Archdiocese of Owerri
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Owerri is located in Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria. The Seat of Wisdom Seminary is in Owerri. The archdiocese covers an area of 2,996 km2. 670,986 of the 1.7 million people in the area are member of the Catholic Church.
History
The diocese dates back to the Vicariate Apostolic of Owerri, which was created on February 12, 1948, when the Vicariate Apostolic of Onitsha-Owerri was split. On April 18, 1950, it was elevated to a diocese. On March 26, 1994, it became an Archdiocese.On 27 December 2020, auxiliary bishop Moses Chikwe and his driver were kidnapped by gunmen in Owerri. They were both released unharmed and without ransom, on 1 January 2021.
Bishops
Ordinaries
- Vicar Apostolic of Owerri
- * Joseph Brendan Whelan, C.S.Sp. 12 Feb 1948 – 18 Apr 1950; see below
- Bishops of Owerri
- * Joseph Brendan Whelan, C.S.Sp. 18 Apr 1950 – 25 Jun 1970; see above
- * Mark Onwuha Unegbu 25 Jun 1970 – 1 Jul 1993
- * Anthony J.V. Obinna 1 Jul 1993 – 1993; see below
- Metropolitan Archbishops of Owerri
- * Anthony J.V. Obinna 26 Mar 1994 – 6 Mar 2022; see above
- * Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji since 6 Mar 2022; ''see above''
Auxiliary bishop
Other priest of this diocese who became bishop
- Augustine Ndubueze Echema, appointed Bishop of Aba in 2019