Nigerian Archbishop Appeals for Support for Unique University Project in Charlotte Visit
CHARLOTTE — The Most Rev. Dr. Valerian Okeke, Archbishop of Onitsha, Nigeria, arrived in Charlotte on June 29 for a pastoral visit and to generate support for his innovative Catholic university project. Archbishop Okeke, who has overseen the Onitsha Archdiocese since 2003, supervises an impressive 2 million Catholics in Anambra State, Nigeria.
The archdiocese includes 136 parishes, five hospitals, several seminaries, a microfinance bank, and an array of 123 schools which were renovated under Archbishop Okeke’s supervision following their return to the Church by the Nigerian government in 2010. Thanks to these renovations, the schools in Onitsha have become one of the top-rated in the country.
Shanahan University: A Vision of Transformation
Archbishop Okeke’s latest initiative brings him to Charlotte – the project of Shanahan University in Onitsha. The envisioned institution aims to educate eager, young minds in fields such as healthcare, business, and information technology. It seeks to equip them with skills that can enable them to bring about substantial transformation within their communities, all while cementing a Catholic worldview.
During his visit, Archbishop Okeke gathered support through a mission appeal at St. Thomas Aquinas Church and met members of Charlotte’s local Nigerian Catholic community.
“Shanahan University is conceived to make a difference that truly transforms society. In doing so, we seek to reintroduce the idea of God into common discourse,” Archbishop Okeke stated in a recent interview.
A Milestone First Opening
Shanahan University, set to open its doors in September to 500 students, is the first of its kind in Nigeria. All students will attend on a four-year scholarship, awarded based on academic excellence in specific fields or if a student, despite financial constraints, fulfills the other necessary qualifications.
The university is named to honor Bishop Joseph Shanahan, who in the mid-1900s, established an expansive network of schools across Nigeria. These schools flourished until 1970 when they were seized by the ruling government post the Nigerian civil war. This led to a severe regression in both education and morality, noted Archbishop Okeke.
Fortunately, four decades later, the schools were returned to the Church, and under the Archbishop’s leadership, they began to prosper in instilling faith, character, and academic excellence. “Learning without character becomes harmful to society,” said the Archbishop.
Appeal for Support
As emphasized by Father Innocent Amasiorah from the Archdiocese of Onitsha and the campus minister of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, the Shanahan Education Foundation is in dire need of support from all well-meaning individuals. He was instrumental in coordinating the Archbishop’s visit.
In agreement is Father Marcel Amadi, campus minister at North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro. “It’s a gargantuan undertaking — the first of its kind. It’s going to invigorate a lot of students, especially those from financially disadvantaged families,” he said. “Lives will be revolutionized, and saints will be created.”
