30/09/2026
BENIN CITY ARCHDIOCESE ANNOUNCES NEW PASTORAL POSTINGS FOR PRIESTS
Appointments approved by the Apostolic Administrator take effect on 29 September 2026
The Catholic Archdiocese of Benin City has announced new pastoral postings for priests serving within the Archdiocese, with the appointments taking effect on Tuesday 29 September 2026. The appointments, approved by the Apostolic Administrator of the Catholic Archdiocese of Benin City, Most Rev. Donatus Ogun OSA, are part of the Archdiocese’s continuing pastoral responsibility to ensure the effective proclamation of the Gospel and the provision of sacramental, spiritual and pastoral care to the People of God entrusted to its ministry.
The new postings include assignments to various parishes and Catholic institutions across the Archdiocese. Among those receiving new appointments are newly ordained priests who are beginning their first pastoral assignments following ordination, thereby commencing a new chapter in their participation in the priestly mission of Christ and the evangelising mission of the Church.
New Pastoral Assignments
The newly announced assignments are as follows:
Rev. Fr Charles Obiora — Assumption Catholic Church, Uteh
Rev. Fr Paul Ofili — St Gregory Catholic Church, Ohovbe
Rev. Fr Paul Musa — Holy Cross Cathedral, Mission Road
Rev. Fr Paul-Miki Umeh — St John Vianney Catholic Church, Evbukhu
Rev. Fr Michael Ejim — St Paul Minor Seminary
Rev. Fr Emmanuel Okon — St Albert Catholic Church, UNIBEN
Rev. Fr Emmanuel Obiasogu — Mary the Queen Catholic Church, Iguosa
Rev. Fr Victor Onwukaike — St Matthew Catholic Church, Ogba
Rev. Fr Aloysius Nweke — St Michael College, Ikueniro
Rev. Fr Cornelius Ezetoha — St Andrew Catholic Church, Aruogba
Rev. Fr Solomon Okeke — St Maria Goretti, Dumez Road
Priestly Ministry as Service to the People of God
The new pastoral appointments underscore the ecclesial nature of the priesthood, through which priests are called to serve Christ and His Church in communion with their bishop and in the midst of the Christian community. Their ministry embraces the celebration of the Holy Eucharist and the other sacraments, the proclamation of the Word of God, preaching, catechesis, spiritual direction and accompaniment, pastoral visitation, evangelisation and the strengthening of Christian communities.
For the newly ordained priests, these assignments represent an important transition from the period of priestly formation into the concrete realities of pastoral ministry. Having been formed for service at the altar and in the wider mission of the Church, they are now called to bring the Gospel into the daily lives of the faithful entrusted to their pastoral care. Their ministry will require close collaboration with their brother priests, religious men and women, parish pastoral councils, the lay faithful, catechists, seminarians, teachers, youth and other members of the ecclesial communities in which they will serve. The assignments therefore go beyond a change of location or pastoral responsibility; they represent a mission entrusted by the Church, calling each priest to make Christ present among His people through faithful service, sacramental ministry, compassionate pastoral care and the proclamation of the Gospel.
A Call to Communion and Prayer
The faithful are encouraged to welcome the priests warmly in their new places of assignment and to support them in the exercise of their pastoral responsibilities. They are also urged to accompany them with prayer, recognising that fruitful priestly ministry depends not only on pastoral structures but also on the grace of God and the active participation of the entire ecclesial community. For the priests, the new appointments are an invitation to embrace their ministry with humility, fidelity, availability and a deep spirit of ecclesial communion, remaining attentive to the spiritual and pastoral needs of the people entrusted to their care.
As the appointments take effect on 29 September, the Archdiocese entrusts the priests and their respective ministries to the maternal care of the Blessed Virgin Mary and to the grace of Christ the Eternal High Priest, praying that their service may strengthen the faith of the People of God, deepen the sacramental and spiritual life of the Christian communities and advance the Church’s mission of evangelisation. In their various places of assignment, may the newly appointed priests and their brother priests remain faithful instruments of Christ, who continues to shepherd His Church through those called to share in His priestly ministry.
‘As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love.’ — John 15:9
