Roman Catholic Diocese of Issele-Uku

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Issele-Uku (Latin: Isseleukuan(us)) is a diocese located in the city of Issele-Uku, Delta State in the Ecclesiastical province of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. It lies on the west bank of the Niger River between Benin City to the west and Onitsha to the east. The diocese comprises six local government areas in the northern portion of Delta State. The Archdiocese of Onitsha borders it on the east and the Archdiocese of Benin City borders it on the west. The Diocese of Uromi is to its north and the Diocese of Warri borders it on the south.

Diocese of Issele-Uku Dioecesis Isseleukuanus
Location
Country	Nigeria
Territory	Aniocha North and Aniocha South, Ika North East and Ika South, Oshimili North and Oshimili South in Delta State
Ecclesiastical province	Archdiocese of Benin City
Metropolitan	Archbishop of Benin City
Coordinates	6°19′11.98″N 6°28′36.65″E
Statistics
Area	3,011 km^2 (1,163 sq mi)Annuario Pontificio 2012
Population - Total - Catholics	(as of 2012) 1.153.000 364.000 (31.5%)
Parishes	64
Churches	22
Schools	42
Information
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Rite	Latin Rite
Established	July 5, 1973 (1973-07-05)
Cathedral	Saint Paul Cathedral
Patron saint	Saint Patrick
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Bishop	Most Rev. Dr. Michael Odogwu Elue
Metropolitan Archbishop	Archbishop of Benin City
Vicar General	Msgr. Stephen Uzomah
Bishops emeritus	Most Rev. Emmanuel Otteh
Map
Diocese of Issele-Uku is the northern portion of Delta State which is shown in red.
Website
www.Issele-UkuDiocese.org
[1]

History

The first Mass in the diocese was celebrated on March 5, 1888 and the first missionary was Fr. Carlo Zappa. The Diocese of Issele-Uku was created on July 5, 1973 from the territory which was once part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Benin City. It now covers the northern part of Delta State west of the River Niger and the state capital, Asaba including the following six Local Government Areas of Nigeria: Aniocha North and Aniocha South, Ika North East and Ika South, Oshimili North and Oshimili South, and has a land mass of 3,011 square Km. The diocese has grown from the initial eight parishes with which it began to 44 parishes and 18 independent stations in 2011.

Diocesan statistics

The diocese at the end of the year 2006 had a population of 996,410 people, including 308,596 baptized Catholics, constituting 31% of the population. Statistics are taken from the Annuario Pontificio.

Year	Population			Priests				Deacons	Religious		Parishes
	baptised	total	%	number	secular	regular	baptised per priest		men	women
1980	64.312	406.000	15,8	23	13	10	2.796		10	21	13
1990	99.727	358.142	27,8	35	30	5	2.849		12	46	22
1999	240.184	715.878	33,6	55	47	8	4.366		15	60	31
2000	245.186	734.199	33,4	60	51	9	4.086		18	61	35
2001	254.995	785.594	32,5	67	58	9	3.805		18	61	35
2002	275.300	883.790	31,1	65	57	8	4.235		17	83	36
2003	283.850	905.884	31,3	66	57	9	4.300		18	93	36
2004	292.366	951.117	30,7	76	66	10	3.846		19	101	36
2006	308.596	996.410	31,0	89	79	10	3.467		28	118	36
2012	364.000	1.153.000	31,5	101	89	12			30	150	64

Additional statistics

• Catholic Churches in the Diocese 61
• Nigerian Diocesan Priests 130
• Major Seminarians 179
• Priests on further studies abroad 7
• Priests on Mission in the USA 18[2]

Special churches

St. Paul Cathedral in Issele-Uku. See picture of cathedral:

Bishops

• Bishop Anthony Okonkwo Gbuji (07.05.1973 – 11.08.1996), appointed Bishop of Enugu
• Bishop Emmanuel Otteh (11.08.1996 – 11.14.2003) Bishop Emeritus
• Rev Michael Odogwu Elue (Apostolic Administrator 11.14.2003 until episcopal ordination on 02.21.2004 see below)
• Bishop Michael Odogwu Elue (see above 02.21.2004 - )

Other priest of this diocese who became bishop

• Augustine Obiora Akubeze, appointed Bishop of Uromi in 2005

Bishop's house

• P.O. Box 63
• Issele-Uku, Delta State, Nigeria
• Telephone: Office: 048 880 187
• Asaba Office: 056 280 412
• Fax 1: 056 280 412
• Fax 2: 048880 0187
• GSM: 0803 714 2369

