Aba Catholic Diocese gets a bishop

Pope Francis has appointed Reverend Augustine Ndubueze Echema, of the clergy of Owerri, as bishop of the diocese of Aba, in Abia State, Nigeria.

Reverend  Echema is currently a lecturer in liturgy in the Catholic Institute of West Africa (CIWA) in Port Harcourt.

Brief Profile 

The Reverend Augustine Ndubueze Echema was born on 28 December 1958 in Ohuhu Nsulu, then the diocese of Umuahia and now Aba. He attended the Saint Peter Claver minor seminary in Okpala (1972-1977).

He carried out his studies in philosophy at the Bigard Memorial Seminary in Ikot Ekpene (1978-1982) and in theology at the seminary of the same name in Enugu (1982-1986).

He studied at the Philosophisch-Theologische Hochschule Sankt Georgen in Frankfurt, obtaining a doctorate in theology, with a specialization in liturgy (1989-1994).

He was ordained a priest on 16 August 1986 for the clergy of Owerri.

After ordination he held the following roles: formator in the Saint Peter Claver minor seminary in Okpala (1986-1988); parish priest of Saint Mark in Umuneke Ngor (1988-1989); higher studies in Frankfurt, Germany (1989-1994); parish priest of the Saint Joseph parish in Schwalbach, in the diocese of Limburg, Germany (1994-1995); adjunct chaplain of the CIWA Worshipping Community in Port Harcourt (1996-1998); lecturer in liturgy at the Catholic Institute of West Africa in Port Harcourt; president of the Liturgical Commission of the archdiocese of Owerri; chaplain of the Owerri Provincial Laity Council.