‘Let us now praise famous men, and our fathers in their generations.’
Rev. Fr. Paul Obodochine Emechete (6th January, 1920- 6th January, 2020).
Today, exactly 100 years ago, on the Feast of Epiphany (which we celebrated yesterday), on 6 January, 1920, our much-loved brother and audacious father, Fr. Paul Emechete, was raised to the dignity of the eternal priesthood of Christ Jesus, in the solemn order of the ancient priest, Melchizedek. It was a feat that could be said to be unimaginable, unthinkable, and perhaps out of the ordinary.
It was the Society of African Missions (SMA Fathers) who gave West Africa its own first Catholic priest in modern times when Bishop Thomas Broderick, SMA, Vicar Apostolic of Western Nigeria, ordained Rev. Paul Emechete at Asaba. However, it was the enigmatic Msgr. Carlos Zappa whose penchant for local clergy and catechists birthed this idea.
This uncommon and courageous feat made Fr. Emechete to be a trailblazer among his compatriots and a priest of many firsts in one shot (nomero uno):
1. First Catholic Priest in former British West Africa colony.
2. First modern Priest in the whole Gulf of Guinea.
3. First fruit of the SMA Fathers.
4. First Nigerian Catholic Priest.
5. First Nigerian Catholic Parish Priest.
Fr. Emechete unlocked the hardened doors of the Presbyterium in Nigeria. Hence, within a short span of 100 Years the Nigerian Catholic Priesthood has flourished and blossomed amazingly, given the universal Church 108 Bishops, 4 Cardinals, hundreds of Priest, promising numbers of Seminarians and 1 Blessed.
On this day, we raise our voices of appreciation to our Nigerian Priest, and wish one and all God’s all-helping graces. Indeed, ‘in vain the labourers work if the Lord’s hands are not in it’ (Ps 127:1).
God bless Nigerian Priests.
God bless Nigerian Catholicism.
God bless SMA Fathers.
As compiled by:
Ogbonna Mark, SMA
Amaechi Edwin, SMA