
Information
Rite	Latin Rite
Current leadership
Pope	Leo XIV
Bishop	Michael Kalu Ukpong

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Umuahia (Latin: Umuahian(a)) is a diocese located in the city of Umuahia. It was part of the Old Ecclesiastical Province of Onitsha, but presently, it belongs to the ecclesiastical province of Owerri, in Nigeria, which was erected on 26 March 1994.

History

• 23 June 1958: Established as Diocese of Umuahia from the Diocese of Owerri. In 1981 and 1990, two younger dioceses – Okigwe and Aba, respectively- were carved out of the old Umuahia diocese. The fiftieth anniversary of the creation of the Diocese was celebrated in glamour on 23 June 2008.

Special churches

The Cathedral is Mater Dei Cathedral in Umuahia. This elegant edifice which has helped to beautify the ancient city of Umuahia was dedicated on 8 December 2000.

Bishops

• Bishops of Umuahia (Roman rite)
  • Bishop Anthony Gogo Nwedo, C.S.Sp. (19 February 1959 – 2 April 1990)
  • Bishop Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji (2 April 1990 – 6 March 2022)

Auxiliary Bishop

• Michael Kalu Ukpong (2020–)

Other priests of this diocese who became bishops

• Anthony Ekezia Ilonu, appointed Bishop of Okigwe in 1981
• Fortunatus Nwachukwu (priest here, 1984–1990), appointed nuncio and titular archbishop in 2012
• Gregory Obinna Ochiagha, appointed Bishop of Orlu in 1980
• Mark Onwuha Unegbu, appointed Bishop of Owerri in 1970

See also

• Roman Catholicism in Nigeria

Sources

• GCatholic.org
• Catholic Hierarchy