‘Suspended Catholic Priest married because he was lonely’ – Sister

Sister to Catholic priest who was suspended for dumping his celibacy vows and getting married, has stated that he did so because he was lonely.

Recall that Rev. Fr. Daniel Okanatotor Oghenerukevwe of the Catholic Church of Warri Diocese, had caused a stir on the social media after he was suspended for renouncing his priestly calling to marry his in Dallas, United States of America.

The priest tied the matrimonial knot with his wife, Dora Chichah, at the Stream of Joy Church in Dallas, USA, on December 29, 2024, without waiting to be released from his canonical obligations and responsibility by the universal Church.

Consequently, the church authorities suspended him from priestly duties.

A woman who claimed to be the biological sister of the suspended Catholic priest, Mary Okanatotor, however maintained that “it was the best decision” for her brother.

Okanatotor, in a statement on Sunday evening, attributed his decision to “loneliness.”

Mary disclosed that Oghenerukevwe suffered from mental health issues for a long time and could not handle the “loneliness” as a priest.

She 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.

“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.”