Episcopal regions

Issele-Uku Region St. Paul's Cathedral, Issele-Uku St. Raphael's, Akwukwu-Igbo St. John the Evangelist, Illah St. Theresa's, Ebu St. Andrew's, Ezi St. Matthew's, Idumuje-Unor Our Lady of Lourdes, Onicha-Olona All Saints, Onicha-Ugbo St. James, Ubulu-Okiti Sacred Heart, Obomkpa St. Michael's Onicha-Uku St. Anthony, Ogbe-Ofu, Issele-Uku St. Lawrence, Issele-Mkpitime Asaba Region St. Joseph's, Asaba St. Patrick's, West End, Asaba St. Patrick's, Cable Point, Asaba Our Lady of Assumption, Asaba St. Brigid's, Asaba St. Augustine's, Ibusa St. Monica's, Ibusa St. Michael's, Okpanam St. Theresa's, Okwe St. Michael's, Oko Ss. Peter and Paul, Issele-Azagba St. Benedict's, Akwu-Ebolo, Asaba St. John Bosco, Asaba Ss. Peter and Paul, Ugbolu Sacred Heart, Bonsaic

Agbor Region St. John the Baptist, Agbor St. Joseph's, Agbor St. Patrick's, Azu-Owa St. Patrick's Agbor-Obi St. Mark's, Alisimie St. Dominic's, Boji-Boji Owa Holy Rosary, Abavo St. John the Evangelist, Ewuru St. Columba's, Agbor St. Benedict's, Agbonta All Saints, Alihami Umunede Region Sacred Heart, Umunede Immaculate Heart, Umunede St. Dominic, Otolokpo St. Augustine, Ute-Ogbeje St. Joseph, Akumazi St. Luke, Emuhu Immaculate Heart of Mary, Ute-Okpu St. Louis, Ekuku-Agbor St. Martin's, Igbodo St. Francis Xavier's, Idumesah St. Jude, Owa-Oyibo

Ogwashi-Uku Region Mary Immaculate, Ogwashi-Uku St. Patrick's, Ogwashi-Uku St. Charles, Ubulu-Uku St. Michael's, Ubulu-Uku Holy Trinity, Ewulu St. Joseph's, Nsukwa Immaculate Conceptini, Isheagu Ejeme-Aniogor Independent Station St. John the Baptist, Ubulu-Unor St. Theresa's, Obior

[3]

Parishes

• Map with pointers to parishes and institutions

Abavo: Holy Rosary Parish, P.O. Box 88, Abavo Abavo: St. Patrick's Parish, Azu Owa, P.O. Box 70, Abavo Agbor: St. Columba's Parish, P.O. Box 1051, Agbor Agbor: St. Joseph's Parish, P.O. Box 749, Agbor Agbor Boji-Boji: St. John the Baptist Parish, P.O. Box 1600, Boji-Boji, Agbor Agbor Obi: St. Patrick's Parish, P.O. Box 1725, Agbor-Obi. Akumazi: St. Joseph's Parish, P.O. Box 336, Umunede Akwu-Ebolo: St. Benedict's Parish Akwukwu-Igbo: St. Raphael Parish Asaba: Church of Assumption Parish, Asaba Asaba: St. Brigid Parish Asaba: St. John Bosco Parish Asaba: St. Joseph's Parish, P.O. Box 25, Asaba. Asaba Cable Point: St. Patrick's Parish, P.O. Box 793, Asaba Asaba West End, St. Patrick's Parish, P.O. Box 997, West End, Asaba Asaba:St. John Mary Vianney Asaba Asaba: Emmanuel the Savior Church Asaba Ebu: St Theresa's Parish Ekuku-Agbor: St Louis Parish, P.O. Box 63, Ekuku-Agbor Ewulu: Holy Trinity Parish, P.O. Box 137, Ogwashi-Uku Ezi: St Andrew's Parish, PO Box 20, Ezi Igbuzor (Ibusa): St Augustine's Parish, P.O. Box 93, Ibusa Igbuzor (Ibusa): St Monica's Parish, P.O. Box 414, Ibusa Igbuzor (Ibusa): St Thomas Parish Idumesah: St Francis Xavier Parish, P.O. Box 77, Idumesah Idumuje-Unor: St Matthew's Parish Illah: St John the Evangelist Parish, P.O. Box 18, Illah Isheagu: Immaculate Conception Parish, P.O. Box 16, Isheagu Issele-Uku: St Paul's Cathedral, P.O. Box 26, Issele-Uku Nsukwa: St Joseph's Parish, P.O. Box 16, Nsukwa Ogwashi-Uku: Mary Immaculate Parish, P.O. Box 4, Ogwashi-Uku Ogwashi-Uku: St Patrick's Parish, P.O. Box 28, Ogwashi-Uku Okpanam: St Michael's Parish, P.O. Box 155, Okpanam Okwe: St Theresa's Parish Onicha-Olona: Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, P.O. Box 40, Onicha-Olona Onicha-Ugbo: All Saints Parish, P.O. Box 57, Onicha-Ugbo Otolokpo: St Dominic's Parish, P.O. Box 281, Umunede Owa-Boji: St Dominic's Parish, P.O. Box 8, Owanta, Boji-Boji Ubulu-Okiti: St James Parish, P.O. Box 72, Ubulu-Okiti Ubulu-Uku: St Charles' Parish, P.O. Box 42 Ubulu-Uku: St Michael's Parish, P.O. Box 96 Umunede: Immaculate Heart Parish Umunede: Sacred Heart, P.O. Box 7, Umunede Ute-Ogbeje: St Augustine's Parish, P.O. Box 9, Umunede

