Wife of Suspended Catholic Priest Shares Story of How They Met

The wife of a suspended Catholic priest has opened up about their relationship, revealing how they met and the challenges they faced in their unconventional love story.

Dora Chichah, the wife of Rev. Fr. Daniel Okanatotor Oghenerukevwe—a Catholic priest suspended from the Diocese of Warri in Delta State—has shared details about how she first met her husband.

Rev. Oghenerukevwe faced suspension from the Catholic Diocese of Warri after reportedly secretly marrying in the United States without officially completing his release from priestly vows.

According to Platinumpost, the Diocese explained that Rev. Oghenerukevwe filed a request on November 30, 2024, seeking release from all canonical obligations linked with Holy Orders. Nonetheless, his suspension occurred after he reportedly chose to go ahead with marriage without obtaining official approval first.

The Diocese stated that it contacted him, “requesting the necessary documents to initiate the process; however, the priest proceeded to marry without completing the procedure.”

Photos from the wedding, held in Dallas, Texas, have since gone viral.

While speaking during a live testimony session at Pastor Jerry Eze’s Streams of Joy International Church in Dallas, Dora shared her journey.

In a video that was reshared on Monday by Fr. Kelvin Ugwu, a Catholic missionary priest, Dora described herself as a single mother of three who had been praying for over nine years to find a husband.

“There is nothing that God cannot do. Our prayers are being answered and evident. I’m Dora, sharing my testimony from Streams of Joy in Dallas.”

“Truly, the Lord has shown me mercy. Since 2020, I’ve been at this altar praying for a life partner. As a single mother of three, I have waited over nine years hoping for divine intervention and settlement from God. I continued to pray fervently, asking ‘God settle me,’” she expressed.

Dora mentioned, “Back in July 2021, Pastor Jerry expressed that the Lord has listened to you. According to him, everything that occurred was permitted by the Lord to guide you towards prosperity. The Lord is your salvation and will develop your character during this period of waiting.”

I continued to pray. Whenever Pastor Jerry mentioned women in their 30s and 40s, encouraging them to receive their husbands, I would dance and pray with faith in God.

In 2024, I clearly heard God guiding me to move from my location to Dallas, Texas.

Dora mentioned that she reconnected with Daniel, someone from her childhood neighborhood, and they promptly swapped contact information.

“He shared stories about how he had been praying for four years for clarity in his vocation, and I could relate because I had also been praying. He mentioned that he had fasted for three months, asking God to bless him with the right partner,” Dora revealed.

Their relationship advanced quickly, leading to their wedding.

“In just three months, we completed our marriage class. During that time, we also had the traditional wedding and formalized it in court. Finally, we celebrated with a white wedding at Streams of Joy in Dallas,” she shared.

Although Dora did not mention Daniel’s role as a Catholic priest during her testimony, the video package included photos of their wedding.

Platinumpost detailed how a woman identifying as Daniel’s biological sister, Mary Okanatotor, supported the marriage by asserting it was the best choice for her brother.

“He didn’t have a secret marriage because he informed the Diocese of his decision in writing,” she mentioned in a social media post.