HISTORY OF

ST. AUGUSTINE’S MAJOR SEMINARY, JOS

1967-2006

 Introduction

            Catholicism north of rivers Niger and Benue cannot be complete in the true sense of the word without the contributions and impact that St. Augustine’s Major Seminary has made in this regard. The history of this great seminary is to a big extent the history of the Catholic Church in the North. Its humble beginning growing to a big shrub that shelters all kinds of birds is quite divine in perspective. This little booklet is basically a historical documentation of how this seminary has come this far for the sake of the alumni, formators and students so that in the words of our national anthem “that the labours of our heroes past may not be in vain”.

Background to the establishment of St. Augustine’s Major Seminary, Jos

            St. Augustine’s Major Seminary was established in 1967. However, its beginnings date much earlier than its formal establishment. Like the parable of the wheat grain dying in order to yield a rich harvest, St. Augustine’s Major Seminary, Jos was born out of failed plans that would have located the seminary elsewhere than Jos. From the beginning of the dream for a Major seminary in the North, it was originally supposed to be in Zaria. Through bishop Dalton of Yola, the bishops of the then Kaduna ecclesiastical province in 1963 sent a request to the Irish Augustinian province to staff and manage a major seminary for the north that will be built in Zaria. In response to the request of the bishops of Kaduna province, at the provincial chapter of the Irish Augustinians in Dublin in June 1963, a green light was given. Fr. Joseph Curtis who was the Prior Provincial at the time was very interested in helping the church in the north and most of the Augustinians in the north were already trained in the Gregorian University in Rome with ready competences in theological disciplines. With such man power already in the north, there was going to be no problem in terms of staffing the seminary in Zaria. However, a major roadblock to the Zaria plan was coming from the authorities in Rome who were considering a third seminary in Nigeria to be located in the north as no matter of emergency. 

However, the setback of 1963 was not going to be the end of the attempts of the bishops of Kaduna ecclesiastical province. During the closing days of the 2^nd Vatican council in 1965, the hierarchy of Northern Nigeria again approached Fr. Curtis, the provincial of the Irish Augustinians if he would “send some Augustinian priests to staff a Major Seminary which they proposed to open as soon as possible in the Northern Region.”[1] Fr. Curtis accepted the request and was ready to dispatch some priests for the immediate take-off of the project when events in the country quickly scuttled the whole issue. The military coup of January 15^th 1966 halted the idea of a Northern Major Seminary for the reason that: the whole Nigerian hierarchy planned to have a National seminary in Lagos; the authorities in Rome were even doubting whether there would be enough candidates in the north for intake to warrant a seminary. [2]

            As if driven by destiny, the counter coup which took place in July 1966 was again to change the tide in favour of the establishment of a northern Major seminary. The counter coup prompted very dangerous signals that the National seminary may not be possible because the Eastern Region moving towards secession and the movement of persons across the country was signalling a breakage hence a return to the earlier proposal of having a seminary in the north. The northern bishops again petitioned Propaganda Fidei at the end of November 1966 to grant permission for a Major Seminary in the North. Archbishop McCarthy of Kaduna Archdiocese again wrote to the Irish Provincial for two priests to take charge. The establishment of the Major Seminary was formally approved by Propaganda Fidei on December 24^th 1966. With this approval, Fathers G.B. O’Brien from Maiduguri diocese and M.T. Flynn from Yola diocese arrived Keffi on February 27^th 1967 to formally take charge of the new Seminary. Thus on this day was the beginning of this great institution. The seminary began with 13 students though four among them left shortly after, leaving only nine.

            One of the major problems that the seminary had to grapple with at this time was that the temporary site in Keffi was not the place where it will be permanently placed. It was at a meeting of the bishops of the Northern Region in Kaduna on November 21^st 1967, that the important decision on the permanent site of this great seminary was made. There in Kaduna, it was agreed that it should be sited in Jos and bishop Reddington then offered “the use of a church and priests’ house and a school block as temporary quarters.”[3] Consequent of this important decision of the northern bishops, during the Christmas break of that same year, while the seminarians were on break, Frs. Flynn and O’Brien removed the seminary property from Keffi and moved to Jos in Sabon Gwong - today’s St. Michael’s parish Nassarawa Gwong, Jos.

