🕯️ SAD NEWS – A PRIEST DIES IN THE LINE OF DUTY 🕯️
It is with deep sorrow and shock that we announce the passing of Very Rev. Fr. (Major) Goddy C. Oparaekwe (Rtd.), a beloved priest of Umuahia Diocese, originally from Ulakwo. He tragically lost his life on 17th June 2025, while performing a pastoral duty aimed at fostering peace and reconciliation.
Fr. Goddy had gone to intervene in a long-standing marital conflict between a separated couple in his parish. The woman and her children had left the family home due to persistent tensions. Despite the priest’s repeated efforts at reconciliation, the husband—who had earlier warned Fr. Goddy to stay away from the matter or face dire consequences—carried out his threat in a shocking and brutal manner.
On that fateful evening, Fr. Goddy, accompanied by the couple’s daughter and another man, visited the home to retrieve a motorcycle belonging to the daughter. Without warning, the man struck the priest with a hard object and then chased others away with a knife. Though Fr. Goddy was rushed first to a nearby chemist and later to Madonna Hospital, he sadly passed away around midnight.
The perpetrator is currently in police custody, and the case is being treated as a clear act of premeditated murder.
This is not just a tragedy—it is a painful reminder of the risks our priests take in carrying out their pastoral duties.
🕊️ May the soul of Very Rev. Fr. Goddy Oparaekwe, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen. 🕊️
