An Acting Director of Social Communications has been appointed for the Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos. He is Rev. Fr. Anthony Gbenayon Godonu.
The Archbishop of Lagos, Most Rev Dr Alfred Adewale Martins, who made this known, said the appointment takes effect from April 1, 2019.
Fr Godonu takes over from Msgr Gabriel Osu who had served meritoriously in that capacity for over two decades.
Rev Fr Anthony Godonu was born on the 23rd of March, 1976 to the family of late Mr. And Mrs. Roger and Celestina Godonu of Porto-Novo, Republic of Benin.
He grew up in Badagry where he had his primary and secondary school education at Our Lady of Apostles’ (O.L.A.) Primary School from 1984 to 1990 and Badagry Grammar School (B.G.S) from 1990 to 1996 respectively.
With the dream of becoming a Catholic priest, he was admitted into St. John of the Cross Seminary, Ekpoma, Edo-State for his one year Spiritual experience (a kind of preparatory year for the priestly training proper) in January 1998 under the auspices of the Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos,
By October of the same year, he was admitted into the Major Seminary of All Saints, Uhiele-Ekpoma, Edo-State, for his philosophical and theological studies. There, he bagged his Bachelor of Art degree (B.A. Hons) in Philosophy from the University of Benin, Benin City in 2002.
Four years later, he bagged another Bachelor’s degree in Sacred Theology (B.Th.) from the Pontifical Urban University, Rome, Italy in 2006.
On 15th December, 2005, Fr Tony G. as he is fondly called was raised to the diaconate alongside some of his classmates by his Eminence, Anthony Cardinal Okogie at the Seminary of All Saints, Uhiele, Ekpoma, Edo State.
On the 9th of December, 2006, along with five other deacons, he was ordained a catholic priest by Anthony Cardinal Okogie, the then Archbishop of Lagos at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Ajegunle, Lagos.
Since his ordination, Fr Tony has worked in the following parishes: Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Catholic Church, Ogba, Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Ibonwon, Epe, St. Paul’s Catholic Church, Ebute-metta, St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Ajegunle, St. Margaret’s Catholic Church, Olodi, Apapa, and St. Gerald’s Catholic Church, Soluyi, Gbagada.
Between these several pastoral assignments in the Archdiocese, he was sent to Rome, Italy in June, 2011 for post Graduate studies in Social Communications where he had his Masters degree in Communication. He returned in August 2012.
Currently, Fr. Tony is the Priest-in-Charge of the Catholic Church of the Presentation, Festac Town, Lagos.
