The Catholic Archdiocese of Onitsha has celebrated a double historic event: the ordination of 44 deacons and the commemoration of 140 years of Catholicism in Igboland (1885–2025).

The ceremony, a profound expression of faith across the nine dioceses of the Onitsha Ecclesiastical Province, was held at the Basilica Square of the Basilica of the Most Holy Trinity, Onitsha, Anambra State.

The event drew an enormous crowd of Catholic priests, religious, lay faithful, and all the bishops from the dioceses within the province. The dioceses represented were: Ekwulobia, Awka, Enugu, Nsukka, Aguleri, Abakaliki, Awgu, Onitsha, and Nnewi.

The ordination of the 44 new deacons formed the climax of the celebration and was presided over by the Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria, Archbishop Michael Francis Crotty. In his homily before the ordination rites, Archbishop Crotty recalled the arrival of the Irish missionaries who first brought the Catholic faith to Onitsha.

He noted that many of these missionaries “gave their lives for the sake of the Gospel,” with some dying on mission soil while others returned home sick and later passed away.

According to him, aside from evangelisation, the missionaries introduced western education, which “brought light into the lives of the people” and shaped society positively.

Expressing joy over the growth of the Church in Nigeria, especially in the Onitsha Archdiocese, Archbishop Crotty praised the strong faith of the laity and the increasing number of young men and women embracing the priesthood and religious life.

“Education is light, and I thank God for the missionaries who sowed the seeds of evangelisation in the Onitsha Archdiocese.

Today we see the fruits of their labour. I urge you to continue growing in faith to meet our Lord Jesus Christ, the foundation of our faith, on the last day,” he said. Addressing the new deacons, Archbishop Crotty urged them to remain steadfast, reminding them that their ordination is “not the end of a struggle but the beginning of a new service life.” He encouraged them to look to Christ as their foundation if they hope to succeed in ministry and to carry out their duties faithfully for the glory of God.

The 44 newly ordained deacons include,

Abakaliki Diocese=15

Awgu Diocese=3,

Enugu Diocese= 4,

Awka & Ekwulobia Dioceses= 7,

Nsukka Diocese = 4

and Onitsha Archdiocese =11