To view the new priest at St. William Catholic Church as an unlikely story is to overlook the reach of Catholicism around the world.
Father John Okoro, a native of the West African nation of Nigeria, has roots in the Catholic faith that run deeper than most. His flock will include parishioners in Marion and two parishes in Union County – St. Francis Borgia in Sturgis and St. Ambrose in Henshaw. Now 52, he was born into a Catholic family and raised in the church at a time when Nigeria was a predominantly Muslim nation.
Okoro was appointed by Bishop William Medley of the Owensboro Diocese to replace Father Ryan Harpole. Harpole, who had spent the last four years serving the same three parishes, was reassigned to St. Joseph Parish in Bowling Green. Both men began their new roles June 12.
Okoro entered the priesthood at age 29. He had no specific plans to reach the United States, but 10 years later as an international priest, he accepted reassignment to the Owensboro Diocese, bringing him to a foreign... see the rest of this article in the July 19, 2018 printed edition of The Crittenden Press.
