In 1932, His Lordship, Bishop Shanahan, transferred Rev. Fr. James Mellet from Ogoja to Nsukka to become the first Catholic Parish Priest of Nsukka. As at that time, Nsukka was more extensive in area than the present Nsukka Diocese, because it included the eight communities of Ayamelum now in Anambra State, Odoru and Akpanya now in Kogi State. The Creation of the new Parish out of Eke Parish was the culmination of over two decades of hard labour and toil by Christian missionaries, mostly from Ireland, to evangelize this vastly populated area of the most northern Igbo communities that eventually became the Diocese of Nsukka.

Even though Rev. Fr. Aloysius Muller and other priests from Aguleri Parish were among the first to bring Good News to Nsukka area; Uvuru and other parts of Igbo Oda in 1910, the credit for sowing the seeds of evangelization of Nsukka area should go to the priests from Eke Parish led by Rev. Fr. Vincent Davey. On the invitation of Chief Attama Nwamba, Fr. Davey visited Eha-Alumona in 1920 and built a rest house. In 1919 a Catholic mission house and school was opened. From here the missionaries spread their work to other parts of Nsukka through the establishment of schools. Catholic primary schools were established at Uvuru (1912), Ogurugu (1919), Eha-Amufu (1919), Eha-Alumona (1919), Nkpologu (1920), Aku (1922), Nsukka (1922), Akiyi-Umulokpa (1923), Iheaka (1926), Adaba (1927), Enugu-Ezike (1930). The existence of a school meant the existence of the Catholic Church and therefore a permanent forum for recruitment and evangelization of the people.

With the zeal of Fr. Mellet the Church spread like wild fire to all the corners of the then Nsukka Division. Fr. Mellet was assisted by Frs. Hugh Kuster 1937-1929, Philip Judge 1939-1942 and two Igbo Catechists Simon Okoye (who later became Rev. Brother Okoye) and Rev. Brother Vincent Enujuba. In 1940 Rev. Fr. Joseph Horgan succeeded Rev. Fr. Mellet and was in-charge of the Parish until 1965. Under the ecclesiastical administration of Fr. Horgan, more parishes were created out of Nsukka Catholic Diocese of Nsukka – Diary & Directory 2025 parish: Obollo-Eke parish, in 1952 with Fr. Patrick Grogan as Parish Priest; Aku Parish, in 1954, with Fr. Micheal Eneja as Parish Priest, who was immediately succeeded by Denis O’keeffe; Enugu-Ezike parish, in 1956 with Fr. Desmond McGlade as parish priest; Isi-Enu parish, in 1960 with Fr. Bernard Heerey as Parish Priest; Umulokpa parish, in 1961 with Fr. Enright as Parish Priest; Ibagwa-Nkwo parish, in 1956 with Fr. John Quin as Parish Priest. In 1956, Rev. Msgr. Peter Meze Idigo took over what was left of Nsukka parish from Fr. Horgan. Under him three more parishes were created, viz, Nimbo in 1966 with Fr. Hughes as Parish Priest, Eha- Amufu in 1970 with Fr. Simeon Ugwu as Parish Priest, and Ovoko in 1972 with Fr. J. Ojiako as Parish Priest.

The growth and spread of the Church in Nsukka, in terms of area, population, infrastructure and refinement, was not as easy as narrated above but resulted from many years of arduous planning, toiling, competition, challenges and execution, it took 19 years for instance for the first parish, St. Martin de Porres, Obollo-Eke to be created out of St. Theresa’s Parish Nsukka. The engine of evangelization was grinding gradually but steadily towards a total spread of Christianity in Nsukka area. It took a whole 59 years for the total number of parishes in Nsukka to rise to 27 by 1991. However, in recent time, the pace seems to have accelerated.

