What is known as St Alphonsus Catholic Church, Akute, THE DIOCESE OF ABEOKUTA  started as a Mass Centre at Late Captain Adejoh’s residence, with a couple of parishioners in attendance. As the population grew, a dire need arose for a wider space, This led to the purchase of the land where the parish is situated currently. Thereafter, the church grew rapidly from an outstation to a parish, with Frs Francis Diyaolu and Anthony Edet Bassey, MSP as Parish Priest and Associate respectively.

As the population increased over the years with majority of Lagos residents relocating from the Island to Akute and its environs, the then Parish priest and his assistant, Fr Bassey and Fr Bernard Oleru, MSP, began intensive consultations with renowned architects on how to build an edifying structure for worship for the increasing population. With Fr Bassey as the Parish Priest and the different associates who worked with him (Frs Bernard Oleru, Gilbert Fagbemi and Fr Joseph Ogbebor), the work of God increased from glory to greater glory. While the faith of the parishioners deepened greatly, the foundation of an edifying structure for worship successfully kickstarted in Akute. This building progressed steadily until the transfer of a great icon and amiable friend of all, Rev’d Fr Bassey & his then associate, Rev’d Fr Joseph Ogbebor to usher in “a one-man-squad” in the person of Rev’d Fr Emmanuel Oriyomi. Immediately on resumption, Fr Emmanuel Oriyomi, paused briefly on the physical building/structure to upgrade further the spiritual edifice from where the former parish priest stopped; hence the birth of SHOWERS OF BLESSINGS in June 2012.

Having solidified the spiritual edifice through the regular first Fridays monthly Showers of Blessing; Fr Emmanuel Oriyomi, now continued the building of the physical structure at a speed of light. The common biblical adage that the harvest is rich, but the labourers are few became evident when the load of work became much for a single Priest. This elicited an urgent need for an associate priest to the rescue. Rev’d Peter Adigun was sent to the rescue as a deacon & also retained as the associate priest upon his ordination. A vibrant, hardworking, industrious and spirit-filled priest, Fr Adigun totally complemented the Parish Priest, that not only were seven masses celebrated on Sundays; but through their combined evangelization, communion service, deliverance sessions et al, never was there a vacuum created; & like Peter @Pentecost, several hundred are daily added to the flock. To ensure that the people of God are not hindered by distance in the worship of God; mass centres, now outstations as at today, were established. Mass centre formerly at Izzah’s residence, now St Leo’s Catholic Church, Otun was established as an outstation over three years ago & currently has a population strength of 500 parishioners; while Catholic Church of the Holy Spirit, Denro, formerly a mass centre as at 17th June, 2008 at the residence of Mr & Mrs Edward Okpara, became an outstation on 15th May, 2016 and currently boasts of a population of 350 parishioners. The physical structure would not be complete without mentioning Our Mother of Perpetual Help Hospital; Asore land for a standard events centre amongst other expansion projects. While the spiritual growth, may be incomplete if Rev’d Fr Markus Kawu Digasa, who took over the mantle of associate priest from Rev’d Fr Peter Adigun last quarter of 2016 is not mentioned. An ever smiling, spirit-filled, didactic priest is 24/7. St Alphonsus Catholic Church, Akute has sailed smoothly through different leadership to the edifying structure and holy ground of pilgrimage it is today.