Appointment of auxiliary of Owerri, Nigeria

The Holy Father has appointed as auxiliary bishop of the archdiocese of Owerri, Nigeria, the Reverend Moses Chikwe of the clergy of Owerri, curerently director of education for the archdiocese of Owerri and collaborator of the parish of Saint Thomas More, assigning him the titular see of Flumenzer.

The Reverend Moses Chikwe was born on 4 April 1967 in Uzoagba-Ikeduru in the archdiocese of Owerri. He completed his philosophical studies at the Saint Joseph major seminary in Ikot-Ekpene (1988-1992) and his theological studies at the Bigard Memorial major seminary in Enugu (1992-1996). In 2013 he completed a PhD in educational administration at the University of California in Los Angeles.

He was ordained a priest on 6 July 1996, for the clergy of the archdiocese of Owerri.

Since ordination he has held the following positions: 1996 to 1997: parish vicar of the Holy Cross parish in Emii; 1997 to 1998: parish vicar of the Saint Colomba’s parish in Amaimo; 1998 to 2002: adjunct editor of the diocesan weekly The Leader, and adjunct director of the Assumpta Printing Press, archdiocese of Owerri; 2002 to 2005; higher studies at the Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, United States of America; and 2005 to 2010: chaplain at the “Los Angeles Medical Centers”, archdiocese of Los Angeles. From 2007 to 2013, during the period of his doctoral studies at the University of California in Los Angeles, he held various pastoral offices including, 2008-2010: chaplain at the Veterans’ Administration Medical Center in Greater Los Angeles (Military Ordinary of the United States of America). From 2010 to 2016 he served as chaplain at the Veterans’ Administration Medical Center in San Diego, and was at the same time resident at the Saint Charles Borromeo parish and then in Saint Joseph’s Cathedral; 2016-2017: collaborator in the Information Communications Technology (ICT) Directorate of the archdiocese of Owerri; 2017 to 2018; adjunct director of education, archdiocese of Owerri; and from 2018: director of education of the archdiocese of Owerri and collaborator in the Saint Thomas More parish in Owerri.