Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria has appointed the Director, Catholic Communications department of Abuja Archdiocese, Very Rev. Fr Patrick Alumuku as the new Spiritual Director of the Supreme Subordinate Commandery, Knights of John International (KSJI), Nigeria.
The appointment was made know in a letter dated June 5, 2020, and signed by the Secretary General, Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN), Rev. Fr. Zacharia Samjumi, on behalf of the CBCN.
The letter, which was copied the Supreme Subordinate President of the order in Nigeria tasked Fr Alumuku to keep to the terms of reference that will be given to him by the Department of Pastoral Agents of the CSN.
The letter also encouraged him to “Always and consistently be present at all meetings and programmes of the KSJI.
The letter further states that the Archbishop of Abuja, His Grace, Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama, has given his approval for the appointment.
Fr Patrick Alumuku was ordained Priest in 1981 at the age of 22 by Bishop Donald Murray, CSSP, then Bishop of Makurdi. Immediately after ordination, he was appointed as Vocations Director and Youth Chaplain to cater for Catholic students in a diocese with over 100 Secondary Schools. At age 27, he was appointed Rector of the St. James’ Junior Seminary. He went on to teach at St. Augustin’s Major Seminary Jos.His vocation led him into the work of communications in the church. He was the first editor of the Makurdi diocesan newspaper, The Catholic Star. After his studies at the Pontifical University in Rome, he bagged aDoctorate degree in Social Communications. He was subsequently invited to work in the Vatican, at the African Service of Vatican Radio.
He produced the programme “Echo of the African Synod”, which won the first award of the African Service at Vatican Radio. He was also the founder of the Nigerian Catholic Community in Rome, which has become a point of reference for all Nigerians in the eternal city. He has taught Communications courses at the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome, CESSAC-CIWA, Port Harcourt and also teaches at the Veritas University in Abuja.
Since his return to Nigeria in 2004, he has been working in the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja as Director of Communications. He served for 8 years as Editor of The Good Shepherd Newspaper, the official newspaper of the Abuja Arch Diocese. He is the founding Director of the Catholic Television CTV which is envisaged to become a full TV channel soon. Father Alumuku is also the National President of SIGNIS, the umbrella organization for Church communications in Nigeria.
Until this appointment, Fr. Alumuku was the Spiritual Adiviser to St. John the Baptist Commandery #738, Mpape, Abuja.
