Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Ede (CSSP, OFR)
Very
Rev. Fr. Prof. Emmanuel Paul Matthew Ede is the founder of Catholic
Prayer Ministry of the Holy Spirit, Elele, in Rivers State. He is a
prominent Catholic Priest known for his miracle works and power for
healing diverse sicknesses and breaking of curses.
He is the Founder, Chancellor and Visitor of the Madonna University.
Founder of OSISATEC Polytechnic in Enugu State, Founder of Caritas
University, Amorji- Nike, Enugu and Founder of College of Education,
Enugu. He is also the Founder of Pilgrimage Center of Eucharistic
Adoration, also known as The Pilgrimage Centre of Peace and
Reconciliation, Elele, Rivers State.
The Scholar, Priest, humble man of God, Employer, Philanthropist,
Researcher, Farmer and Manager was ordained priest of the Holy Ghost
Congregation on April 19th 1976 in Akpugo, Nkanu, in Enugu State.
He also obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Divinity from Pontifical Urban
University, Rome-Italy in 1976 and later studied at De Paul University,
Chicago where he obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy in 1979. He
also got a Ph.D. in Philosophy from De Paul University, Chicago U.S.A in
1984 and became a Professor of Philosophy of Education in 1999 at the
Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Enugu in Nigeria.
Fr. Emmanuel was assigned his first pastoral work at the Holy Ghost
Juniorate, Ihiala as the Assistant Parish Priest while also serving as a
teacher and secretary in the school.
Fr. Emmanuel was born on May 20, 1947 in Akpugo, Nkanu West Local
Government Area, Enugu State, Nigeria to Mr. and Mrs. Joseph and
Elizabeth Edeh Anionovo. His parents had years of painful loose of their
children before they become three years old, this happened in a space
of sixteen years until the miraculous birth of Emmanuel on 20th of May,
1947.
The child was christened Emmanuel at the age of nine following his
reception of the sacrament of baptism in April 1956 at the Holy Angels
Catholic Mission Ndiagu, Akpugo by Rev. Fr. Brennan.
In 1957 his full membership of Catholic Church concretized with the sacrament of confirmation which earned him the name Paul.
He started his primary school at the age of eight at the Holy Angels Catholic School, Neliagu Obuno Akpugo in 1955 and graduated in 1962. He entered the Holy Ghost Juniorate Ihiala in 1963 where he was also a seminarian.
Emmanuel was a member of the Juniorate Band which became popular nationwide for its excellent performances which won for the members many laurels in both regional and national festivals of arts and culture and which gave them the opportunity to be selected to feature at the 1960 National Independence Celebration.
He graduated from the Holy Ghost Juniorate in 1967 when the Nigerian Biafra War just began and in 1968 he enrolled for Philosophical Studies at the Holy Ghost Scholasticate, Amo-Omama and graduated in 1970.
His Novitiate formation suffered a setback because of the Nigerian-
Biafra war in 1970 when Nigerian government repatriated the Irish Holy
Ghost Fathers and Brothers and other expatiate missionaries who manned
the Novitiate and other spiritual formation Houses in Nigeria.
But was later admitted into the Senior Seminary Bigard Memorial Seminary in Enugu after the civil war in 1972 where he studied Theology.
Fr. Ede was sent oversees to study at De Paul University, Chicago, U.S.A where he obtained Bachelors of Arts (BA), Masters of Arts (MA) and Ph.D. degrees in Philosophy. He specialized in metaphysics.
Again he obtained a Professional Certificate in Clinical Pastoral Education at the Loyola University Medical Center (Now Mary Ann Joy Hospital Maywood, Illinois, U.S.A). From 1982 to 1984 he was a staff of Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood in U.S.A.
On his return to Nigeria he was posted to Elele; Our Lourdes Catholic Church Elele town in Rivers State. The Parish, Our Lady of Lourdes which was previously regarded by some priests as a center for punishment because of its remoteness, poverty and low membership has been transformed by Rev. Fr. Prof Emmanuel Edeh into a world tourist center for Christians from over the world that are on pilgrimage.
