Fr. Dike’s bishop visits diocese, rejoices in the circle of mission
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“I kept hearing how wonderful you all are, so I decided I had to come and see for myself.”
Bishop Augustine T. Ukwuoma of Orlu, Nigeria, raised his hands above the altar of Immaculate Conception Church in Montgomery City, then folded them over his heart.
“I have seen that Father Ernest is absolutely right,” he proclaimed. “You are wonderful people.”
Bishop Ukwuoma offered Mass in Immaculate Conception Church July 5 while making a pastoral visit to the Jefferson City diocese.
Joining him at the altar was Father Ernest Dike, a missionary priest of the Orlu diocese who has been serving as canonical administrator of the Montgomery City parish and of St. Patrick Parish in Jonesburg since December 2021.
Fr. Dike is one of 17 missionary priests from Africa, Asia, South America and the South Pacific who are serving in this diocese.
Their presence helps ensure that Mass is offered and the Sacraments are available in parishes here until the diocese can cultivate enough homegrown priests.
The missionary priests also bring renewed vitality, an expanded worldview and a deeper understanding of the universality of the Church to each of the parishes they’re assigned to.
The local Church responds with gratitude.
Not only does each missionary priest earn a standard priest stipend, their home dioceses receive an annual gift to help with ministry, evangelization and building up God’s Kingdom.
Many of these dioceses are short on material resources.
Through the diocesan Missions Office, the people of this diocese help the people of these priests’ homelands pay to build, expand and improve churches, schools, hospitals and other facilities.
The Missions Office also funds projects to provide reliable electricity, safe, accessible drinking water, and equipment for processing agricultural products.
The annual Missions Special Collection, which will be taken up the weekend of July 18-19 in parishes throughout this diocese, is essential to providing these acts of gratitude and solidarity.
A special collection envelope is inserted in the July 10, 2026, issue of The Catholic Missourian.
Donations can also be made securely online by visiting: diojeffcity.org/donate-missions.
“St. Paul reminds us that we are one Church, practicing one faith and worshiping one Lord,” said Bishop Ralph B. O’Donnell. “When one part of the body suffers, we all suffer, and when one part is honored, we all share its joy.
“God has a wonderful way of reminding us that we are entirely dependent on him,” he said. “We are here to serve God and one another with joy.”
Love beyond measure
Bishop Ukwuoma’s episcopal motto is “Diligere Sicut Dilexit Christus” — “To love as Christ has loved us.”
He spoke of how European missionaries — whose own ancestors had been led to Christ during the Middle Ages — had introduced his and Fr. Dike’s ancestors to Christ several generations ago.
The results have been fruitful and impressive.
Despite ongoing obstacles and difficulties, the Church in Nigeria continues to grow and thrive.
The Orlu diocese, established in 1980, is in the southeastern part of the country. Well over half of the diocese’s nearly 900,000 residents are Catholic.
Families are large, faith-filled and devout.
Priestly and religious vocations are plentiful.
“We are privileged now to be able to send priests to other parts of the world, helping to ensure that you and your children are able to continue to know and serve Christ and worship him at this altar,” said Bishop Ukwuoma.
