Catholicism was conceived in Ifite-Ogwari, Ayamelu Local Government of Anambra State on 3rd December, 1890 and was born the following year 1891. From the Aguleri Parish Journal from 1888 to 1966 as documented in the handwriting of very Rev. Fr Dennis R. Rodgers CSSp of the expatriate parish priest of Aguleri, HRM Ogbuanyinya Idigo 1st was baptized on 3rd December 1890 at “Ugwundiuka” Aguleri. This ceremony was attended by his bosom friend Chief Nwalieji Umeano (Alias Nwalieji Idigo) Of Umuezikearionn, Amadie, Ifite-Ogwari. Chief Nwalieji went to this sacrament celebration in the company of his friends including Chief Oguqua NZegwu, who later became the 2nd warrant chief of Ifite-Ogwari.
It was gathered that in the following year 1891, Igwe Ogbuanyinya Idigo visited his friend, Chief Nwalieji Umeano to thank him for his solidarity in the course of his earthshaking baptism. Igwe Idigo came with some cabinet member and the then Parish Priest very Rev. Fr Relinque. Note that Fr.J. Relinque permanently settled in Aguleri from 5th June 1892. It was gathered that before this trip, he was coming and going. The result of this visit includes the recruitment and eventual installation of HRM, Igwe Oguaqua NZegwu from Umodiegwu Amadie, Ifite-Ogwari that gathered that day on hearing about the visit of Diogo and the missionary Parish Priest of Aguieri, became the mustard seed that set the pace for St. Anthony’s Catholic Parish, Ifite-Ogwari to emerge. And to nurture the church, a school was sited at the present junction of
Umuezikeariom road as well as health centre. (A distance of about ½ kilometer from the Omaballa River) the “Umuelelele” Age Grade of Ifite-Ogwari were the first pupils and beneficiaries of these.
The proximity of Ifite-Ogwari with Aguieri had caused expatriate missionary priests like very Rev. Fr Joseph Lutz who succeeded very Rev. Fr Leo Lejeune as the prefect apostolic of the Niger, Fr Pere Powlos, Fr. Joseph Bubendorf, Fr.Aloysius Schmitt, etc to became regular travelers to Ifite-
Ogwari to evangelize people who normally gathered on the shore of the Omanballa River either to trade or farm to seek for employment or as workers in the European companies of the Royal Niger Company and John Holt. They normally followed the Omaballa River which was the main means of transportation at this time before tributaries like Ezu River were to be discovered and used much later in the second phase of missionary enterprise in Igbo land cum period for the establishment of colonial rule (1900-1960)
In fact, Ifite-Ogwari became a rendezvous for pioneer missionaries, merchants, colonialist, traditionalist, etc. in this period so much so that the famous Onyeama n’Eke na Ngwo, a fearless traditional ruler of repute travelled on land from Eke to Ifite-Ogwari to reverence and to see things for himself like the biblical queen of Sheba (1 Kings 10:1-13; 2 Chr 9:1-12) and to approach the missionary Priest. He succeeded in taking the church to Eke in the early 1900’s from Ifite-Ogwari as documented and evidenced in the Enugu Diocesan centenary brochure.
It is interesting to note that Ifite-Ogwari was transferred to Aku Parish in the then Enugu Diocese in 1952 from Aguleri parish. This was the point the entire Ayamelum was ceded from the old Anambra Division to Nsukka Division politically. The parish priests who worked under Aku were Rev. Frs Osondu, O’Keefe, etc.
In 1960, Akiyi-Umulokpa parish was carved out from Aku and Ifite-Ogwari remained under her. The priests who worked here were Rev. Frs. Orakwudo and Charles Ikeme. The parish could not function because Akiyi was captured by the Nigerian soldiers with Ifite-Ogwari as the only safe heaven for the welfare of the refugee faithful in the entire region, stretching to Nsukka. Consequently Rev. Frs Orakwudo and Charles Ikeme were sent to take refuge in ifite-ogwari to look after the refugees faithful. Thus Ifite-Ogwari became the caritas headquarters in this region from 1967 to 1970 and this shows how the church and state had reposed value and confidence on ifite-ogwari people.
After the civil war, Ifite-ogwari was transferred to Nimbo Parish under Rev. Frs Cletus Aleke, George Dine, Anthony Okonkwo and Okpalaibekwe (1970-1971).
Adani parish was created out of Nimbo parish. The aggregate of reasons shown above propelled his lordship most Rev. Dr G.M.P. Okoye the then Catholic Bishop of Enugu in his pastoral tour to Adani parish in 1971 to visit Ifite-ogwari with definite instructions to be received there by the Ayamelum people. In the course of the reception, he promised a parish for Ayamelum people with Ifite-ogwari as the parish headquarters. He urged Ifite-ogwari people to begin a storey building as the presbytery for a resident priest to occupy at its completion. He equally donated there and then two hundred bags of cement for starting the building. As a result, the entire
people of Ifite-Ogwari rose like one man and completed the building in record time. His Lordship G.M.P. Okoye dropped this promise in the Enugu Diocesan chancery with the result that at his successor Most Rev. Dr M.U. Eneja (late) adhered religiously to this consequently, Ifite-Ogwari was in 1981 raised to the status of a parish with very Rev. Fr Benjamin Mbata as the first parish priest; other towns of Ayamelu such as Omor, Igbakwu, Anaku, Umuerum, Umumbo, Umueje and Omaai served as outstations.
Rev. Fr Charles Ukagha took over from Fr.Mbata from 1986, Rev. Fr Eva Nwamdi took over from Rev. Fr Ukagha. It was at this time that Nsukka Diocese was created in 1991. The agitation by the people of Ayamelu to go over to Onitsha Archdiocese commenced.
It was to weaken this agitation that Christ the king parish Omor was created under Nsukka Diocese with Rev. FrOkechukwu Azegba as the pioneer priest. His stay was short-lived. He was then sent to Ifite-Ogwari with Fr.Martins Ozjoko as the assisting priest to cover CKC Omor Parish. Other priest who worked in Ifite-Ogwari in the heat of this agitation included Rev. Frs Anene Onah and Paul Nwonu.
It was to the glory of God that on 25th November 1998, St Anthony’s Parish, Ifite-Ogwari was handed over to his Grace most Rev. Dr Albert K.Obiefuna the Archbishop of Onitsha (late) in a pontifical concelebrated Mass with Most Rev. Dr F.E. Okobo of Nsukka at Ifite-Ogwari. All the people of Ayamelum were at Ifite-Ogwari for this ceremony. Rev. Fr Izunna Celestine Okonkwo was posted as the pioneer parish priest with Rev. Frs.Wilfred Akpunonu and Peter Nwadimkpa as his Vicars from Onitsha Archdiocese. At his exit, other priests who worked here from Onitsha Archdiocese were: Rev. Fr Patrick Ezeifedi as parish priest with Rev. Fr Stephen Akujiobi and Rev. Fr Paul Nwankwo as his Vicars. Rev. Fr Hyginus Zikora, Rev. Fr Callistus Uzoma Okponenwu as the parish priest with Rev. Fr Nobert Chilobe as priest in residence. Other Priest include Rev. Fr Chukwueloka Nwachukwu who took over from Rev. Fr Callistus, then Rev. Fr Joachim Igwe who handed over to Rev. Fr Andrew Ugorji in October 2023, who happens to be the first parish priest of St Anthony Catholic Church Ifite-Ogwari under Aguleri Diocese, which was carved out from Onitsha Archdiocese on March 17th 2023.
Parish Priest: Rev. Fr. Lambert IROAKAZI, SHL
