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Articles by Patrick Egwu
Beyond the screen: How cinema shaped my life
As a student of English literature, I grew deeply appreciative of Austen's novels and characters. She sculpted women who were strong yet gentle, vulnerable yet determined, constrained by society yet unwilling to surrender their dignity. In "Persuasion," Anne Elliot's strength is expressed through patience, maturity and quiet determination. In "Pride and Prejudice," the rain scene between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy stayed with me.
Nigerian sisters' shelter guides trafficking victims out of trauma
Imudia, 37, was running errands for her aunt in May 2016 in Benin, a city in Nigeria's south, when she met Joy, who had just returned from Malaysia. Over the next few weeks, they became friends, and Joy connected Imudia with her friend, Blessing, a trafficker who brings young girls from Nigeria abroad with the false promise of securing jobs for them. A few months later, Blessing made travel arrangements for Imudia and paid all her travel-related expenses.
Cancer may change 'how' but not 'what' of Leo's papacy, pope's friend says
Pope Leo XIV's announcement of a growth in his lung and impending operation came as a shock to the world which has followed his 17-month pontificate, but many in the Roman Curia said they were reassured by the calm with which the pope shared the news. For Augustinian Fr. Arthur Purcaro, who served as a missionary in Peru with a young Fr. Robert Prevost in the '80s, the pope's face told a different story.
Beyond the screen: How cinema shaped my life
As a student of English literature, I grew deeply appreciative of Austen's novels and characters. She sculpted women who were strong yet gentle, vulnerable yet determined, constrained by society yet unwilling to surrender their dignity. In "Persuasion," Anne Elliot's strength is expressed through patience, maturity and quiet determination. In "Pride and Prejudice," the rain scene between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy stayed with me.
Cancer may change 'how' but not 'what' of Leo's papacy, pope's friend says
Pope Leo XIV's announcement of a growth in his lung and impending operation came as a shock to the world which has followed his 17-month pontificate, but many in the Roman Curia said they were reassured by the calm with which the pope shared the news. For Augustinian Fr. Arthur Pucaro, who served as a missionary in Peru with a young Fr. Robert Prevost in the '80s, the pope's face told a different story.
Missionary of Charity nuns work for marginalized Garo Indigenous people
In 2019, the nongovernmental organization Society for Environment and Human Development (SHED) identified 44 villages in this region inhabited by the Garo Indigenous community, making up almost 34% of the total population. The government does not recognize customary land rights, even though forest-dwelling communities seek legal recognition for such ownership. Most Garos do not hold formal land titles; instead, they adhere to the Indigenous tradition of customary ownership.
Nigerian sisters' shelter guides trafficking victims out of trauma
Imudia, 37, was running errands for her aunt in May 2016 in Benin, a city in Nigeria's south, when she met Joy, who had just returned from Malaysia. Over the next few weeks, they became friends, and Joy connected Imudia with her friend, Blessing, a trafficker who brings young girls from Nigeria abroad with the false promise of securing jobs for them. A few months later, Blessing made travel arrangements for Imudia and paid all her travel-related expenses.
Missionary of Charity nuns work for marginalized Garo Indigenous people
In 2019, the nongovernmental organization Society for Environment and Human Development (SHED) identified 44 villages in this region inhabited by the Garo Indigenous community, making up almost 34% of the total population. The government does not recognize customary land rights, even though forest-dwelling communities seek legal recognition for such ownership. Most Garos do not hold formal land titles; instead, they adhere to the Indigenous tradition of customary ownership.
Hilton Humanitarian Prize affirms the work of community-based healthcare
The group's model of training and paying community health workers, she noted, is now being taken up by at least 50 governments globally. McCormick, who began her work with Last Mile Health as a community health worker herself, said she recently returned to the Gboe district and spoke to the same mothers she had met a decade ago. "Instead of coming together in mourning, we came together in celebration," she said during the Oct. 6 ceremony.
