BRISBANE archdiocese has welcomed its first intake of Nigerian seminarians to alleviate a shortage of priests in south-east Queensland.
The four seminarians arrived at Holy Spirit Seminary in Brisbane on February 9 after 75 hours in transit, tired but excited to continue their priestly formation in a foreign land.
The arrival of Edward Agwara, 33, John Echewodo, 30, Augustine Obi, 26, and Anthony Ekpo, 25, is the result of an agreement signed in Brisbane on July 4 between Archbishop John Bathersby and Bishop Lucius Ugorji of Umuahia diocese.
Bishop Ugorji has offered the archdiocese four seminarians and two priests for the next three years to assist with evangelisation and vocations promotion.
The Nigerians have boosted the number of seminarians in Queensland to 11, but the figure is small compared to the pool of surplus priests and seminarians in Nigeria.
Holy Spirit Seminary rector Fr Michael McCarthy said when he visited Umuahia diocese a year ago with archdiocesan Moderator Fr Peter Meneely they discovered the local provincial seminary had 630 enrolled seminarians.
Fr McCarthy said Archbishop Bathersby’s intention had been to increase the archdiocese’s clergy and involve the young Nigerian priests in the formation of young people.
Holy Spirit Seminary has also welcomed another two seminarians this year, Queenslander Luke Watts, 28, and Nigel Sequeira, 40, from Kuwait.
