The Catholic Church in Nigeria
has been thrown into mourn-
ing following the death of
Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Kat-
sina-Ala, Most Revd Peter Iornzuul
Adoboh at the age of 62 after a brief
episcopacy.
The bishop had a long struggle with
ill-health and was at various times
given medical treatment in the US,
Canada and Italy. The gentle and holy
man gave up the ghost at Daughters of
Charity Hospital, Abuja in the early
hours of February 14, 2020. His re-
mains have been since brought back
home.
He was appointed the pioneer Bishop
of the Catholic Diocese of Katsina-Ala
by Pope (Emeritus) Benedict XVI on
29th December 2012 and installed on
23rd February 2013 at the age of 55
years with the motto: Misericordia
Dei Me Circumdat (The Mercy of God
surrounds me) in Tiv: Mhoonum Ma
Aondo Kasem. Indeed this grace was
a sustaining factor in his brief episco-
pacy.
Bishop Adoboh was one of two
young men whose spiritual life was
nurtured under the tutelage of the leg-
endary Principal, Father Angus Fraser
at Mount Saint Gabriel’s Makurdi,
the other being the Bishop of Gboko,
Most Revd William Amove Avenya.
Born on 14th April 1958 to the fam-
ily of Abraham and Sarah Adoboh of
Mbayion in Gboko local government
area of Benue State, Nigeria, he was
former Spiritual Director of St. Thom-
as Aquinas Major Seminary, Makurdi.
He would be remembered as a holy
man through and through who lived
an exemplary life of piety, humility
and peace with all. In the end, he died
a happy death.
He created a spiritually emotional
departure. On that fateful day after
a long struggle with cancer, having
received Holy Communion and the
anointing of the sick, he then blessed
the priest. He called the blessed the
Sisters of Charity who had been tak-
ing care of him at the hospital and he
blessed them…..and then breathed his
last. May God grant him eternal rest
in heaven.