            With the movement of the Seminary from keffi to another temporary site in Jos, the main task then was to quickly find and locate a site for the permanent settlement for the seminary. Courtesy of the efforts of Fr. Flynn the then Rector and the late Dr. Alexander Fom, the late chief of Jos Rwang Pam granted the permission for the location of the seminary in its present day location. Though still at its temporary site, the number of students and teachers continued to increase. The role call of the staff as of 1969 was: Frs. Flynn, O’Brien, Fitzgerald, Augustine Downey and Denis Mason who arrived on October 9^th 1969. The significant thing with the following members of staff was that though few, they taught everything in the spirit of flaming commitment.

            The indigenous missionary spirit of this seminary began as far back as 1969 when the seminarians with the permission of the authority then began going out on apostolic assignments from Sabon Gwong to neighbouring parishes in Jos bringing about the creation of awareness of the gradual emergence of local clerical presence in the minds of the faithful in and around Jos. During vacations, they wore their cassocks and were addressed as Fada back in their dioceses and parishes. Such presence of seminarians was strange and exiting to our people because despite the few that went in the past to Ibadan and Enugu, that was the first time many were seeing black young men wearing cassocks and going around doing missionary activities that were seen done only by the whites.

            In these foundation years, many priests and sisters in and outside Jos came from different places to assist in various ways in the formation of the seminarians apart from the permanent staff on ground. During this period, those who helped as part-time teachers and spiritual directors were the SMA and the SPS fathers. The St. Louis and OLA sisters equally assisted in their own ways at this early life of St. Augustine’s Major Seminary Jos.[4]

            As of 1970, the then Main Block which is today’s St. Mark’s Block was completed to the admiration and happiness of both staff and students who were anxious to come over to their permanent site. When they finally relocated in 1970, they bid farewell to their wanderings around temporary sites. When the seminary located to its permanent site, it was like an isolated monastery of a type since they had only distant neighbours with graves around in today’s Katako market staring at them. But what seem very important were the constant meditations they had around the vicinity. Their white cassocks were attracting the minds of people, already capturing the light that would shine through the years across the north and the nation at large.

Its gradual and steady growth

Very historic was the year 1971 when the seminary witnessed the ordinations of its first group. In that year alone to the joy of the bishops of the north, the then Rector and his team of formators, eight priests were ordained. It was a tremendous achievement considering that only five could not make it to the priesthood since they were thirteen when they were admitted in January 1967. Those who were ordained were John Dashe for Jos, Godwin Goni for Kaduna while Athanatius Usuh, Moses Adasu, Benjamin Adzor, Stephen Beba, Edward Ma’aer and Dominic Yuhe were ordained for Makurdi diocese.[5] From then on the number of seminarians in the daily intake of the seminary continued to grow.  The seminary continued to get candidates for admission from many dioceses outside the northern part of Nigeria. Candidates were coming from places like Ogoja, Abakaliki, Uyo, Calabar and many others outside the then northern block thereby making the environment of the seminary national.[6] In terms of languages, one could say it was a typically cosmopolitan environment which continues even up to date. Seminarians of all tribes and languages across Nigeria and beyond were found here which was the unique riches of St. Augustine’s Major Seminary Jos. As the number of yearly intake continued to rise, so was the struggle to make sure that the accommodation and study facilities go along with the rising number of candidates. Not before long, the main block which was inhabited as the first building in 1970 was becoming overcrowded hence the need for more space. It was such accommodating need that brought about the block of the dinning hall which was also used as a chapel at its second end. The twin blocks of St. Johns and Luke were also constructed to serve as academic and hostel blocks.

