Missionary Society of Saint Paul of Nigeria

The Missionary Society of Saint Paul of Nigeria (MSP) is a Society of Apostolic Life of Diocesan Right in the Roman Catholic Church, for men, founded in and basically active in missions within Nigeria, but also in many other countries of the world. Its headquarters are in Kutunku, Gwagwalada, Abuja, F.C.T., Nigeria.

History

The idea to found a truly African Missionary society was conceived by Dominic Cardinal Ekandem already in the 1950s, but only on October 25, 1977, the first seminary for training priests was opened at Iperu Remo, Ogun State.[1] In 1978, the episcopal conference of Nigeria established this first indigenous Missionary Society in Africa in the canonical form of a Pious Union. The main aim was and still is to provide priests for the mission of the Church in the needy dioceses of the world. In 1984, the seminary and the headquarters of the Society were transferred to Abuja, which became the capital city of Nigeria in 1991. The house for the initial two-year spiritual formation remained in Iperu. The Roman Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples changed the canonical status of the Missionary Society of St. Paul in 1995 to Society of Apostolic Life of Diocesan Right.

The 260 MSP Fathers are working currently mostly in Africa (Nigeria, Botswana, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Gambia, South Africa, South Sudan, Malawi, Kenya, Liberia), but also in North America (United States of America, Canada), in Europe (Italy, Sweden, Ireland, United Kingdom), and in the Caribbeans (Grenada, Bahamas).

Superiors general

(all Nigerian priests from the Roman Rite so far)

  • Felix Elosi (1995 – 2001)[2]
  • Hyacinth Oroko Egbebo (2001 – 23 November 2007), later bishop, see below
  • Anselm Umoren (2008 – 8 November 2011), later bishop, see below
  • Victor Chike Onwukeme (12 September 2013 – 2019)
  • Callistus Isara (2019 – )

Prelates from their ranks
  • "Missionary Society of St Paul of Nigeria". (official website).

References
  1. "MSP History". Missionary Society of St. Paul. Retrieved 2019-11-16.
  2. GCatholic
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