PROFILE OF FR CORNELIUS A. OMONOKHUA
FR. REGINALD ADOGAME
Fr Cornelius Afebu Omonokhua was born on January 31, 1961 in Irekpai, Uzairue of Etsako West LGA, Edo State. Nigeria. Upon his birth, he was given the name "Afebu" which means "let the family be large". A name he has trully lived up to. He is the second of two children born to his mother. He was later christened with the name "Anthony" on his baptism in May 29th, 1977. The name "Cornelius" was given to him on the day of his Confirmation.
EDUCATIONAL PURSUITS
The schools he attended include;
Odene Primary School, Irekpai, (1968 - 1974)
Our Lady of Fatima College, Auchi where he got his WASC (1975 - 1980)
Ss Peter and Paul Major Seminary, Bodija Ibadan. where he got his Bachelors ' in Philosophy and Theology (1982 - 1990)
Catholic Institute of West Africa (CIWA Port Harcourt) (where he got his Masters in Dogma/Systematic Theology) (1998 - 2000)
Ambrose Alli University Ekpoma, Edo State (where he bagged his PhD in Religious Studies with special emphasis on African Christian Theology) (2004 2008)
Centre Culturel Francaise, Abuja Nigeria (2009)
Alliance Francaise, Paris, France (2013)
He emerged from these institutions with popular acclaim.
In recognition of his work in dialogue and ecumenism, he was awarded with a Professorship in dialogue by the Vatican
PASTORAL CONCERNS
September 8, 1990 was his date with divine destiny. On that day, He was raised to the order of the presbyterate in St Paul Catholic Church Benin City by Most Rev Dr. Ebosele Ekpu (rtd), former Archbishop of Benin City. Ever since then he was worked in various locations and varied pastoral assignments. Some of which include,
1. Holy Cross Cathedral, (assistant administrator) (1990 to 1993)
2. Church of the Assumption, Udaba, (Parish Priest) (1993 to 1995)
3. Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Agenebode (1995 to 1998)
4. St Thomas Aquinas, Abudu, (2000 to 2002)
5. St. Peter Catholic Church, Ibillo, (2002 to 2004)
6. St Jude Catholic Church, Afuze, (2004 to 2006)
7. Secretary, Department of Mission and Dialogue, Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, Abuja (2007 to 2010)
8. Director of Mission and Dialogue, Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, Abuja and also a Consultor (representing Africa) to the Commission for Religious Relations with Muslims. (C.R.R.M.) Vatican City, Rome. 2010 - 2018
9. Executive Secretary, NIREC
BOOKS, PUBLICATIONS AND EDITORIAL CONCERNS
Fr Omonokhua, besides being a man of prayer, is a lettered man. He loves knowledge and writing. He has written Eight (8) books and countless articles in Renowned Journals, National Dailies and International Magazines. His works have been published in Turkish and German Languages. Currently, he publishes articles every week in Guardian, Sunday Trust, Observer, Pilot, and the Diocesan Newspapers of the 52 Catholic Dioceses in Nigeria.
LIFE STORY
One of his toughest moments was the passing on of his mother. He still talks of his mother with loving words and nostalgic feelings. He owes so much to her. He credits her with imbibing in him the basic wisdom that has being his guide till date. He believes, like we all should, that mothers have a divine role in the affairs of their children. Little wonder, he has an unyielding trust and love for the Mother of Jesus.
Fr Cornelius was not born with a silver spoon or a ready made name. By sheer dint of hard work, pursuit of excellence, thirst for knowledge and an unyielding faith in the inherent goodness of the human spirit, he has achieved greatness. No matter the criteria laid down to measure greatness, Fr Omonokhua has lived up to it. For if greatness is measured by service, then Fr Omonokhua has achieved it. He has served the church and humanity with joy and passion. Little wonder he titled one of his books, "The Joy of Service".
In his book, "The Dreams of my Father," he unveiled the resilience that has earned him success especially in the face of opposition. He believes so much in the words of St Paul, "All things work together unto good for those who love God." He constantly tells of two key events that have decided the trajectory of his life. The first being the refusal of his biological father to let him attend the Anglican college just after his primary education which made him spend another year at home before eventually joining the Our Lady of Fatima College, Auchi. He says, if he had disobeyed his father and continued on to the anglican college, he would have been an Anglican pastor today. The second was the refusal of his Spiritual Father, (Archbishop E. Ekpu) to let him honour a scholarship he was awarded to do a post graduate program in France. Today, like the biblical Joseph, he sees them as deliberate actions by God to position him in the right path.
Within the ambience of mission and dialogue, Fr Cornelius can rightly and trully be considered an expert. Strikingly, he did almost all his studies in Nigerian Institutions. By so doing, he pooh-poohed the old belief that only scholars from foreign institutions are worthy of international acclaim. He has also reaffirmed the saying that it is not the status of the institution but the desire of the student that drives excellence. That he can be declared a Papal Consultor for Religious Relations with Muslims, (the only one in Africa) is a true testimony of his hard work.
Fr. Omonokhua is a man of many parts. Even though he has traveled far and wide, he still celebrates his birth community with great joy like a true Afemai son. He can rightly be considered an Afemai theologian, (if there is anything like that). His contributions towards situating the mass and the teachings of the church in parameters that are conceivable by the average Afemai man is one of which very few have rivaled and maybe none have surpassed. His book on this is a compulsory reading for every young afemai priest preparing for his first mass. He is a lover of language. When you listen to Fr Omonokhua speak French or read his writings in French, you will be pardoned to think he lived or schooled in France or one of the French colonies. That is so far from the truth. He learnt the French Language here in Nigeria.
Today we are testimonies to his friendly, generous and caring spirit. It is a further testimony to his name "Afebu". Let my family be many. Today, his family cuts across the length and breadth of the country, from the North to the South, from East to West, from Anglicans to Catholics, from Muslims to Christians, from the old to the young, from the rich to the poor, from church men to statesmen, from the disadvantaged to the advantaged and from Africa to the rest of the world. It is a testimony to his belief in the inherent goodness of the human.
Today, we celebrate 29 years of prayerfulness, hard work, dedication, zeal, endurance and obedience in the face of difficulties. We celebrate 29 years of joyfulness, fulfillment, ups and downs. We celebrate 29 years of unprecedented contribution to the Afemai Catholic tradition and values. We celebrate years of unprejudicial dialogues cum relations with our Muslim brothers. We celebrate a man of valour, decency and a true son of the church. Of him, the words of Shakespeare rings true, "I came, I saw and I have conquered". As he enters the next phase of his priestly life, we say to him, "The past is past, learn from it, the present is here live it, the future is coming prepare for it."
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