Independent stations Agbor-Nta: St. Benedict Catholic Church Alisimie: St. Mark Catholic Church Alihami: All Saints Catholic Church Asaba: Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Bonsiac Ejeme-Aniogor: St. Felix Catholic Church, P.O. Box 174 Emuhu: St Luke Catholic Church Ewuru: St John the Evangelist, P.O. Box 1053 Igbodo: St. Martin de Tours Catholic Church Issele-Azagba: Ss Peter & Paul Catholic Church, P.O. Box 78 Issele-Mkpitime: St. Lawrence Catholic Church Issele-Uku: St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, Ogbe-Ofu Obior: St. Theresa of Avila Catholic Church Obomkpa: Sacred Heart Catholic Church, P.O. Box 27, Issele-Uku Oko: St. Micheal Catholic Church Onicha-Uku: St. Michael Catholic Church Owa-Oyibu: St. Jude Catholic Church Ubulu-Unor: St. John the Baptist, P.O. Box 96 Ugbolu: Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic Church Ute-Okpu: Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church

Higher institutions chaplaincy

1. College of Education, Agbor
2. Delta State University, Asaba Campus, Asaba
3. Federal College of Education Technical, Asaba
4. St. John's, Alihagu

Nurseries and primary schools

1. Holy Infant International School, Agbor
2. Regina Mundi Nursery/Primary School, Asaba
3. St. Mary Anne Nursery/Primary School, Ebu
4. Mercy Nursery/Primary School, Ibusa
5. St. Maria Gorretti School, Illah
6. Immaculate Conception Nursery/Primary School, Ishiagu
7. Holy Child School, Issele-Uku
8. Divine Love Nursery/Primary School, Ogwashi-Uku
9. Holy Child School, Onicha-Olona
10. Divine Love School, Ubulu-Uku
11. Sacred Heart Nursery/Primary School, Umunede
12. St. Augustine Nursery/Primary School, Ubulu-Okiti

Secondary schools

1. Dominican Vocational School, Agbor
2. Holy Infant Secondary School, Agbor
3. Madonna Comprehensive Secondary School, Akwukwu-Igbo
4. St John's Secondary School, Alihagu
5. Mercy Girls' Secondary School, Aliokpu Agbor
6. Juniorate Girls' Secondary School, Issele-Uku
7. Divine Love Secondary School, Ubulu-Uku
8. St. Patrick's College, Asaba
9. St. Paul's Grammar School, Ebu
10. St. Brigid's Girls Grammar School, [Asaba Delta State]
11. St. Martin De Porres Girls Grammar School, [Onicha-Olona]

Institutions

1. Madonna School for the Handicapped, Okpanam
2. Regina Mundi Computers, Ogwashi-Uku

Hospitals and maternities

1. Catholic Health Centre, Ewulu
2. Catholic Maternity and Hospital, P.O. Box 98, Ekuku-Agbor
3. St Anthony's Catholic Maternity, P.O. Box 206, Ubulu-Uku
4. St Elizabeth's Catholic Maternity, P.O. Box 43, Umunede
5. St John's Hospital, P.O. Box 1896, Agbor
6. St Joseph Hospital, P.O. Box 911, Asaba
7. St Mary's Hospital, P.O. Box 38, Ogwashi-Uku
8. St Theresa's Hospital, P.O. Box 63, Issele-Uku