It was quite a great landmark of tremendous achievement in the late 1970s to the early 1980s when most of the North could boast of many priests who were locals. As of 1980, this great seminary could boast of being the source of the training of about 128 priests scattered all over the dioceses of the north and many other parts of Nigeria outside the Northern Region.[7] Equally within this range and period, St. Augustine’s Major Seminary could be said to have admitted about 551 students in all from inception though with many who could not make it to the priesthood.[8] Most typical of the spirit of the seminary from the beginning, bishops continued to send candidates to be trained in Jos from various dioceses across the nation. From the ordinandi of 1984, we can see that as of this time, candidates were still coming from Abakiliki diocese, Calabar diocese and Ekiti [9]diocese. Even in the aspect of the staffing of the seminary, progress was greatly achieved as of the early 80s judging from its beginning with two members. Some of the alumni of the seminary were already beginning to come back as formators. A major achievement was made in 1984 when Fr. Cletus Gotan a 1974 graduate from this institution was called upon to be the first indigenous Rector taking over from Fr. Jim Downey the last of the expatriate Rectors that have been leading the seminary from inception. Though many of the formators then were still expatriates, it was a thing of great joy to the founding fathers of the seminary to see the fruits of their labour coming back to gradually take over the mantle of leadership from them. From then on the Rectors that succeeded have been indigenous priests.

Maturity and impact on evangelism

            The proper maturity of this seminary came about in 1986 when the seminary was beginning to feel the weight of the number of yearly intakes from various dioceses in the Northern Province and other parts of the country. In that year, the bishops of the North under the Kaduna ecclesiatical province decided to open a campus of this seminary in Makurdi with Fr. John Gangwari as director working in hand with the Rector of the mother campus to see to the day to day running of the one in Makurdi. That campus was principally to take care of the philosophy level of the seminary training while Jos would be the final point of the training in the theological discipline. Though the campus later metamorphosed into St. Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary with full autonomy and today operates full philosophical and theological courses, it has been the product of the great achievement of this seminary in the Catholic mission drive in the north of Nigeria.

            As if the opening of Makurdi Major Seminary was not enough, the Church fathers in the north again began to explore new ways of expanding St. Augustine’s Major Seminary, Jos. By 1998, another campus of St. Augustine’s Major Seminary was opened in a temporary site in Kano. It was to become the Good Shepherd Major seminary. This seminary was equally to serve as another theological campus. It was later moved to Kaduna at its permanent site and its autonomy was equally guaranteed as the years went by. The creation of Makurdi and Kaduna Major Seminaries was quite another excellent work of the Holy Spirit with the potentials of sustaining the emerging dioceses within the two other provinces of Abuja and Jos created out of Kaduna province. Though there is little doubt that the expansion of the provinces in the North was the result of that seed planted 100 years ago, it was also as a result of the great achievement of St. Augutine’s Major Seminary, Jos.

            Another aspect that was saliently agreeing with the missionary impact of this seminary in terms of pastoral personnel was the gradual coming into the episcopate of the alumni in many dioceses in the north coupled with the creation of more new dioceses consequent of the fair availability of labourers in the Lord’s vineyard. In 1988, one among the pioneer alumni in the person Fr. Athanatius Usuh was made bishop of Makurdi to succeed Bishop Murray who was one of the founding minds of the seminary back in 1967. From then on, many of the alumni members were exalted as shepherds in various dioceses in the north. The metropolitan of the Archdiocese of Jos, Most Rev. Dr. Ignatius Kaigama is one of them. Others are Bishop Audu of Lafiya, Apochi of Otukpo, Bagobiri of Kafanchan, Dodo of Zaria, Ndagonso of Maiduguri and Daman OSA of Jalingo.