10 years of 'Amoris Laetitia': What Chapter 8 changed
It has been 10 years since the publication of Amoris Laetitia, the apostolic exhortation in which Pope Francis summarized the findings of the two Synods of Bishops on the family (2014 and 2015). Few recent documents have sparked as much controversy, particularly because of dealing with the pastoral treatment of Catholics living in "irregular situations" and their access to the sacraments.
Nigerian sisters minister amid inaccessible roads and flood disasters
Tucked away inside Ezza-Nkwubor Nike, Enugu State, a remote village in southeast Nigeria, St. Callistus Hospital and Maternity, a local diocesan clinic, serves a community of about 3,500 people. Run by the Daughters of Divine Love, the Enugu State clinic was established in 2025 by Nigerian Fr. Richard Uche Ozoude, and built with support from Austrian partners and the government of Upper Austria.
The Leo Chronicles: What about Gabby?
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Pope names Irish sister to lead Vatican's missionary efforts
Pope Leo XIV named Irish Sr. Mary Teresa Barron to lead the Vatican's global network of missionary societies, making her the first woman to hold the post and continuing the pope's pattern of appointing women to senior positions in the Roman Curia. Barron, 57, was appointed president of the Pontifical Mission Societies and adjunct secretary of the Dicastery for Evangelization's section responsible for missionary territories, the Vatican announced Thursday (Oct. 8). She will take up the role Jan.
Meet the Catholic nuns rescuing girls from domestic servitude in Nigeria
The series of feature stories that UCA News publishes are unique and compelling. Our in-depth reporting reveals little-known experiences of faith, conflict, reconciliation, and coexistence of communities across Asia. These stories are available free of charge to readers worldwide. However, producing them requires significant editorial and reporting resources. Your support can help us share these important stories from Asia with a global audience.
Does 'The Uprising' really want us to rise up?
The politics of "The Uprising" are completely inscrutable, a Rorschach test, as described by Garfield in the aforementioned Q&A. The cruel calculus of realpolitik, high taxes, serfdom, sexual abuse of women, undefended borders, the hypocrisy of the church, and on and on.
Sisters support Nigerian girls escaping domestic servitude and child labor Original
On a sweltering Thursday afternoon, Veronica Boniface sat in a plastic chair at a hair salon in Ikot Ekpene, a semi-urban town in Nigeria's southern region. About a dozen other girls were milling around, styling hair for clients in the packed salon. In July, Boniface, 18, moved from her village where she lived with her grandma to enroll in a class that teaches young girls hairdressing at the salon. "I want to become a boss someday," she told Global Sisters Report.
Fighting (in the courts) over religious liberty is a good thing
The Catholic lawsuits in Illinois and New York are not an example of "Heads I win, tails you lose" politics. Yes, the Catholic Church opposed the enactment of these laws, but they passed anyway. We did not abandon our constitutionally protected religious liberty when exercising another constitutionally protected right, to petition the government.
Global warming set to surpass key 1.5 C climate limit by 2030, UN report finds
In 2015, nearly 200 countries adopted a central goal to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius to avert catastrophic impacts from climate change. Now, according to a new United Nations report, the planet will surpass that threshold by the end of the decade.
Canada Is Exploiting Migrant Agricultural Workers
An officer speaks to migrants as they arrive at the Roxham Road border crossing in Quebec, Canada. An officer speaks to migrants as they arrive at the Roxham Road border crossing in Quebec, Canada, on March 2, 2023. Sebastian St-Jean/AFP via Getty Images When Conwade Bramwell, a 23-year-old Jamaican, was selected for Canada’s Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program at the peak of COVID in 2020, he quickly resigned from his full-time job as a hotel bartender.
Nigeria Is Turning Into a U.S.-China Battleground
After U.S President Donald Trump threatened military action against Nigeria over the alleged persecution of Christians by Islamic insurgents, China has stepped in to oppose Trump’s actions—deepening the contest between Washington and Beijing for the allegiance of Africa’s most populous country. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Nov.
