Bishop Anagbe visits Spiritan Heritage Centre in Scotland

As part of his pastoral mission to Scotland, His Lordship, Most Rev Dr Wilfred Anagbe, CMF, of the Catholic Diocese of Makurdi, Nigeria, made a significant courtesy visit to the Spiritan Community in Carfin on Wednesday, April 9, 2025. The bishop was accompanied by Fr. Remigius Ihyula and chauffeured by Fr. Emmanuel Ikpa, both of whom are also Nigerian clergy. Their visit was marked with a deep appreciation for the Spiritan legacy that has bound the Irish, British, and African missions together for over a century.

The Carfin Spiritan Community holds a unique position as the motherhouse of the Spiritans in Scotland, under the British Province, with Fr Ugo Ikwuka CSSp, as the Provincial Superior. At present, the community comprises five priests and a scholastic: Fr. John McFadden, CSSp (the local superior, once a missionary in Makurdi, Nigeria), Fr. Godfrey Odigbo, CSSp, Fr. Paddy Gaffney[ 33 years a Missionary in Otukpo Diocese, Nigeria], CSSp, Fr. Thomas Wilberforce, CSSp, Fr. Oluwafemi Victor Orilua, CSSp, and Valentine Nwafor, CSSp. The Carfin residence includes various facilities such as the Little Flower Hall, a charity shop, and the Spiritan Heritage Centre, a repository of Spiritan missionary history and memory.

A key highlight of the bishop’s visit was his deep interest in the Spiritan Heritage Centre. This archive, lovingly maintained under the care of Fr. Bernard Waave, CSSp, serves as a historical sanctuary, preserving records, artifacts, and memorabilia from Spiritan missions around the world, with a particular focus on Africa. Led by Fr. John McFadden, Bishop Anagbe toured the archive, engaging with the history that binds the Irish and British Spiritans to the African Church, especially in Nigeria. 

Among the treasures of the archive are documents and objects that tell the story of early missionary efforts, particularly those of Bishop Joseph Shanahan, CSSp, an Irish missionary who arrived in Nigeria in 1902. Bishop Shanahan became a towering figure in the evangelisation of Southern Nigeria. His missionary approach combined faith with social development through education and healthcare. Understanding the importance of indigenous participation, he founded the Congregation of the Holy Rosary Sisters in 1924, a fully African religious congregation dedicated to teaching, nursing, and catechetical work. His legacy laid the foundation for a self-sustaining local Church, which today continues to bear fruit through Nigerian missionaries serving around the globe, including in the British Province.

Bishop Anagbe’s visit was not only historical but also deeply pastoral. He was in Scotland to deliver a keynote address at a conference organized by Aid to the Church in Need, focusing on the plight of Christians in Africa, particularly in northern Nigeria, where violence and religious persecution continue to claim innocent lives. His presence reminded the faithful in Scotland of the urgent need for solidarity and support in the face of global Christian suffering.

To crown the visit, Bishop Anagbe and his entourage made a brief pilgrimage to the nearby Carfin Grotto, one of Scotland’s most treasured Catholic shrines. Founded in 1922 by Canon Thomas Taylor, the grotto is a replica of the Lourdes Grotto in France and serves as a place of prayer, peace, and healing. Surrounded by beautiful altars, statues, and tranquil gardens, it welcomes thousands of pilgrims annually. Interestingly, the Spiritans now reside in the former rectory of Canon Taylor himself, a symbolic continuation of the missionary spirit that built both the shrine and the Spiritan presence in Carfin.

Bishop Anagbe’s visit to the Spiritan community in Carfin was a poignant reminder of the deep historical connections between the early Spiritan missionaries and the flourishing African Church. It was also a call to renewed missionary zeal, global solidarity, and unwavering faith in the face of today’s challenges