Bishop Matthew Ishaya Audu has been appointed as the Catholic Archbishop of Jos and Metropolitan of Jos Ecclesiastical Province.

This was announced by Pope Francis in a statement yesterday, Monday, January 6, 2020.

According to the statement, the canonical installation in Jos will be on Tuesday, March 31, 2020.

Born June 7, 1959 in Rafin-Pa, Tudu Uku, in the Diocese of Makurdi, Matthew Ishaya Audu attended the St. James Minor Seminary in Keffi, in present-day Nasarawa State. He completed his philosophical and theological studies at the St. Augustine Major Seminary in Jos and was ordained a priest on June 23, 1984, for the Makurdi clergy.

Audu later studied Moral Theology in Rome at the Institute of Moral Theology of the Pontifical Lateran University, Licentiate (1989-91) and for the Degree in Moral Theology at the Alfonsianum, Rome (1997-99).

He was previously Deputy Parish Priest in Keffi (1984-86)’ Deputy Parish Priest in Lafia (1986-88); Parish Priest of Nasarawa (1988-89); Professor of Moral Theology and Vice-Rector of the Major Seminary of S. Thomas Aquinas, Makurdi (1992-97). From June to December 2000, with the departure of the Rector of the Seminary for a sabbatical year, he was Acting Rector of the Major Seminary of S. Thomas Aquinas, Makurdi.

Elected first Bishop of Lafia on December 5, 2000, Audu received episcopal ordination on March 31, 2001.

The 60 years old Archbishop-Elect is currently the Bishop of Catholic Diocese of Lafia, Nasarawa State.

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