The official history of the Catholic Diocese of Kano began in the second decade of the Twentieth Century. By 1915, many Catholics have been resident in Kano. The first Baptism, which was that of Anna Beecroft, administered by Fr Alphonse Berlioux, a priest from Lokoja, took place on 24th August, 1915 as recorded in the Baptism register of St Joseph Parish, Kaduna. Also between 1916 and 1918, anoth
er priest, Fr Berengario Cermenati paid several visits to Kano. However, Oral and written history witness that Christianity entered Kano in the 16th century “through the trans-Saharan trade routes, which were patronized by Christian communities of the River Nile region”. A recorded attempt was by a Franciscan Friar, Brother Peter Farde (OFM) from Belgium in 1688, who was captured at Sea and made to become a slave to a Muslim master in Agadez, North of Kano”. The official founder of the Catholic Church in Kano was Msgr Oswald Waller SMA, who paid his first visit to Kano on December 15th, 1918. This first visit was precipitated by the call of Catholic Clerks and traders resident in Kano, who had began to make series of requests for the building of a Catholic Church in Kano. After his visit, Msgr Waller SMA applied for the permission to build a Church in Kano in 1919. This request was granted on13th April, 1922. It is on that note, that the first Church of the Diocese, St. Elizabeth Church, was build and officially Commissioned on 3rd May, 1925 alongside the first priests’ resident in Kano “Bethany House” by the Prefect Apostolic Msgr O. Waller SMA. With his health challenges increasing, Msgr Waller SMA returned to France for treatment, while Fr. Alphonse Schahl SMA joined as Pro-Prefect. In 1929, Kano became the headquarters of the Prefecture of Northern Nigeria, which embraced all Nigeria North of Rivers Niger and Benue, with Msgr Francis O’Rourke SMA as Prefect Apostolic. From thence until after independence, the Church in Kano could not make any meaningful progress among indigenes. In 1934, when the political headquarters of the Northern Nigeria moved from Zungeru to Kaduna, Kano Prefecture, which is the first Prefecture of the Northern Nigeria, was divided into the Prefectures of Kaduna and Jos, and Kano lost its position as the Apostolic Prefecture of Northern Nigeria to Kaduna. As Kano mission fell under Kaduna Prefecture, Msgr Thomas Hughes SMA, who stayed briefly in Kano, moved to Kaduna, the new headquarters as the Prefect Apostolic. Even though Kano lost the seat of ecclesiastical powers to Kaduna and Jos, gradual developments and Church presence began to show. Catholic schools were built: St. Louise sisters arrived Kano in 1948 and built the St. Louis Primary and Secondary schools. This was followed shortly by St Thomas Secondary school. Furthermore, the building of Our Lady of Fatima Parish, which is now the Cathedral started in 1954, this was concluded with the dedication in 1956. Catholic missionary activities into the rural areas began in 1968, “When Fr. Malachy Gately SMA made the first move to evangelise the indigenes of Kano. He was able to pe*****te some rural areas with the help of some catechists from Kaduna.” Gately was succeeded by Sean Hayes SMA, who became the first priest to live among the Maguzawa people of Kano. In October 1991, Kano was carved out of the Archdiocese of Kaduna as an independent Mission (Missio Sui Juris). And Revd. John Francis Brown SMA was appointed its superior. This independence “made Kano to rise up to the new demands and challenges. Kano became an Apostolic Vicariate in 1996, with Bishop Patrick Sheehan OSA who was transferred from Yola Diocese, as local ordinary. In July, 1996, Kano was raised to the status of Apostolic Vicariate, and Bishop Patrick Francis Sheehan OSA, formerly the Bishop of Yola Diocese, was appointed its bishop. Kano was made a Diocese in July 1999 with Bishop Patrick F. Sheehan OSA as it first bishop. Bishop Sheehan OSA, an Augustinian Missionary from Ireland, had served the Old Diocese of Yola for forty years as priest out of which twenty five years were as a bishop. In 1997, Kano broke records with the priestly ordination of the first indigene, Fr. Maurice Koli Hassan, from Nasarawan Kuki, who was baptized as an infant by Fr. Sean Hayes SMA in 1970. On June 26th 1999, the second Maguzawa preist, Fr. Linus Ubale was ordained. Ubale was from Refawa parish, founded by Fr. Michael Waters on the outskirts of Kano. On July 16th, 1999, Kano became a Diocese, with Rt Revd Patrick Francis Sheehan OSA as first Bishop. Bishop Sheehan OSA, who died on 13th November, 2012, retired in 2008. He was then succeeded by Rt Revd Dr John Namaza Niyiring OSA, who was consecrated and installed as Bishop of Kano on May 13th 2008. Bishop John Namaza Niyiring OSA, a Nigerian Augustinian, is today the second but the first Nigerian Bishop of Kano. Bishop Namaza OSA was welcomed two months after his installation with a religious riot in Tudum Wada Deanery where Churches, Christian schools, houses businesses and lives were lost to the incredibly hostile Muslims. Bishop John Niyiring OSA, within the few years of his coming has expanded pastoral activities into the interior parts of the Diocese. Kano has been blessed today with increase in vocation on the part of the indigenes, followed by education and economic empowerment. There are altogether (thirty six) 36 Parishes across the Diocese, which spread over Kano and Jigawa States of Nigeria.
