THE Chairman, Maris Trust Council, MTC, Chief Kenneth Olise, Ph.D, FCA, on Monday morning, offered prayers to God to celebrate the 45th birthday anniversary of Rev. Fr. John Konyeke.
Maris Trust Council is the organiser of the annual Maris Public Service Lecture which was conceptualized to identify societal problems and proffer solutions to them.
A statement issued by the Secretary of the trust council, Comrade Fidelis Egugbo in Asaba, Delta State, observed that the Chairman of the Council was very happy that God has sustained Fr. Konyeke and prayed that the Catholic Priest who is the Spiritual Adviser of Maris Trust Council would continue to find favour in the eyes of the Lord and have full benefits of the priesthood and sustained by God in good health, and sound state of the mind.
He said, “the Chairman of Maris Trust Council, Chief (Sir) Kenneth Olise, Ph.D, FCA, this morning, felicitated with the Spiritual Adviser of the Council, Rev. Fr. John Maduabenechukwu Konyeke as he celebrates his 45th birthday anniversary.
“Chief Olise said, ‘Words cannot describe the inspiration you give to us as a people Fr. John and we believe that with this your celebration, there is a lot of good things to come as you work tenaciously in the Lord’s Vineyard.
“The passion with which you handle the work of God, your commitment to serving humanity and your zeal to win souls for Christ using several platforms – the football field, lawn tennis court, not to talk about the Church which has is your natural habitat can only be made possible by God Almighty.
“Fr. John, today, we join members of your family, your friends and the Church to say, may the LORD bless you as you celebrate your birthday, and may your day be filled with joy and your year full of many blessings.
“We wish you happy birthday anniversary and join you to thank God for the gift of life; we are really blessed to have you in Maris Trust Council and we look forward to celebrating many more birthdays with you through Christ our Lord. Amen.”
Last year, Rev. Fr. John Konyeke, at an event which attracted Priests, the religious and Christians from all over the world, celebrated his fifteenth Priestly Ordination Anniversary at Ejeme-Aniogor, Aniocha South local government area of Delta State.
He has consistently attended Maris Annual Public Service Lecture as Spiritual Father of the Day except the 2022 edition that had Bishop emeritus, Asaba Diocese of the Anglican Communion, Rt. Rev. Justus Mogekwu, as the Spiritual Father of the Day.
Rev. Fr. John Maduabunechukwu Konyeke is a Catholic Priest whose pastoral responsibilities at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Agbor – as well as being Curate and Priest in charge of Catholic Church of the Ascension, Asaba and later, St. John Bosco Catholic Church, also in Asaba – has attracted a lot of Christians and people of diverse religious persuasion who got converted to the Catholic Faith.
His passion for the work of God is legendary. Within few months of being in charge of the Catholic Church of the Ascension, a befitting place to worship God was erected, a feat he also achieved at St. John Bosco Catholic Church before he went for further studies at the Catholic Institute for West Africa (CIWA), Port-Harcourt, Rivers State.
Fr. Konyeke, as he is fondly called by parishioners, hails from Ejeme Aniogor in Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State. He attended Ekuku-Agbor Grammar School, Agbor, Ejeme Mixed Secondary School, Ejeme-Aniogor, St. Felix Minor Seminary, Ejeme-Aniogor; St. John of the Cross Spiritual Year Seminary, Ekpoma. He also attended SS Peter and Paul Major Seminary, Bodija, Ibadan, Federal College of Education Technical and presently, studying at the Catholic Institute for West Africa (CIWA), Port-Harcourt.
PASTORAL APPOINTMENTS:
2008 – 2014: Assistant Vocation Director of Issele-Uku Diocese;
2008 – 2010: Regional Chaplain, Agbor Regional Choir;
2009 – 2010: Confessor for The Religious in Agbor;
2010 – 2020: Co-ordinator, Pontifical Missionary Union;
2010 – 2020: Director, Pontifical Mission Societies;
2014 – 2020: Vocation Director of Issele-Uku Diocese;
2014 – Teacher (St Patrick’s College, Asaba) under the Diocesan School Apostolate.
SEMINARY RESPONSIBILITIES: Student Secretary, SS Peter & Paul, Bodija; Assistant Bookshop Manager, SS Peter & Paul, Bodija; Assistant Games Prefect, SS Peter & Paul, Bodija; Student Head, Department of Library, SS Peter & Paul, Bodija.
PUBLICATIONS:
Books by our Father of the Day include the following:-
Konyeke, J.M. (2017): The Pilgrims’ Guide: Catholic Archdiocese of Benin Printing Press
Konyeke, J.M. (2012); Mary: The Indispensable Mother Of The Church DE-MASTERS IN DIGITAL PRINTS, Asaba
Audio Materials:
Audio CD on reflection on the 20 decades of the Holy Rosary
HOBBIES:
Fr Konyeke’s hobbies include Tennis, Traveling, Reading.
