Nigerian Catholic Priest Dies in US Days After Emotional Farewell Over Visa Setback
The Catholic Church in Nigeria and the United States is mourning the tragic death of a Nigerian Catholic Priest, Rev. Fr. Benjamin Okwy Madu, who reportedly died by suicide in Massachusetts after learning he would have to return to Nigeria following the expiration of his religious worker visa.
Fr. Madu, 54, served as a chaplain at Salem Hospital and ministered at Holy Family Parish and Our Lady of Good Voyage (Catholic Community of Gloucester and Rockport), Parish in Massachusetts. He was due to return to Nigeria later this month after directives relating to his visa status.
According to an internal communication by Boston Archbishop Richard Henning, seen by multiple US media outlets, the Nigerian priest took his own life on July 2. However, the Archdiocese of Boston, in its public statement, stopped short of officially describing the death as suicide, noting only that Fr. Madu had died while authorities continued their investigation.
Before his death, Fr. Madu had penned an emotional farewell message to parishioners, saying it was not his wish to return to Nigeria but that “circumstances beyond my control” had brought his ministry in the United States to an end.
“My heart is broken, yet my joy remains. If I am ever given the chance to minister again to the people of Gloucester and Rockport, I would gladly do it all over again,”the Nigerian Catholic Priest wrote in a message published by his parish days before his death.
In a heartfelt tribute, Fr. James Achadinha, pastor of the Catholic Community of Gloucester and Rockport, described the late priest as “a good man and holy priest” who served with “true joy, kindness and generosity.”
Archbishop Henning also extended condolences to Fr. Madu’s family, fellow priests and parishioners, urging Catholics to pray “for comfort and healing to all who mourn his passing.”
Series of Painful Losses
Fr. Madu’s death comes amid a string of recent losses involving Nigerian Catholic priests serving abroad.
Only weeks earlier, Rev. Fr. Andrew Ifele, a Nigerian priest ministering in the United States, reportedly died peacefully in his sleep, while another Nigerian cleric, Rev. Fr. Michael Oli, collapsed and died during a routine walk.
Although the circumstances surrounding the three deaths differ significantly, they have sent shockwaves through Catholic communities in Nigeria and the diaspora, prompting renewed conversations about the emotional, pastoral and personal pressures faced by priests serving far from home.
Fr. Madu, who would have celebrated the 25th anniversary of his priestly ordination this month, was ordained for the Diocese of Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, and had ministered in the United States for several years.
His death has triggered an outpouring of grief from parishioners who described him as compassionate, approachable and deeply devoted to his ministry, with many saying they had appealed to political leaders in a bid to help him remain in the United States before the tragedy unfolded.
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