Nigeria's oldest priest dies aged 104

Nigeria’s oldest Catholic priest has died at the age of 104. Monsignor Thomas Oleghe, born in 1920, served as a priest for nearly 67 years, having been ordained in December 1957. He ministered in various parishes in what would later become the Auchi Diocese, including St. John the Apostle Igarra Parish—the oldest parish in the diocese. St. John’s is notable for fostering many new parishes and nurturing numerous&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nigeriacatholicnetwork.com/igarra-parish-welcomes-bishop-apochi-cbcn-connects-with-faithful/">vocations to religious life</a>, producing over 20 nuns and 17 priests, including Most Rev. Anselm Pendo Lawani, the current bishop of the Ilorin Diocese in Nigeria. The Bishop of Auchi, Most Rev. Gabriel Ghiakhomo Dunia,&nbsp;<a href="https://dailypost.ng/2024/11/24/nigerias-oldest-catholic-priest-thomas-oleghe-dies-at-104/">released the following statement on Sunday</a>: “With gratitude to God for a life well lived on earth, I hereby inform you of the passing of the Rt. Rev. MSGR Thomas Oleghe, the oldest Catholic priest in Nigeria as of today, to the great beyond at approximately 2:30 am this morning, November 24, 2024. May his lovely and gentle soul continue to rest in perfect peace. Amen.” Numerous Nigerian dignitaries have expressed their sorrow at Monsignor Oleghe’s death. The Senator representing Edo North, one of the local government areas within the diocese, Adams Oshiomhole, extended his condolences. In a&nbsp;<a href="https://leadership.ng/nigerias-oldest-catholic-priest-oleghe-dies-at-104/">statement</a>, Mr. Oshiomhole described Monsignor Oleghe as a “paragon of Priestly humility and a steadfast champion of Christian values” and said that he stood as a “shining testament to the virtues of faith, humility, and devotion.” During Monsignor Oleghe’s lifetime, the Catholic Church in Nigeria experienced remarkable growth. In 1973, the country had an estimated <a href="https://brill.com/view/journals/ecso/17/1/article-p72_72.xml?">2,949,659 Catholics</a>, a number that rose to <a href="https://www.catholicsandcultures.org/nigeria?=">32 million by 2020</a>. This represents a 984.3 per cent increase, with Catholics growing from 4.7 per cent of the population in 1973 to 15.5 per cent in 2020. This growth in Nigeria mirrors broader trends across the African continent. During the 20th century, the number of Catholics in Sub-Saharan Africa increased by 6,708 per cent. Priestly vocations have also surged, with the total number of African ordinations surpassing those in Europe for the first time in 2019. The continent now trains approximately 34,000 priests in its major seminaries, representing 31per cent of the global total of seminarians. The oldest living Catholic priest is thought to be&nbsp;<a href="https://gerontology.fandom.com/wiki/Bruno_Kant">Father Bruno Kant</a>, of the Diocese of Fulda in Germany, who was born on February 26, 1916. Monsignor Oleghe’s funeral will be celebrated on 27th November.