Suspended Delta Catholic Priest Dumped Priesthood For Marriage Due To Mental Health, Loneliness – Sister

A family member of the suspended Rev. Fr. Daniel Okanatotor Oghenerukevwe of the Catholic Church of Warri Diocese, Mary Okanatotor, has clarified why her brother dumped his celibacy vows and renounced his priestly calling to marry his heartthrob in Dallas, United States of America.

Naija News reported that the priest married his wife, Dora Chichah, at the Stream of Joy Church in Dallas, USA, on December 29, 2024, without waiting for the Universal Church to release him from canonical obligations and responsibilities.

According to Punch, Mary, a woman who claimed to be the biological sister of the suspended Catholic priest, in a social media comment, maintained that the marriage was the brother’s best decision.

She attributed Oghenerukevwe’s decision to long-term mental health challenges and his inability to handle the loneliness as a priest, stressing that the family was not physically present to support the priest when he was undergoing difficult challenges.

Mary also stated that the wedding was not secret, as the suspended priest informed the Diocese of his decision.

She wrote, “Thank you all for the comments, the said priest is my brother and it was the best decision for him because he had a lot of issues with his mental health for a long time and couldn’t deal with the loneliness.

“We, his family members, are not with him to give him support physically. Thank you for your encouraging words.

“This is a trying time for our family, but he who finds a wife finds a good thing.

“Secondly, he did not do a secret marriage as he wrote to the Diocese to inform them of his decision.

“Once again, thank you. For the sponsor of this post, may God bless you and reward you accordingly.”