Special homes

1. Pro Labore Dei, Asaba
2. Home for Old People, Asaba
3. Home for Destitutes, Agbor
4. Home for Destitutes, Umunede

Special institutions

1. Pastoral Centre, Issele-Uku
2. School of Evangelization, Issele-Uku
3. Leprosaria, Abor Ogwashi-Uku
4. Leprosaria, Ute-Enugu

Female religious houses

1. Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul, Okpanam
2. Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul, Box 121, Umunede
3. DDL Daughters of Divine Love, Akwukwu-Igbo
4. DDL Daughters of Divine Love, Box 63, Issele-Uku
5. DDL Daughters of Divine Love, Gbenoba, Agbor-Obi
6. DDL Daughters of Divine Love, Illah, c/o St John’s, Box 18, Illah
7. DDL Daughters of Divine Love, Ubulu-Uku
8. DMMM Daughters of Mary Mother of Mercy , Aliokpu
9. DMMM Daughters of Mary Mother of Mercy Convent, Box 60, Issele-Uku
10. DMMM Daughters of Mary Mother of Mercy Convent, Igbuzor
11. DMMM Daughters of Mary Mother of Mercy, Onicha-Olona
12. DMMM Daughters of Mary Mother of Mercy, Ubulu-Uku
13. Dominican Sisters of St. Catherine,, , Agbor-Obi
14. Franciscan Sisters, Ogwashi-Uku
15. Immaculate Heart Sisters, Okpanam
16. NES New Evangelization Sisters of Mother of Perpetual Help, , Agbor
17. NES New Evangelization Sisters of Mother of Perpetual Help, Box 63, Issele-Uku
18. NES New Evangelization Sisters of Mother of Perpetual Help, Box 72, Ubulu-Okiti
19. NES New Evangelization Sisters of Mother of Perpetual Help, Ogwashi-Uku
20. OLA Sisters of Our Lady of Apostles,, Box 2170, Agbor
21. OLA Sisters of Our Lady of Apostles Convent, Box 54, Asaba
22. SSL Sisters of St Louis (in Nigeria), Ewulu

Male religious houses

1. OSA Order of Saint Augustine, Box 32, Igbuzor
2. OP Order of Preachers, St Patrick’s Church, Agbor-Obi, Box 1725, Agbor
3. SMA Society of African Missions, St Patrick's Church, Cable Point, Asaba, Box 793, Asaba

Priestly formation

• Saints Peter and Paul Major Seminary, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria
• All Saints Major Seminary, Uhiele-Ekpoma, Edo State, Nigeria
• Saint Felix Minor Seminary, P.O. Box 174, Ejeme-Aniogor, Delta State, Nigeria

Politics

The diocese is located in the northern area of Delta State which is structured according to political divisions known as local government areas (L.G.A.s). There were in 1991 twelve LGAs, then nineteen and now there are 25 LGAs. The Diocese of Issele-Uku now covers six of the local government areas: Aniocha North and Aniocha South, Ika North East and Ika South, and Oshimili North and Oshimili South, and with a land mass of 3,011 square Km.

See also

• Roman Catholicism in Nigeria
• Template:Nigeria states map
• Outline of Nigeria
• Index of Nigeria-related articles

References

1. Annuario Pontificio 2012, p.319
2. Diocesan Directory and Liturgical Calendar 2010, Catholic Diocese of Issele-Uku. ATCOM Press. p.6.
3. Diocesan Directory and Liturgical Calendar 2010, Catholic Diocese of Issele-Uku. ATCOM Press. pp.35-37.

External links

1. official website of the diocese, www.issele-ukudiocese.org
2. Map showing cities and towns where the diocese and Catholic ministries are serving the people
3. Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria
4. Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria
5. Catholic Hierarchy
6. Issele-Uku Landmarks including picture of the Catholic Cathedral
7. Saints Peter and Paul Seminary, Bodija, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria
8. All Saints Major Seminary, Edo State, Nigeria
9. About Delta State showing map of local government areas and giving economic and political descriptions
10. Daughters of Mary Mother of Mercy
11. St Louis Sisters in Nigeria
12. Sisters of Our Lady of Apostles
13. New Evangelization Sisters of Mother of Perpetual Help