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Bishop braxton welcomes fr. martin edward ohajunwa

We are happy to welcome to the Diocese of Belleville the Reverend Martin-Edward Ohajunwa, a Fidei Donum priest on loan from the Archdiocese of Owerri, Nigeria by the Most Rev. Anthony J. Obinna, Archbishop of Owerri. Father Ohajunwa is expected to serve as a missionary in Belleville for a period of five years. He comes to us highly recommended by his Archbishop and by his brother priests, including Fr. Urban Osuji, CM, currently serving at St. Mary Parish in Valmeyer, who has known him for many years. He is currently living at the Bishop’s Residence during a period of orientation under the direction of Fr. Von C. Deeke, the Bishop’s Liaison for International Priests.

Father Ohajunwa is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Tobias (Rose) Ohajunwa. He has three sisters and three brothers. He was ordained a priest on July19, 1997. As a child, Father Ohajunwa experienced the first seeds of his vocation to the priesthood from the reverent and prayerful manner in which priests celebrated the daily Masses he attended regularly with his family. His family practice of vacationing with priests added to his interest in serving the Church as a priest.
Once he expressed his desire to study for the priesthood, the future priest was assigned to an apostolic work experience designed for junior seminarians. After completing the program in the minor seminary he entered the major seminary, St. Joseph in Ikot-Ekpene. He studied philosophy for four years (1988-1992) at St. Joseph Seminary, earning a B.A. with honors. He went on to his theological studies at Bigard Memorial Seminary, Enugu (1993 -1997).
The practice of the Archdiocese of Owerri is to provide a new priest with a variety of pastoral experiences during the early years. After his ordination in 1997, Father Ohajunwa served as Associate Pastor at St. Anthony Parish, (Inyishi) 1997; Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish, (Emekuku) 1998; and St. Joseph Parish, (Uzoagba), 1999- 2001. In January of 2001 he was appointed Pastor of Christ the King Parish, Agwa. He later served St. Paul Parish, (Umudim) from 2001 until 2004.

Meanwhile, Father Ohajunwa completed a post-graduate program at the University of Port Harcourt in Nigeria, earning a Post Graduate Diploma in Educational Administration (2005) and a Masters of Arts in Religion and Culture (2008). During this period, he was appointed a Chaplain to the Nigerian Naval Base in Port Harcourt and later drafted to the military chaplaincy of the Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre in Lagos. During this time, he was actively engaged in the Youth Ministry and lecturing part-time at St. Augustine Catechetical College in Owerri. More recently, Father Ohajunwa has given retreats for religious sisters in various parts of the United States.
As a result of these different pastoral experiences Father Ohajunwa has concluded that it is necessary to strike a balance between a “changing and changeless Church.” He has learned that “the lamp of God’s redemption is often held in unsuspecting hands.” The words of the Lord Jesus Christ serve as his personal motto. “Noli timere!” (Be not afraid!).

In welcoming the seventeenth international priest that he has invited to the Diocese during the past four years, Bishop Braxton said: “I am very pleased once again to announce the arrival of an international priest to serve the Church in southern Illinois. During my recent conversations with Father Ohajunwa I realized that Archbishop Obinna was lending us a youthful and energetic priest, full of zeal and joy; a priest who loves the Church and embraces her teachings with respect. I am truly grateful to Father Ohajunwa for his selfless missionary spirit. I ask all the priests, religious, and Christian Faithful to join me in welcoming our new co-worker in the vineyard of Jesus Christ and assist him in every way possible. Please join me in praying and working for vocations to the priesthood.”
Bishop Braxton has appointed Father Ohajunwa to serve as Administrator of Stephen Parish in Flora.