The Catholic Church in Africa’s most populous nation, Nigeria, is growing, as Bishop Denis Isizoh becomes the first catholic bishop of the recently created Diocese of Aguleri in Anambra State.

The erection of the Nigerian Catholic Diocese that has been curved from the Archdiocese of Onitsha and the appointment of Bishop Denis Chidi Isizoh as the first Local Ordinary was made public by the Holy See Press Office on February 12.

In an interview published on Thursday, March 2 by the National Directorate of Social Communications of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN), Bishop Chidi said, “The new Diocese means that the Church is growing, and we thank God for that. We are getting more Christians and so we are developing more areas, which means more work as well.”

As the Church expands with more membership, the Bishop is said to have underscored the “need to reach out to the people in far places and remote areas to announce the good news to them.”

The Nigerian Catholic Church leader who has served as Auxiliary Bishop of Nigeria’s Onitsha Archdiocese since his Episcopal Consecration in May 2015 recognized the experience he has had ministering in the Metropolitan See of Onitsha since his Episcopal Ordination.

“I know the terrain very well and I have interacted with the people for at least seven years, so that is something good,” Bishop Chidi said, and added, “I want to thank the Lord for adequately exposing me to the place before now.”

He went on to express his awareness of the kind of challenges he is to encounter in the newly created Episcopal See that is to become the eighth Suffragan Diocese of Onitsha Archdiocese.

He said, “Some areas in the Diocese still require primary evangelization because it is a riverine area, so we need a boat to move around the stations.”

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