The impact of this missionary drive was not limited to the spiritual sphere alone; it also made its in-road into the health apostolate. The Catholic Church believes in the restoration of the health not only of sick souls but also bodies. In 1938 Bishop Charles Heerey established a maternity clinic at Nsukka to serve all the areas that now belong to Nsukka Diocese. This is the clinic which later became a full-fledged hospital, and was named after Bishop Joseph Shanahan in 1943. Presently, our Diocese is blessed with four health institutions: Bishop Shanahan Hospital, Nsukka; Our Lady Health of the Sick Maternity Hospital, Adani; Queen of Peace Maternity House, Ugbene Ajima; DDL Health Centre and Maternity, Umabor Eha- Alumona, and an annex of Bishop Shanahan Hospital at St. Mary’s Parish, Enugu-Ezike.

In 1985, His Lordship, Most Rev. Dr. Michael U. Eneja raised Nsukka to the status of a Deanery with Rev. Fr. George Dine as the Deanery head. Five years later, this deanary became a Diocese.

The Catholic Diocese of Nsukka was carved out of Enugu Diocese on the 19th of November 1990 by His Holiness Pope John Paul II. Very Rev Msgr. Dr. Francis Emmanuel Ogbonnaya Okobo was consecrated her First Bishop on 6 January 1991 at St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome and installed on 2d February 1991 at St. Theresa’s Cathedral, Nsukka as the First Bishop of Catholic Diocese of Nsukka – Diary & Directory 2025 Nsukka Diocese. Bishop Francis Okobo reigned until 13th April 2013 when Pope Francis appointed Very Rev. Msgr. Godfrey Igwebuike Onah as the Second Bishop of Nsukka Diocese. He was both consecrated and installed as the Second Bishop of Nsukka Diocese on 4th of July 2013 at St. Theresa’s Cathedral Nsukka by His Eminence John Cardinal O. Onaiyekan.

The Diocese covers the land area of seven Local Government areas that make up Nsukka cultural zone, viz, Igbo Etiti, Igboeze North, Igboeze South, Isiuzo, Nsukka, Udenu and Uzo Uwani. It stretches from Ukehe in the South to Ette in the North and from Eha-Amufu in the East to Ogurugu in the West. Judging from the human and material resources at the disposal of the Diocese when it was erected, nobody would have imagined that we would today be where we now are. From the initial modest number of 43 priests in 1990, we have grown to a total number of 415 priest today. From 27 parishes in 1990, we now have 234 parishes, 5 other Chaplaincies. There has also been a tremendous increase in the number of lay Faithful in the Diocese. From the record available to us, there are about 90 professed religious women, and 15 Professed religious men, 179 major Seminarians, 319 minor Seminarians and 760 Catechists.

There are many religious houses in the Diocese including; Holy Ghost Congregation, Discalced Carmelites, Brothers of St. Stephen, St. Joseph’s Monastic Community, Daughters of Divine Love Sisters, Immaculate Heart Sisters, Holy Rosary Sisters, University Sisters of Assumption, Carmelite Missionary Sisters and Sisters Servants of the Visitation, Sisters of Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration, Marist Daughter s of Jesus the Good Shepherd.

Also present in the Diocese is the Prelature of Opus Dei, situated at Amaogbo lane off Ibagwa road.

In all, Nsukka Diocese is administered in thirteen deaneries: Nsukka, Adani, Aku, Enugu-Ezike, Ibagwa-Aka, Ibagwa-Ani, Obollo-Afor, Ikem, Aji, Obollo-Eke, Orba, Ukehe and Eha-alumona. The number of Church institutions have also grown larger: Nursery School 86 and Primary Schools 86, 73 Post-primary Schools, 3 Vocational Centres, 1 Minor Seminary, I Spiritual Year Seminary, 1 Major Seminary (School of Philosophy), 4 Health Institutions and 1 Retreat and Conference Centre. Finally, on 19th of November, 2020, St. Theresa’s Cathedral Church was completed and dedicated by Most Rev. Prof. Godfrey Igwebuike Onah, the Catholic Bishop of Nsukka Diocese. Every 19th November has been declared Solemnity in the Cathedral Parish and feast in different parishes within the diocese.