From Misunderstandings to Priesthood: Nigerian Catholic Priest Reflects on Decades-long Journey to Priestly Ordination

Abuja, 16 November, 2025 / 11:48 PM

A Nigerian Catholic Priest whose early life was defined by poverty, sacrifice, and misunderstandings has recounted how these hardships prolonged his journey to Priestly Ordination by more than two decades.

In an interview with ACI Africa on Saturday, November 15, the day he was ordained a Priest for Nigeria’s Catholic Diocese of Bauchi, Fr. Leonard Okechukwu Okonkwo reflected on his long journey.

He noted that the classmates with whom he entered Minor Seminary in 1983 and later Senior Seminary in 1990 were ordained in 1997 and went on to celebrate their Silver Jubilee in August 2024.

“That is the year I should have been ordained,” Fr. Okonkwo said, referring to 1997, and added that he remains grateful that his Priestly Ordination has eventually been realized.

“I am not a saint, but I will stay good,” the 57-year-old Catholic Priest, who was ordained a Deacon in June 2015 told ACI Africa.

He clarified that the delay was not due to illness or misconduct, but rather to his unconventional way of life – characterized by extreme poverty, a deep commitment to the marginalized, and rigorous spiritual discipline – which was frequently misunderstood.

The Nigerian Catholic Priest recalled that his early years shaped the course of his vocation.

A native of Nigeria’s Catholic Diocese of Ahiara and incardinated in Bauchi Diocese at his Diaconate Ordination, Fr. Okonkwo did not always live with his parents as a teenager.

“I was not what you would call a normal child. I was given away at eleven and a half to support my family,” Fr. Okonkwo said, recalling that he was made to serve for a period of time to help settle the family’s obligation.

He further recalled that “It was in that serenity that I found my vocation.”

This experience drove him to commit his life to God in prayer. He made a promise during a novena: if God allowed him to gain education through someone’s help, he would give his life entirely to the poor as a Catholic Priest.

“My prayer was heard, and that is what has guided me all my life,” he said.

Fr. Okonkwo’s dedication to the poor was absolute and practical. Even as a Seminarian, he frequently gave away his food, begged to help others, and lived with very little. “I would go without food. I would pick clothes, wash and iron them, and wear them,” he told ACI Africa.

The Catholic Priest explained that many did not understand why he lived this way. “My formators knew this was how I lived, but it was not clearly understood. I cannot blame them. I was ready to carry my cross. I saw myself as a sacrificial lamb,” Fr. Okonkwo said.

Although he remained prayerful and focused, these actions did not speed up his ordination, he reflected, and continued, “These things did not make me a Priest immediately. People were shocked that I would not mind if I did not wear shoes but focused on my books and prayers.”

“I was happy, ordained or not ordained. It is a call from God,” Fr. Okonkwo said.

Asked why he was repeatedly told to wait while his colleagues advanced in the Priesthood, he said he did not get any specific reasons.

“I cannot put my finger on anything. I have not killed anybody. Nobody accused me of that. It was only these natural things that I have already enumerated,” he told ACI Africa, and added, “I trained Priests from secondary school to ordination. Yet I did not become a Priest. Some of those I sponsored even joined hands to fight and suppress me, telling stories that were not true.”

He recounted how close family members advised him to give up and abandon the journey. The emotional and psychological toll was heavy, he said, adding that many candidates in similar situations fall into discouragement and unhealthy coping patterns.

“Delay can lead to depression. You may begin to look for compensation—girlfriends, distractions, sublimation. And when grace finally comes, you might have strayed so far that you can no longer answer the call,” he said.

Asked what kept him on track, Fr. Okonkwo emphasized that perseverance goes beyond simply waiting. He admitted that some people may have felt threatened by the impact he had even before ordination.

“There is a tendency to think he is too powerful. He has schools, he has a university, and he is forming Congregations. How can he be under somebody?” he said.

Fr. Okonkwo said these concerns were based on misunderstandings rather than on wrongdoings. He said he believes that suffering and service are essential to following Christ.

“I suffered. I saw the human condition. I did not allow it to drive me away from my calling,” he told ACI Africa shortly after he was ordained a Priest on November 15.

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He said he drew strength from identifying with those who suffer. “I came from poverty. I came from difficulty. I understand it,” Fr. Okonkwo said.

In his Priesthood journey, he formed the Missionaries of the Compassionate Companion of the Poor (MCCP) and the Messengers of Justice (Pelican Brothers) for men. He also founded Bridget University Mbaise (BUM), one of the institutions recently licensed by the National Universities Commission (NUC).

“What motivated me is what I am telling you. I want people to live this life for the sake of the poor and the marginalized,” Fr. Okonkwo said, and added, “The condition of the environment makes me feel at home. I want to leave something that can give hope to the poor and the marginalized.”