BREAKING NEWS: Pope Francis appoints Fr. Bakeni as Auxiliary Bishop of Maiduguri
It is a season of harvest of appointments for the Catholic Church in Nigeria as the Holy Father has appointed Rev. Fr. Dr. John B. Bakeni, the Chaplain of All Saints Catholic Chaplaincy, University of Maiduguri as the Auxiliary Bishop of Maiduguri Diocese, few days after the appointment of Very Rev. Fr. Isaac Dugu as the Bishop of Katsina-Ala Diocese.
Rev. Fr. Dr. John Bogna Bakeni was born on March 15, 1975 in Kiri, in the Diocese of Maiduguri. After attending Saint Peter’s Minor Seminary in Yola (1987-1993), he completed his philosophical studies at Saint Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary in Makurdi (1993-1996) and theological studies at Saint Augustine’s Major Seminary in Jos (1998- 2002).
Fr. Bakeni was ordained a priest on August 17, 2002, incardinating himself in the Diocese of Maiduguri. Thereafter, he served as Parish Priest of St. Joseph and Director of the Catechetical Training Center in Kaya (2022-2007), and went on to obtain a doctorate in theology from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas – Angelicum in Rome (2007-2012). He was Parish Priest of St. Joseph in Gashua (2012) and St. Hilary Parish Polo in 2013 shortly before his appointment as the Administrator of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Maiduguri. He is the immediate past Dean of Maiduguri Deanery, a Member of the College of Consultors, Secretary and Procurator of the Diocese of Maiduguri and President of the Commission for Interreligious Dialogue of the same Diocese. He is also the State Vice Chairman of CAN, Borno State.
From 2020 until his appointment, he has been the Chaplain of the All Saints Catholic Chaplaincy of the University of Maiduguri.