            Today in the northern part of Nigeria, it can hardly be denied the almost omnipresence of the priests who are principally the products of St. Augustine’s Major Seminary, Jos. Almost the remotest rural areas around this part of Nigeria cannot be said to be outside the capture of the presence of priests who have passed out from this seminary. It would be a fair boast to say that without the creation of St. Augustine’s seminary, the missionary enterprise of the Catholic missionaries mostly from Ireland would have come to a stand still. Priests who have finished from here are not only found within their dioceses working but equally can be found in various national and international pastoral assignments. The national chaplain of the Nigerian Army Catholic chaplaincy in the person of General Bako of the Kaduna Archdiocese graduated from here in 1975. The acting Nigerian Air force chaplain and many other priests serving in the Air force and army are products of this seminary. Most recently with the plea of the Nigerian Police authorities, some priests from dioceses of the north who are products of this seminary are being enrolled as police chaplains. In the catholic secretariat, its history can hardly be complete without a detail reference to the priests who served there and some that are still serving there that graduated from here. The two recent past secretaries general have been products of this institution. This goes to mean that though St. Augustine’s Seminary established for the primary missionary expansion of the north is still the nursery of the Universal Church and remains the supplier of the man power of the whole church without boundaries.

            One other aspect of the impact of this seminary on the Church in northern Nigeria and beyond is the enormous contributions of those alumni members who could not make it to the priesthood but are wonderful members of the laity out there. One can hardly deny the fact that the call to the catholic priesthood at the early moments of this seminary was quite difficult for many of the candidates. The issue of a celibate priesthood was not a welcomed information by many cultures then in the north. Though many could not make it to the priesthood, the historical contribution of this institution cannot go without saluting their courage. There are many of them in various positions of service to the nation. They are found in the civil and private sectors where they continue to exhibit good qualities and discipline which they learned while studying in this seminary. Within the Church, it is of great appreciation to the lay past students of this seminary who are in many places at the forefront of affairs in various dioceses, parishes and local Churches. In many cases they are found among the trusted members of the laity struggling in their own limited ways to give their best to the service of God and the Church. For example, as signs of the commitment of the lay alumni of this seminary some of them rose to the rank of vice presidents of the alumni association of this seminary in recent times. And all along, they never lacked in giving their loyal best to the course of this seminary in its continuous impact on the Church in the North.

            The seminary in Jos today has come to stay. Almost all members of the formation team is made up of the alumni members of this seminary and are assisted by the SSND and EHJ sisters on the teaching staff. Every year Tens of students are hatched into the vineyard all over the north and beyond. The seminary today apart from training diocesan seminarians, trains religious seminarians and even potential military catholic chaplains. In the spirit of collaboration in evangelisation, the seminary with the request of the superiors assist in training OLF and Holy Child novices who come in to attend lectures in selected philosophical and theological courses. Though the labourers can never be enough, St. Augustine’s major seminary, Jos will continue to be a mother tower for the formation of priests in the north.

Conclusion

            Since we are dealing with divine issues in terms of call to service in the Lord’s vineyard, we cannot in mathematical sense quantify the impact St. Augustine’s Seminary has had on the Church in the northern part of Nigeria. It is out of divine inspiration of the fathers of the Church then to have founded this seminary considering the threat to the very fabric of the Catholic faith in the north from the beginning of the political instability that greeted the country shortly after independence. It was a moment in which catholic missionaries suffered the distrust of the government of the day and their very enterprise was threatened with extinction. Indeed the Church grows when confronted with persecution. The unfolding political confusion in the country from 1964 and following, inspired the church fathers in the north to reason that if something was not done quickly to indigenize the clergy in the north, the missionary victory of the three SMA priests in Shendam in 1907 would be a disaster. Thanks to the Vatican and Propaganda Fidei for the blessing they gave to this great inspiration. Today, I think that the pioneer missionaries together with Fr. Tom Flynn the founding Rector would be smiling in heaven and gaping with incredulity at how the catholic faith in the north is so rooted courtesy of the monumental contribution of St. Augustine’s Major Seminary Jos.