Fr. Paul became the Founder/Spiritual Director of the Pilgrimage Centre, Elele, in Rivers States since 1984 to date. He founded the Pilgrimage Centre of Eucharistic Adoration in 1984 and also established Our Savior Rehabilitation Centre, Elele in the same year.
In 1985 he established the Congregation of the Sisters of Jesus the Savior, Elele and the Fathers and Brothers of Jesus the Savior, Elele in 1991.
In 1986 he started Our Savior Hospital and Maternity, Elele and another Motherless Babies Home in Elele in 1992.
In early 1990’s a Nigerian Igbo family invited Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Ede to
celebrate a mass in Igbo language in Atlanta, Georgia. The mass was
celebrated at St. Paul of the Cross Catholic Church, Atlanta, Georgia
with a great attendance cutting across Anglicans and many other faiths
and Americans. During the visit, the Catholic Prayer Ministry of the
Holy Spirit, Atlanta Zone (CPM Atlanta Zone) was inaugurated.
In 2002 the man of God established Madonna University Teaching Hospital, Elele.
In 2008, Fr. Emmanuel Ede established The Contemplatives of Jesus the Savior (Female) in Amorji-Nike, Enugu.
Fr. Emmanuel Ede’s Other Establishments
OSISATECH College of Education, Enugu, 1989
Our Savior Secondary School, Aba, Abia State, 1990
OSISA Technical Boys Secondary School, Enugu, 1993
Madonna University, Okija, Anambra State, 1993
Elizabeth Primary School, Akpugo, Nkanu, Enugu State, 1997
Madonna Nursery and Primary School, Abuja, 1998
Our Savior Nursery and Primary School, Elele, Rivers State, 1998
Madonna Secondary School, Abuja, 2003
Caritas University, Amorji- Nike, Enugu, 2003
The Pilgrimage Centre has also been established in Miami, Los Angeles,
San Francisco, Oakland, Sacramento, New York, New Jersey, Atlanta,
Austin, Nsahulle, Texas, Houston, Dallas, Boston, Detroit, Chicago,
Frankfurt, Aachean, Stuttgart, Hamburg, Essen, Numberg, Berlin, London,
Manchester, Liverpool, Amsterbam, Den Hague, Rotterdam, Venna and Gratz
and many others.
Published articles and books
“Legal Positivism: A Violation of Natural Law Doctrine,” in Kinesis
(1981)Towards an Igbo Metaphysics- Chicago, U.S.A., Layola University
Press, 1985.
The Pilgrimage Centre of Eucharistic Adoration (1997) Minutmann Press U. K
Jesus the Savior in Our Midst (1998) Minutmann press U.K
Peace to the Modern World (June 2007) Minutmann press U.K
Igbo Metaphysics: The First Articulation of African Philosophy Of Being (2008) Our Savior Press Ltd. Enugu.
Other notable achievements
Establishment of The Centre for Peace and Reconciliation in Elele,
Nigeria where over six million (6,000,000) cases have been settled
peacefully with no cost on the part of the quarrelling parties since1989
Articulation of Igbo Metaphysics in 1985.
Founder of the first Catholic University in Nigeria and West African sub region: Madonna University Okija 1993, and Elele, 2002.
His hobbies include playing lawn Tennis and writing books.
Awards
Outstanding Person of the 21st Century, February, 2003, by International Biography Center, Cambridge, England
Outstanding People of the 21st Century by International Biography
Center, Cambridge, England, in recognition of his outstanding
contribution to the development of the Church, Education and the
suffering.
Leading Intellectuals of the World by the Governing Board of editors of
American Biographical Institute in recognition for his remarkable
achievements in the field of Religion, Education and care for the
suffering. This award and recognition was documented in the “Leading
Intellectuals of the World (3rd Edition published in 2004).
Excellent Merit Award, March 2005, by Onitsha and District Society of
ICAN, in recognition of his commitment to improving the standard of
education in Nigeria.
Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice, November 30th, 2008, By His Holiness, Pope
Benedict XVI through the Apostolic Nunciature in Nigeria at Corpus et
Sangius Christi Cathedral Port Harcourt, Rivers State conferred a papal
Honour for his outstanding contributions in the service of God and
humanity.
Watch Video of Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Ede:
Posted in Pastors & Men of God
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