Fr. Aloysius Maduekesi

Father Aloysius Maduekesi Ezeonyeka was born in a shantytown called Emene, about five miles from Enugu city (popularly known as the Coal city).

“I did not have a spiritual and intense religious childhood. In those days, I liked Sundays because they brought me a sense of freedom. Going to church was a social thing for me – I dressed up in my best attire, hung out with my friends, and spent time outside the church admiring cars and fashions. For me, catechism was one of those unavoidable burdens of my childhood.”

“After attending catechism for about six months and learning how to recite Catholic prayers, I discovered that I could not recite the Apostles’ Creed properly. Since this profession of faith is very crucial to the Catholic Faith, the lady examiner informed me that unfortunately, I would not receive First Communion and Confirmation. I swallowed my pride and pleaded with the lady to pass me if I promised to learn the Apostles’ Creed on my own. The lady agreed, and in 1978 I received my first Holy Communion and was confirmed as a Christian. It took me at least a decade to learn the Apostles’ Creed. During that time, I literally turned my back on God. But He did not turn his back on me.”

“After many years in the business world and being a disc jockey in Lagos, the biggest and roughest city in Africa, I had a profound experience of God which culminated in my joining the Order of St. Benedict in 1992, which sent a shock wave through my family.”

“After joining the Benedictines I resumed my education. Having done a series of monastic studies in my community I proceeded to study philosophy at the Dominican Institute in Ibadan, Nigeria. In the summer of 1998 I traveled to Dublin, Ireland, to work on a Degree in Theology and Anthropology at Kimmage Mission Institute. When I returned to my monastery in Nigeria, I was made the Sub prior for three years. During these hectic years, my main function was the coordination and organization of the Monastery’s affairs.”

The need to explore horizons and expand the frontiers of knowledge brought Fr. Aloysius to the United States, where he is presently working as a parish priest at Corpus Christi and pursuing a Master’s Degree in Counseling at Loyola Marymount University.