Explore Our Roots
Our History
From a humble Mass Centre at a family residence to a flourishing parish — the story of faith, growth, and God's grace in Akute.
From a Family Living Room
to a Thriving Parish
What is known today as St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, Akute — a parish of the Diocese of Abeokuta — began with a handful of faithful gathered in prayer at the residence of the late Captain Adejoh. That small Mass Centre was the seed from which a mighty tree would grow.
As the congregation grew, the need for a dedicated space became undeniable. Land was purchased, structures were built, and the parish was born — steadily growing from an outstation to a full parish under the guidance of faithful priests and a devoted community.
Today, St. Alphonsus stands as a beacon of worship, community service, and spiritual growth in Akute and its environs, with outstations, a hospital, and ongoing development projects bearing witness to God's faithfulness.
The Parish Timeline
Key milestones in the growth of St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, Akute
The Mass Centre Begins
The parish started as a Mass Centre at the residence of Late Captain Adejoh, with a small but faithful group of parishioners. The Holy Eucharist was celebrated in a family home, planting the seed of what would become a thriving parish.
The Land is Purchased
As the congregation outgrew the Mass Centre, land was purchased at the current location — 12–14 Akute-Ajuwon Road — to give the growing community a permanent place of worship. A pivotal moment in the parish's history.
From Outstation to Parish
Under the pastoral care of Fr. Francis Diyaolu as Parish Priest and Fr. Anthony Edet Bassey, MSP as Associate, the community grew rapidly from an outstation to a full parish. The foundation of faith was firmly laid.
Building the Physical Structure
With Fr. Bassey as Parish Priest, alongside associates Fr. Bernard Oleru MSP, Fr. Gilbert Fagbemi, and Fr. Joseph Ogbebor, the parish entered an era of rapid expansion — in both spiritual depth and physical infrastructure.
Holy Spirit Mass Centre, Denro
The Catholic Church of the Holy Spirit, Denro began as a Mass Centre at the residence of Mr. & Mrs. Edward Okpara — a new seed of faith planted in the Denro community to serve those further away from the main parish.
Showers of Blessings is Born
Upon assuming the role of Parish Priest, Very Rev'd Fr. Emmanuel Oriyomi launched the monthly Showers of Blessings — a first-Friday programme that would become the spiritual heartbeat of the parish, deepening the faith of thousands.
Holy Spirit, Denro Becomes Outstation
After years of growth, the Denro community was officially elevated from Mass Centre to a fully recognised outstation. Today it serves a population of over 350 parishioners — a testament to faith and faithful stewardship.
Fr. Markus Kawu Digasa Joins
Rev'd Fr. Markus Kawu Digasa took over as Associate Priest, succeeding Fr. Peter Adigun. His spirit-filled, didactic ministry further complemented the parish's spiritual growth and community outreach.
A Holy Ground of Pilgrimage
St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, Akute has grown into an edifying structure and holy ground of pilgrimage — with 7 Sunday Masses, 2 outstations, a hospital, ongoing building projects, and a vibrant community of thousands of faithful.
Brief History of St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, Akute
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, which led to the purchase of the land where the parish is situated today.
Thereafter, the church grew rapidly from an outstation to a parish, with Fr. Francis Diyaolu and Fr. Anthony Edet Bassey, MSP as Parish Priest and Associate respectively.
As the population increased over the years — with a majority of Lagos residents relocating from the Island to Akute and its environs — the then Parish Priest and his assistant began intensive consultations with renowned architects on how to build an edifying structure of worship for the increasing population.
With Fr. Bassey as the Parish Priest and different associates who worked with him — Frs. Bernard Oleru, Gilbert Fagbemi and 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 the great icon Rev'd Fr. Bassey and 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 to upgrade the spiritual edifice — hence the birth of SHOWERS OF BLESSINGS in June 2012.
Having solidified the spiritual edifice through the regular first-Friday monthly Showers of Blessing, Fr. Emmanuel Oriyomi continued the physical construction at great speed. The 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. Rev'd Peter Adigun was sent to the rescue as a Deacon and retained as Associate Priest upon his ordination.
A vibrant, hardworking, industrious and spirit-filled priest, Fr. Adigun totally complemented the Parish Priest — not only were seven Masses celebrated on Sundays, but through their combined evangelisation, communion service, and deliverance sessions, never was there a vacuum created. Like Peter at Pentecost, several hundred are daily added to the flock.
To ensure that the people of God are not hindered by distance in their worship, Mass Centres — now Outstations — were established. The Mass Centre formerly at Izzah's residence, now St. Leo's Catholic Church, Otun, was established as an Outstation and currently has a population of over 500 parishioners.
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 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, and other expansion projects. The spiritual growth may be incomplete if Rev'd Fr. Markus Kawu Digasa — who took over as Associate Priest from Rev'd Fr. Peter Adigun in the last quarter of 2016 — is not mentioned. An ever-smiling, spirit-filled, and didactic priest.
St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, Akute has sailed smoothly through different leadership to the edifying structure and holy ground of pilgrimage it is today.
Priests Who Shaped Our Story
Men of God whose faith, sacrifice, and service built this parish from the ground up
Fr. Francis Diyaolu
First Parish PriestFr. Anthony Edet Bassey, MSP
Parish Priest & AssociateFr. Bernard Oleru, MSP
Associate PriestFr. Gilbert Fagbemi
Associate PriestFr. Joseph Ogbebor
Associate PriestFr. Peter Adigun
Associate PriestFr. Markus Kawu Digasa
Associate Priest (2016–)Very Rev'd Fr. Emmanuel Oriyomi
Current Parish PriestOur Outstations
Seeds of faith planted in the communities surrounding Akute, now thriving congregations in their own right
St. Leo's Catholic Church, Otun
Originally a Mass Centre at Izzah's residence, St. Leo's was established as an Outstation and has grown into a vibrant community. The parish was later completed and handed over — one of the great milestones in the parish's history.
Catholic Church of the Holy Spirit, Denro
Formerly a Mass Centre at the residence of Mr. & Mrs. Edward Okpara beginning 17 June 2008, Holy Spirit Denro was elevated to Outstation status on 15 May 2016. A Parish House is currently being built to serve the community.
See Our Parish in Action
A glimpse into the life, worship, and community spirit of St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, Akute.
You Are Welcome Here
Our history is still being written — and you are part of it. Come worship with us, get involved, and help build God's kingdom in Akute.