The birth of Catholic Church in Igbakwu is traced back to 1937, when Rev. Fr William Obeleagu (late) with a team of evangelists came to Igbakwu for the establishment of a school that was named, St Mary’s Catholic Mission School Igbakwu. From this missionary school, the Catholic Church in Igbakwu arose and was under St Joseph’s Parish Aguleri in Onitsha Archdiocese. On 24 March 1954, St Mary’s Church came under St James Parish Aku in Enugu Diocese. In 1960 when
Holy Cross Parish Umulokpa was carved out from St. James Parish Aku, St Mary’s Church came under Holy Cross Parish Umulokpa. Then in 1971, St Anthony’s Church Ifte-Ogwari became a parish and St Mary’s Igbakwu came under the new parish in Ifte. In 1991, Nsukka Diocese was carved out from Enugu Diocese and St Mary’s Igbakwa came under the new Diocese as an outstation under St Anthony’s Ifte-Agwari. On 25 November 1998, St Mary’s Church Igbakwu with other catholic Churches in Ayamelum went back to Onitsha Archdiocese.
In January 2006, St Mary’s Catholic Church was created as a parish by His Grace, Most Rev. Valerian Maduka Okeke with Rev. Fr Michael Aguna as the pioneer parish priest. Fr Michael inaugurated our Lady’s Nursery/Primary School, Igbakwu in the same year. His stay in the parish was cut short as a result of the fire disaster in the parish house that affected him and one Mr Peter Oruya who later died as a result of the incident. Outside Fr. Michael, St. Mary’s Parish Igbakwu has had six Parish Priests as below:
Rev. Fr John Nwiziogo from 2006 to 2010
Rev. Fr Simeon Nwabuife from 2010 to 2014
Rev. Fr Basil Achusim from 2014 to 2015
Rev. Fr Jude Nwora from 2015 to 2021
Rev. Fr John Paul Ezebili from 2021 to 2022
Rev. Fr Hilary Nweke from 2022 to 2023
Rev. Fr Emmanuel Ogbodo from 2023 to date.
Since inception, St. Mary’s Parish Igbakwu has had the honour of hosting the pastoral visits of Most Rev. Valerian Okeke, the Archbishop of Onitsha on 6 December 2014, and Most Rev. Denis Chidi Isiuzoh, the Auxilary Bishop of Onitsha on 23 January 2016. With creation of Aguleri Diocese, St. Mary’s Igbakwu came under the new Diocese and has had the honour of hosting the pastoral visit of the pioneer Bishop of Aguleri on 25 March 2023. St Mary’s Parish Igbakwu is blessed with two Rev. Srs Cecilia Nchekwube and Helen Okonkwor, one seminarian, Bro. Augustine Obiorah and one junior seminarian, Master Anthony Enebechi. The parish has about 123 catholic families, with about 250 Catholics among whom 85 are active communicants.
Parish Pious Societies : St. Anthony’s society, legion of mary, Block Rosary crusade, charismatic renewal, purgatory society, infant Jesus.