Mission Appeal 2023

Thank you for being so supportive of our 2023 Mission Appeal. 
We collected a total of $25, 597.

 

The Bishop of Austin has assigned Otukpo diocese to St. Catherine of Siena Austin for our 2023 Mission Appeal. Bishop Michael Apochi, the Bishop of the Otukpo Diocese in Nigeria,  will be coming to preach the mission appeal on August 19 & 20. Please help us make him feel welcome.

                                             
                                                MISSION APPEAL FOR OTUKPO DIOCESE IN NIGERIA
At the beginning of the 19th century, Catholic missionaries came from Europe to Nigeria in Africa to evangelize. One of their places of service was Otukpo in Benue State, Nigeria.

As part of evangelization, they made considerable efforts to serve the educational and health needs of the people by building schools and hospitals. After Nigeria’s independence in 1960, the government removed those schools and hospitals from the Church without any form of maintenance or improvement. 

With the prevailing situation of corruption in the Nigerian government, the facilities continued to deteriorate helplessly. After years of begging, the government finally returned the broken institutions to the Church. 

Nevertheless, Bishop Michael was determined to get back the schools and hospitals so that they could cater to the needs of the helpless people in their care. Since they did not have the financial resources to do the renovations, the Bishop reached out to the bishops in the United States to ask for assistance. 

Over the years, the Otukpo Diocese has received a lot of help from the Church in the United States. With this support, they have been renovating the schools and hospitals, and the Church is gradually able to take care of the people.

Also, Otukpo Diocese is blessed with an increase in vocation to the Priesthood and Religious life because of the work of the early missionaries from Europe. Bishop Michael is building a minor seminary to prepare young men for the vocation to the Priesthood.

The Bishop of Austin has assigned Otukpo diocese to St. Catherine of Siena Austin this year to ask for help so that we may be able to continue and complete the renovation projects and provide more facilities for our people. Bishop Michael is grateful for your generous support to the Otukpo Diocese.

Kindly be generous and God will bless you abundantly.