Pope Francis Appoints New Bishops for Tanzania’s Lindi, Nigeria’s Katsina-ala Dioceses

The Tanzanian-born member of the Order of Friars Minor, Capuchin (OFM Cap.) entered the Franciscan Order in 1990 and was ordained a Priest for Religious Institute on 1 September 1999.

Since his ordination, the 56-year-old Bishop-elect has served as Lecturer and Formator at the Franciscan Seminary, Maua, the Minor Seminary of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin in the Tanzanian Diocese of Moshi from 1999-2000 and from 2003-2005.

An alumnus of the Catholic University of America in Washington D.C where he studied Moral Theology, Mons. Pisa also served in Kibaigwa Parish of the Archdiocese of Dodoma from 2019-2020.

Once ordained Bishop, he is expected to serve as the fifth Local Ordinary of Lindi Diocese that has an estimated population of 135,410 Catholics, according to 2029 statistics.

In the April 9 administrative changes in Nigeria, Pope Francis appointed Mons. Dugu as the successor of Bishop Peter Iorzuul Adoboh who died suddenly in February 2020.

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Born in Nigeria's Gboko Diocese in April 1971, Mons. Dugu was ordained a Priest for Nigeria’s Makurdi Diocese in October 2000 and incardinated into Gboko Diocese in December 2012.

As a Priest, the Nigerian-born Bishop-elect has served in various positions, including, Parish Vicar of the Holy Ghost in Abeda (2000-2003); Parish Priest of St. Mary’s in Chito; Parish Vicar of the Holy Ghost in Makurdi (2003-2004) and Administrative Secretary of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN) in Lagos (2004-2007).

He obtained a Licentiate in Theology from Philosophisch-Theologische Hochschule Sankt Georgen in Frankfurt, Germany in 2011.

Mons. Dugu also served as Chaplain of the School of Nursing and Midwifery in Makurdi Diocese and Chancellor of the Diocese of Makurdi, as well as Chancellor and Member of the Council of Consultors of the Diocese of Gboko.

From 2013-2019, the Bishop-elect served as Pastor of St. George’s Rectory in Tyobo, Gboko and an as an expert of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) since 2020 and Director of the Pastoral Agents Department at the CSN since 2019.

Erected in December 2012, Katsina-Ala Diocese has an estimated 214,175 Catholic population spread across 6,465 square kilometers, according to 2019 statistics.

The Nigerian Diocese, which is under the patronage of St. Gerard Majella, falls under the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Abuja.

Jude Atemanke is a Cameroonian journalist with a passion for Catholic Church communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Buea in Cameroon. Currently, Jude serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.