Breaking News: Historic Consecration of Bishop Onuh Abah Samuel Maria on the Feast of the Assumption

Breaking News: Historic Consecration of Bishop Onuh Abah Samuel Maria on the Feast of the Assumption

August 15, 2026 – Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Today, on this most glorious Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a moment of profound joy and triumph for the Church has unfolded in Nigeria. The Reverend Father Onuh Abah Samuel Maria—beloved founder of the Sons and Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary (SSIH Mission)—has been consecrated as the first Bishop of the newly established Traditional Catholic Diocese of Benue.

Under the Apostolic Mandate of His Excellency the Most Reverend D. Edward Meikle, who is a Traditional Catholic Bishop of the See of Caer-Glow in Florida, USA, a group that holds valid Catholic Orders and whose mission is to protect and preserve the Traditional Mass and Sacraments. raised Father Onuh Abah Samuel Maria to the fullness of the sacred Order of the Episcopate. He now holds jurisdiction as Ordinary over the clergy and faithful of the Diocese of Benue in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

This consecration fulfills the intention first declared by the late Archbishop John Joseph Humphreys of happy memory. On December 4, 2025, Archbishop Humphreys canonically erected the Diocese of Benue, establishing the state of Benue as an episcopal see and appointing Father Onuh Abah Samuel Maria as its first Bishop. Following the death of Archbishop Humphreys before the consecration could take place, Archbishop Meikle—his lawful successor—issued a Decree of Confirmation (Prot. 2606) and Apostolic Mandate on August 1, 2026. These documents fully ratified, confirmed, and carried into effect the erection of the diocese and the appointment of its bishop, ensuring continuity and validity for the salvation of souls.

The consecration was performed according to the Traditional form of the Pontificale Romanum. The Bishop-elect made the profession of faith and oath of fidelity prior to receiving the fullness of the priesthood in the sacred Order of the Episcopate.

A Shepherd for Nigeria’s Traditional Faithful

For years, Father Abah Samuel Maria has been a beacon of Traditional Catholic Faith in Nigeria. Ordained in 2003, he founded the SSIH Mission to restore the Tridentine Mass and the Traditional Catholic Sacraments. Through the Sons and Sisters of the Sacred and Immaculate Hearts, and the Carmelite Nuns associated with the mission, he has provided a refuge for young men and women seeking authentic vocations rooted in the timeless doctrine and liturgy of the Church. Now, as Bishop, he brings the full sacramental and pastoral authority of the episcopate to the faithful of Benue and beyond—ensuring that the Traditional Catholic life, with its power for the salvation of souls, is firmly established in Nigeria.

The See of Caer-Glow: Guardians of the One True Faith

The Diocese of Benue stands under the See of Caer-Glow, headquartered in the Florida region of the United States (Saint Petersburg / Pinellas Park area). The See of Caer-Glow exists to guard and preserve the Old Faith—the Catholic Faith as it has been believed always, everywhere, and by all—until such time as the institutional Church returns to full orthodoxy. It holds valid Catholic Orders and maintains the Traditional Latin Mass and Sacraments without the innovations or corruptions of recent decades.

The Apostolic Succession of the See of Caer-Glow is ancient and continuous. It traces through the historic Apostolic line, including Archbishop Carmel Henry Carfora, Archbishop Gerard George Shelley (Archbishop of Caer-Glow), and Archbishop John Joseph Humphreys, back through the See of Utrecht in Holland. That line reaches to Saint Willibrord, the Apostle to the Netherlands, who was consecrated bishop by Pope Sergius I in Rome in A.D. 696. Through this unbroken chain, the succession ultimately rests upon the Apostles themselves, ensuring the validity of Orders for the new Bishop of Benue.

His Excellency Bishop D. Edward Meikle, who issued the Mandate as Archbishop-Primate in the first year of his Primacy, in the Old Roman Catholic See of Caer-Glow continues this sacred trust. A Traditional Catholic Bishop formed in the Faith of our Fathers, he has dedicated himself to handing down the Holy Faith intact. More about his life and mission may be found here: Bio – His Excellency Bishop D. Edward Meikle. Further history of the See of Caer-Glow is available at https://www.rosarychurch.net/history/brief2.html, and the Apostolic Succession at https://www.rosarychurch.net/history/succession.html.

Rejoicing for the Salvation of Souls

This is no ordinary appointment. On the very day when the Church celebrates Our Lady’s bodily Assumption into Heaven—body and soul—Nigeria receives a Traditional Catholic Bishop whose mission is the salvation of souls through the unchanging Faith, the Traditional Sacraments, and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass offered according to the ancient Roman Rite (using the pre-1955 Missal, free of Masonic Bugnini liturgical deviations).

Bishop Onuh Abah Samuel Maria, a native son of Africa, is the first Traditional Catholic Bishop ever consecrated on African soil. His motto on his coat of arms is: Esse Cor Jesu et Cor Mariae (To be the Heart of Jesu and the Heart of Mary) The establishment of the Traditional Catholic Diocese of Benue marks a historic expansion of authentic Catholic life on the African continent. Faithful who long for the pure doctrine, the reverent liturgy, and the moral clarity of the ages now have a residential bishop with full and immediate jurisdiction in spiritual and temporal matters.

Let every heart rejoice! Let every tongue give thanks to Almighty God and to the Blessed Virgin Mary, assumed into Heaven, who intercedes for her children. The Church in Nigeria has been strengthened. The Holy Faith has taken deeper root, despite these diabolical times. And the work of saving souls continues with renewed vigor under the pastoral care of His Excellency Bishop Onuh Abah Samuel Maria through the Immaculata and the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus!

Deo gratias! Ave Maria!

Viva Christo Rey et Viva Immaculata Maria!

— SSIH Mission

SSIHMission.org