A novel investing tool is improving how conservation gets funded
Around the world, insufficient funding for conservation has undermined efforts to protect biodiversity and grow back wildlife populations. A 2020 report found that an annual biodiversity financing gap of US$711 billion needs to be closed by 2030 to effectively fund conservation activities. A new strategy could turn things around: conservation impact bonds are outcome-based finance instruments that aim to close the gap by increasing returns when funded conservation projects are successful.
Dominican-led foundation brings health care to Nigerian village communities
In late fall last year, Safarau Mukhtar, 29, rushed Sa'adatu, her sickly 2-year-old child, to the Hope for the Village Child Foundation, a local nonprofit in Kaduna, north central Nigeria. The nonprofit runs a small clinic that caters to the health needs of local communities. Mukhtar was visibly shaken as she sat on the hospital bed, clinging close to Sa'adatu, who was wrapped with an old cloth. Mukhtar said she came to the clinic to find a cure for her child, who was groaning and crying.
Dominican-led foundation brings health care to Nigerian village communities
In late fall last year, Safarau Mukhtar, 29, rushed Sa'adatu, her sickly 2-year-old child, to the Hope for the Village Child Foundation, a local nonprofit in Kaduna, north central Nigeria. The nonprofit runs a small clinic that caters to the health needs of local communities. Mukhtar was visibly shaken as she sat on the hospital bed, clinging close to Sa'adatu, who was wrapped with an old cloth. Mukhtar said she came to the clinic to find a cure for her child, who was groaning and crying.
Catholics in Nigeria say Shell can't divest contaminated oil sites before cleanup
Port Harcourt, NIGERIA — On a sweltering afternoon in October, a group of farmers arrived by boat to Bodo, a fishing and farming community in Nigeria's oil-producing region of the Niger Delta. The area, previously known for its mangroves and lush green vegetation, has been affected for years by frequent oil spills. "Oil is a curse for our community, and we have been less prosperous because of it," said John Pigi, a local fisherman and parishioner at St. Paul's Catholic Church.
US Sunday Mass attendance back to pre-pandemic levels
Worshippers pray during a weekly Sunday Mass at St. Martha Church in Uniondale, N.Y., Aug. 15, 2021. In-person Sunday Mass attendance in the U.S. is back to 2019 pre-pandemic levels of 24%, according to data from the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University. (OSV News/Gregory A.
Daughters of Divine Love in Nigeria impact girls with entrepreneurial skills
Sr. Maria Kamdilichukwu Madubuonwu runs the Divino Amore Vocational Institute, an entrepreneurship center owned and managed by the Daughters of Divine Love congregation in Awka, Southeast Nigeria. Established in 1995, the institute hosts nearly 100 female students seeking to acquire knowledge in entrepreneurship and learn basic skills in baking, catering, graphic design, computer literacy and business education.
The Catholic response to the LA fires is care for neighbor and planet
Smoke rises as the wildfires burn in the Los Angeles area Jan. 9. One of the biggest fires, the Eaton Fire in Altadena, Calif., badly damaged the Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center in Sierra Madre. (OSV News/Reuters/Ringo Chiu) The new year is often a time of hope and optimism. However, as a Los Angeles County resident, 2025 has been a heartbreaking and challenging time. I have friends, colleagues and acquaintances who have lost their homes and possessions in the LA wildfires.
Trump thinks outside the box on Gaza. Way outside.
Palestinians make their way past the rubble of destroyed houses and buildings in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip, Jan. 21, 2025, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas reached Jan. 17.
The secret to diversity is love
I stopped daydreaming and tuned into the second reading at Mass a few weeks ago. It was a day before Martin Luther King Jr. Day and the inauguration of the president of the United States. I sat and listened to the words from 1 Corinthians 12:4-11: Brothers and sisters: There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone.
