The Catholic Diocese of Makurdi has appointed Very Rev. Fr. Oliver Ortese as Vicar General for Administration, giving him responsibility for assisting Bishop Wilfred Chikpa Anagbe, CMF, in the governance and administrative affairs of the diocese.
The appointment, made by Bishop Anagbe on Friday, September 4, 2026, takes immediate effect and is governed by Canons 475–481 of the Code of Canon Law, which provide for the office of vicar general and its responsibilities in diocesan governance.
Fr. Ortese is currently the Priest-in-Charge of St Lucy Quasi-Parish, Ayihe. He was ordained a priest on August 6, 1994, by Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, then Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria. With more than 32 years of priestly ministry, he has served in several diocesan and pastoral assignments, including St Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary, Makurdi; St Winifred Parish, Ihugh; St Joseph Parish, Akpehe; St Charles Lwanga Preparatory Seminary, Adeke; St Gregory Parish, California; and St Veronica Parish, California.
In his appointment letter, Bishop Anagbe congratulated the priest and prayed that God would grant him wisdom, strength and the grace to serve Him and His Church faithfully. Fr. Ortese’s new role places him at the centre of the diocese’s administrative governance as he assists Bishop Anagbe in carrying out the responsibilities of diocesan leadership.
