*Asks for prayers
By Jon Egie
The new Bishop of Catholic Diocese of Warri, Monsignor Anthony Ewherido has asked all persons of goodwill, friends and well-wishers who joined in celebrating his appointment as Bishop of Catholic Diocese of Warri by His holiness Pope Francis, to join the family of late Pa Joseph Ewherido and Paulina Powder Ewherido and members of the larger family in prayers for himself to walk the work ahead of him as Bishop of Catholic Diocese of Warri.
Upon the announcement of his appointment as Bishop-elect yesterday, a flurry of goodwill messages from persons of all walks of life congratulated him.
Reacting to the array of goodwill messages and calls, Monsignor Anthony Ewherido on his verified facebook page expressed gratitude to all for their concern saying it would take time to respond to all calls and messages, “but I will”.
” In the meantime, please join the family of the late Pa Joseph Ewherido and Paulina Powder Ewherido and members of the larger family in prayers for their son, brother, uncle, and cousin, Anthony Ovayero Ewherido, the Bishop- Elect of Warri Diocese. God bless you all as you pray with us for God to walk and work with him and give him the wisdom in accomplishing this onerous assignment. God bless you all.
The new Bishop is the older brother of Senator Pius Ewherido who passed on June 30, 2013.
His Exc. monsignor Anthony Ovayero Ewherido, currently Rector of the SS. Peter and Paul interdiocesan Major Seminary, Ibadan, was born on October 8, 1960 in Ewu-Urhobo, in the Diocese of Warri.
According to Vatican sources, after attending the Minor Seminary in Effurun, he completed his philosophical and theological studies at the SS. Peter and Paul Major Seminary in Ibadan. He later earned his Doctorate in Biblical Studies at St ‘John’s University and Fordham University in New York. Subsequently, he also obtained a diploma from the Pontifical Ateneo Regina Apostolorum in Rome.
He was ordained a priest on 18 October 1986, incardinated in the Diocese of Warri.
He has held the following offices: assistant parish priest of St. Jude’s in Effurun (1986-1987); Rector of the Holy Martyr’s of Uganda Minor Seminary in Effurun (1988-1992); Parish priest of the Mother of the Redeemer Catholic Church in Effurun (1992-1994); residential priest with pastoral duties at Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church in Floral Park (1994-2005) and at St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Church in Coram, New York (1995-2006); Chaplain at Stony Brook University Medical Center in Stony Brook, NY (1995-2006); Parish priest of the Sacred Heart in Abraka, Nigeria (2006-2007); since 2007, Formator and Lecturer at the SS. Peter and Paul Interdiocesan Major Seminary in Ibadan; Vice-rector of the SS. Peter and Paul interdiocesan Major Seminary (2013-2019); Lecturer at the Dominican Institute in Samonda, Ibadan (2013-2021); since 2019, Rector of the SS Peter and Paul interdiocesan Major Seminary.
He is the second indigenous Bishop of the diocese after the retirement of Bishop John Okeoghene Afareha.