By DETAILS have emerged on why the now-suspended Catholic priest, Rev Fr. Daniel Okanatotor Oghenerukevwe, dumped his celibacy vows and renounced his priestly calling to marry his heartthrob in Dallas, United States of America.
The priest tied the knot with his wife at Dora Chichah at the Streams of Joy Church in Dallas, USA on December 2024, without waiting to be released from his canonical obligations and responsibility by the Catholic Church.
Fr Oghenerukevwe, a priest of the Catholic Diocese of Warri in Delta State, went viral when pictures of his wedding to his partner went viral on social media.
Following the development, NIGER DELTA TODAY Online had reported that the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Warri, Most Rev. Anthony Ovayero Ewherido, announced immediate suspension of the priest from the Holy Order.
But giving insight to why Fr. Oghenerukevwe left his priestly calling to tie the knot, a woman, who claimed to be the biological sister of the suspended Catholic priest, Mary Okanatotor, said “it was the best decision” for his brother.
Mary Okanatotor disclosed that Fr. Oghenerukevwe had suffered mental health for a long time and could not handle the loneliness as a priest.
She stated that her brother (Fr Oghenerukevwe) did not secretly wed her partner as it’s being bandied around on social media on Sunday.
Mary, however, added that her family members were not physically present when the priest was undergoing difficult challenges.
She wrote, “Thank you all for the comments, the said priest is my brother and it was the best decision for him, because he had a lot of issues with his mental health for a long time and couldn’t deal with the loneliness.
“We his family members are not with him to give him support physically. Thank you for your encouraging words. This is a trying time for our family, but he who finds a wife, finds a good thing.
“Secondly, he did not do a secret marriage as he wrote to the diocese to inform them of his decision. Once again thank you. For the sponsor of this post, may God bless you and (re) award you accordingly.”
Fr Oghenerukevwe, who’s of the Urhobo stock from one of the communities in Ewu Kingdom of Delta State, was ordained as a Catholic priest on June 21, 2008, into the Catholic Diocese of Warri.
Source / NIGER DELTA TODAY Online
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