Archdiocese of Onitsha
Archdiocese of Onitsha Archidiœcesis Onitshanus | |
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Coat of arms | |
| Location | |
| Country | Nigeria |
| Ecclesiastical province | Onitsha |
| Coordinates | 6°9′59.9472″N 6°46′59.9226″E / 6.166652000°N 6.783311833°E |
| Statistics | |
Population
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| Parishes | 196 |
| Information | |
| Denomination | Catholic Church |
| Sui iuris church | Latin Church |
| Rite | Roman Rite |
| Established |
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| Cathedral | Cathedral Basilica of the Most Holy Trinity, Onitsha |
| Patron saint | Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi |
| Secular priests | 544 |
| Current leadership | |
| Pope | Leo XIV |
| Archbishop | Valerian Okeke |
| Suffragans | Abakaliki, Aguleri, Awgu, Awka, Enugu, Ekwulobia, Nnewi, Nsukka |
| Vicar General | Johnbosco Okafor |
| Episcopal Vicars |
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| Map | |
Anambra's location in the Nigeria map | |
| Website | |
| www | |
The Archdiocese of Onitsha (Latin: Archidiœcesis Onitshanus) is a Latin Church archdiocese of the Catholic Church located in Anambra State. It encompasses the towns of Onitsha, Ogidi, Nkpor, Nnobi, Ojoto, Oba, Nkwelle Ezunaka, Umuoji, and Umudioka and Abatete.
The Archdiocese of Onitsha is the largest diocese in Nigeria by population, encompassing 196 parishes that serve around 1.3 million Catholics, in addition to hundreds of Catholic schools, hospitals and charities. The archdiocese also operates All Hallows Seminary in Onitsha. The archbishop is also the metropolitan of the larger Ecclesiastical Province of Onitsha.
Trinitas Newspaper is the digital news outlet of the archdiocese and includes a website, social media channels, and a weekly e-newsletter.
Bishop Joseph Shanahan was appointed the first Apostolic Prefect of what was then the Apostolic Prefecture of the Lower Niger in 1889 and the Apostolic Vicar of the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Nigeria in 1920. Francis Cardinal Arinze became the first indigenous archbishop of the diocese. On 28 November 2001, Valerian Okeke was appointed Coadjutor archbishop of Onitsha by Pope John Paul II. He was consecrated the archbishop of the diocese on 9 February 2002 by Archbishop Osvaldo Padilla.