|
Vatican City (Fides Service) - The Holy Father, Pope John Paul
II, has (5 December 2002) appointed Bishop of Otukpo (Nigeria)
Reverend Father Michael Apochi, a member of the clergy of the
same diocese.
The Bishop elect of Otukpo Reverend Father Michael Apochi was
born in August 1960 at Ichama District, diocese of Otukpo. He
studied in his country and in the United States. He was ordained
a priest on 19 July 1986 for the diocese of Makurdi but since
1995 he has belonged to the diocese of Otukpo. He has been: assistant
parish priest, parish priest and head of vocations pastoral, professor
and bursar at the major seminary in Makurdi; rector ad interim
of the major seminary in Jos. At present he is completing his
studies at the Catholic University of America in Washington.
Otukpo diocese was created in 1995. It has been vacant since 7
December 2000 because of the sudden death at the age of 47of the
first Bishop, Fidelis Orgah. Otukpo diocese is a suffragan of
Abuja archdiocese. It has an area of 9,600 sq km, a population
of 1,520,000, of whom 454,000 are Catholics gathered in 30 parishes,
looked after by 48 priests (35 diocesan and 13 religious) assisted
by 30 women religious and there are 47 major seminarians. (Fides
Service 19/12/2002)
|