Daughters of Divine Love in Nigeria impact girls with entrepreneurial skills
Sr. Maria Kamdilichukwu Madubuonwu runs the Divino Amore Vocational Institute, an entrepreneurship center owned and managed by the Daughters of Divine Love congregation in Awka, Southeast Nigeria. Established in 1995, the institute hosts nearly 100 female students seeking to acquire knowledge in entrepreneurship and learn basic skills in baking, catering, graphic design, computer literacy and business education.
Kansas City bishop eyes 'three-peat' for charity in bishops' Super Bowl LIX wager
When it comes to the pressures associated with being the shepherd of a diocese, it doesn't get much easier than advocating for your community's football team. Such is the situation for Bishop James Johnston, who has spearheaded the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, Missouri, since 2015. On Feb. 9, Johnston's favorite football team, the Kansas City Chiefs, meets the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.
McElroy's book: An 'intellectual retreat,' that says a lot about the author
Cardinal Robert McElroy's scholarly work is one of the things that most distinguishes him. Appointed the eighth Archbishop of Washington, announced Monday, McElroy in 1989 authored a book, The Search for an American Public Theology: The Contribution of John Courtney Murray that demonstrates why his intellect is so universally admired, even by those who may disagree with him. McElroy's admiration for the Jesuit theologian is obvious on every page.
Retired nuns find new purpose in Bronx community
At 90-years-old, Sr. Marie Louise Vernimmen might be retired from formal ministry, but her life of service is far from over. When she retired in 2015, after caring for homeless women and children around the U.S., she moved to the Kittay New Jewish Home, with fellow Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The sisters chose to live here after selling their property in the Lower East Side in Manhattan when it became unsustainable to keep it.
Jimmy Carter's Christian faith inspired his fight against corruption
Since the passing of former President Jimmy Carter on Dec. 28, 2024, there have been numerous reviews of his record, both positive and negative. Two matters, however, are not in dispute, his faithfulness to Christianity and his bold enactment of groundbreaking laws against corruption. Both were intimately connected. Carter was proud to be an evangelical Christian and the first American president to welcome a pope to the White House (Pope John Paul II in 1979).
Catholic leaders raise polio awareness in Nigeria
The priest also serves as vicar general of the Sokoto Diocese. He told the National Catholic Reporter that the diocese works with sisters and other Catholic groups like Caritas to promote good hygiene practices among parishioners and members of other faiths.
The space between grief and grace
You can't rush grief or grace. After my son died, people tried to rush me through my grief. I felt pushed into stories that made others more comfortable, like the one about God having a plan, or my son being in a better place. His death devastated me, and I wasn't ready for those stories. I felt isolated and resented those well-meaning friends and neighbors who preferred my experience of grief to be tidy and swift.
Secrets, Leaks, Rivers: How Cross-Border Investigative Journalism Is Covering Africa
Like their counterparts all over the world, African investigative journalists and organizations are turning to cross-border partners to share resources, tackle massive troves of data, and increase the impact of their reporting. They do so in some of the world’s most challenging and dangerous environments for investigative journalists.
Nigeria reprime a sus periodistas en nombre de la "seguridad nacional"
Con el pretexto de velar por la seguridad nacional, Nigeria persigue y reprime a periodistas y trabajadores de la prensa. Además de detenciones arbitrarias e interrogatorios por parte de las autoridades, la Comisión Nacional de Radiodifusión (NBC), organismo regulador de la industria de la radiodifusión del país, ha multado y prohibido a varios medios de comunicación.
Citing "national security," Nigerian authorities are cracking down on journalists
Nigeria is cracking down on journalists and media workers under the guise of national security. State authorities have detained journalists and held them for questioning, and the country’s broadcast industry regulator, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), has fined and banned outlets. In its 2024 World Press Freedom Index, Reporters Without Borders ranked Nigeria countries, listing the country among the most challenging for journalists in West Africa.
