• Source: Roman Catholic Diocese of Sokoto

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Sokoto (Latin: Sokotoën(sis)) is a diocese located in the city of Sokoto in the ecclesiastical province of Kaduna in Nigeria. Its territory includes the states of Sokoto, Zamfara, Kebbi, and Katsina.




History


June 29, 1953: Established as Apostolic Prefecture of Sokoto from the Apostolic Prefecture of Kaduna
June 16, 1964: Promoted as Diocese of Sokoto




Special churches


The Cathedral is Holy Family Cathedral in Sokoto.




Bishops


Prefect Apostolic of Sokoto (Roman rite)
Father Edward Thaddeus Lawton, O.P. (1954.01.15 – 1964.06.16 see below)
Bishops of Sokoto (Roman rite)
Bishop Edward Thaddeus Lawton, O.P. (see above 1964.06.16 – 1966.12.19)
Bishop Michael James Dempsey, O.P. (1967.07.13 – 1984.12.03)
Bishop Kevin Joseph Aje (1984.12.03 – 2011.06.10)
Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah (since 2011.06.10)




= Coadjutor bishop

=
Kevin Joseph Aje (1982-1984)




Persecution


Situated in the North of Nigeria, in a Muslim-majority atmosphere, there have been incidents of persecution in Sokoto against Christians and Catholics in particular. In May 2022, following the lynching of Deborah Yakubu, there was violence against other Christian sites, according to a statement released by the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto. "During the protest, groups of youths led by some adults in the background attacked the Holy Family Catholic Cathedral at Bello Way, destroying church glass windows, those of the Bishop Lawton Secretariat, and vandalized a community bus parked within the premises. St. Kevin’s Catholic Church was also attacked and partly burnt; windows of the new hospital complex under construction, in the same premises, were shattered. The hoodlums also attacked the Bakhita Centre […], burning down a bus within the premises.”
In 2022 two Catholic priests were kidnapped, and later released, in the diocese. Their names are Fr Stephen Ojapah and Fr. Oliver Okpara.




See also


Roman Catholicism in Nigeria




References






Sources


GCatholic.org Information
Catholic Hierarchy
Nigerian Catholic Diocesan Priests Association page about Sokoto Diocese Archived 2019-01-12 at the Wayback Machine
Dominican Sisters in Gusau, Zamfara State, Nigeria

Kata Kunci Pencarian:

• Roman Catholic Diocese of Sokoto
• Matthew Hassan Kukah
• Roman Catholic Diocese of Katsina
• Religion in Sokoto State
• List of Catholic dioceses (structured view)
• Christianity in Sokoto State
• Bakulu people
• List of Southern Kaduna people
• Roman Catholic Diocese of Kontagora
• Yohanna Sidi Kukah