By Ovie Okpare
The Holy Father, Pope Francis, on Wednesday appointed Rev. Fr. Anthony Ovayero Ewherido as Bishop-elect of the Catholic Diocese of Warri in Delta State.
Fr. Ewherido is currently Rector of the SS. Peter and Paul Interdiocesan Major Seminary, Ibadan, Oyo State.
The Pope’s appointment was greeted by jubilation in the diocese by parishioners and people of the state.
Below are thirteen things to know about him:
1: His Exc. Msgr. Anthony Ovayero Ewherido was born on October 8, 1960.
2: Bishop-elect Ewherido hails from Eghwu (Ewu) town of Ewu-Urhobo Kingdom In Ughelli South LGA of Delta State. Ewu is one the 24 Urhobo Kingdoms of Niger Delta.
3: He was ordained a priest on 18 October 1986, incardinated in the Diocese of Warri.
4: Ewherido becomes the first Urhobo Catholic priest to be elevated to the position of a Bishop.
5: Fr Ewherido is the third Rector of the SS. Peter and Paul Major Seminary, Ibadan, to be elevated to the position of a bishop.
6: He’s the second indigenous priest to be appointed by the Holy Church as Bishop of Warri Catholic Diocese.
7: Fr. Ewherido succeeds Archbishop Obiora Akubeze who has been acting as Diocese Administrator following the retirement of Bishop John Oke’Oghene Afareha, the first indigenous Bishop of the Diocese.
8: His Excellency, Fr. Ewherido becomes the fifth professor to be appointed as bishop in Nigeria. Others appointed as professor are Cardinal John Onaiyekan (1982), Alfred Martins (1998), Peter Odetoyinbo (2014) and Francis Adesina (2019).
9: The Bishop-elect began his priestly journey when he attended the Holy Martyr’s of Uganda Minor Seminary in Effurun, Uvwie, Delta State.
10: He obtained his philosophical and theological studies from the SS. Peter and Paul Major Seminary in Ibadan.
11: He bagged Doctorate in Biblical Studies at St ‘John’s University and Fordham University in New York.
12: Fr. Ewherido also obtained a diploma from the Pontifical Ateneo Regina Apostolorum in Rome.
13: He was assistant parish priest of St. Jude’s in Effurun (1986-1987); Rector of the Holy Martyr’s of Uganda Minor Seminary in Effurun (1988-1992); Parish priest of the Mother of the Redeemer Catholic Church in Effurun (1992-1994); residential priest with pastoral duties at Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church in Floral Park (1994-2005) and at St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Church in Coram, New York (1995-2006); Chaplain at Stony Brook University Medical Center in Stony Brook, NY (1995-2006) and Parish priest of the Sacred Heart in Abraka, Nigeria (2006-2007).
Bishop Ewherido Anthony can best be called the first Urhobo Catholic Bishop of Warri and not the first Urhobo Catholic Bishop. Late Bishop Egerega who happens to be the first Bishop of Bomadi Diocese picks the name of the first Urhobo Catholic Bishop except you are telling me that Orogun kingdom where he hails is not an Urhobo kingdom