INVESTIGATION: How Shell is pushing climate disinformation in Nigeria’s Niger Delta (Part I)
This investigation is the first of a year-long three-part investigative series on climate change disinformation and claims by international multinational oil companies – Shell and Eni – operating in Nigeria’s Niger Delta region. Royal Dutch Shell, the largest international oil company operating in Nigeria, is pushing climate disinformation and denials to advance its corporate interests.
UK's faith leaders call for end to anti-Muslim violence amid country's protests
People gather against an anti-immigration protest in London Aug. 7. Anti-immigration protests and counter-demonstrations broke out across England and in Northern Ireland in response to misinformation online that the suspect in the fatal stabbing of three little girls in Southport, England, July 29 was a Muslim asylum-seeker.
U.K. Race Riots Leave Nigerians Living in Fear
A little over two years ago, Steve Okeke, 34, quit his job as a store manager in Nigeria and moved to United Kingdom in search of a better life. Six months later, his wife and their 1-year-old child joined him. A little over two years ago, Steve Okeke, 34, quit his job as a store manager in Nigeria and moved to United Kingdom in search of a better life. Six months later, his wife and their 1-year-old child joined him. “We decided to embark on a life-changing adventure in a foreign land,” he said.
Las redacciones de Canadá enfrentan una honda crisis financiera
OTAWA – Los medios canadienses se encuentran atravesando una gran inestabilidad financiera y ello se traduce en despidos de sus periodistas. En diciembre, la radiotelevisión pública canadiense (CBC), anunció que suprimía 600 puestos de trabajo debido a un déficit presupuestario de 125 millones de dólares. Se suprimirán unos 200 puestos vacantes y se reducirá la programación.
Vatican OK on same-sex blessings sparks divided reactions in Africa
The Vatican's unexpected Dec. 18 declaration permitting nonliturgical blessings of same-sex couples has sparked divided reactions across the African continent, with LGBTQ activists praising the move while several local Catholic bishops' conferences have issued statements reiterating that the church still does not approve of gay marriage. Same-sex relationships remain prohibited in many African countries.
Who’s Going to Win and Lose in the Seabed Mining Race?
Mining companies seeking precious metals under the ocean floor — led by Canadian corporations — are launching a global expedition into uncharted, poorly regulated and risky territory. Announcements, Events & more from Tyee and select partners Will Journalism Survive? The question is debatable. But we can do something to make sure it does. Advocates say deep-sea mining would produce a fraction of the carbon emissions of traditional mining.
Newsonomics: Forget the link tax. Focus on one key metric to “save local news”
Is the link tax dead? The Canadian government, faced by heavy opposition from many news publishers, blinked Wednesday when regulators and Google agreed to an “exemption” from the controversial Online News Act, set to take effect Dec. 18.
The Israeli government has Haaretz newspaper in its sights as it tightens the screws on media freedom
The Israeli government is putting pressure on the left-leaning newspaper Haaretz to line up in support of the government in its conduct of the war in Gaza.
“African media houses must do more investigative reporting to stay relevant”
This article was originally published by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism. Manasseh Azure Awuni is the editor-in-chief of The Fourth Estate, a nonprofit, public-interest, investigative journalism project of the Media Foundation for West Africa. Since its launch in 2021, The Fourth Estate has produced in-depth investigations exposing corruption in Ghana. The goal of the project is to promote independent and critical research-based journalism that holds those in power to account.
Northwestel, Whitehorse firefighters charity launch 2023 toy drive
Northwestel and the Whitehorse Firefighters Charitable Society have launched their annual holiday toy drive. Between Nov. 14 and Dec. 11, toy donations are being collected at Northwestel’s retail store on Second Avenue in downtown Whitehorse for the Share the Spirit campaign. Share the Spirit benefits 500 families and approximately 1,000 children across the territory during the holiday season.
Trans Awareness Week under way in the Yukon
The trans community in the territory is celebrating Trans Awareness Week through a series of events. Queer Yukon Society described the awareness week on its website as a chance to “celebrate our trans friends, family members, neighbours and selves and take real action in support of trans folk.
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