The sister of a Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Daniel Okanatotor Oghenerukevwe, who was recently suspended after renouncing his celibacy vows to marry, has explained the reasons behind her brother's decision. According to her, the priest's choice to marry was largely due to feelings of loneliness.
Recall that Rev. Fr. Oghenerukevwe, who was a member of the Catholic Church in the Warri Diocese, attracted widespread attention on social media after news broke that he had left his priestly calling and married in Dallas, USA, in December 2024.
The controversial decision to marry came on December 29, 2024, when he tied the knot with his wife, Dora Chichah, at the Stream of Joy Church in Dallas, without first obtaining formal permission from the Church to be released from his vows and responsibilities. Following his actions, the Catholic Church authorities were compelled to suspend him from his priestly duties for breaking his celibacy vow and committing to marriage.
In a statement shared on social media, Mary Okanatotor, who identified herself as the priest’s biological sister, defended her brother's decision. She emphasized that the choice to marry was the best option for him, given the personal challenges he faced. Mary shared that her brother had struggled with mental health issues for a long time, which led him to experience deep feelings of loneliness while living as a priest.
She expressed her family's support for his decision and explained that they had been unable to physically support him during his time of distress. Mary further stated, “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.”
Mary went on to thank those who showed support and said, “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.”
She also clarified that her brother did not marry secretly and had, in fact, informed the diocese of his decision before going ahead with the marriage. Mary concluded, “Secondly, he did not do a secret marriage as he wrote to the diocese to inform them of his decision.”
