09/07/2026
BISHOP HILARY NANMAM DACHELEM CMF MEETS WITH CARDINAL DOMENICO BATTAGLIA
On this day, the 9th of July, 2026, Bishop Hilary Nanman Dachelem, CMF, paid a fraternal visit to His Eminence, Cardinal Domenico Battaglia, Archbishop of Naples (Napoli), Italy, in a moment of ecclesial communion, pastoral fraternity, and shared commitment to the Gospel.
During his visit to southern Italy for medical care, Bishop Hilary took the opportunity to meet with the Cardinal to discuss matters of pastoral importance and strengthen the bonds of communion between the local Church in Bauchi and the Archdiocese of Naples. The visit was marked by warm fraternity, mutual encouragement, and a shared vision of serving Christ through humble and compassionate pastoral ministry.
Popularly known as "Don Mimmo" and affectionately called the "Street Priest," Cardinal Domenico Battaglia is one of the most respected pastors in the Catholic Church today. He is widely admired for his simple lifestyle, his closeness to the poor, and his unwavering emphasis on mercy, compassion, and social justice. Many regard him as one of the Church leaders whose pastoral ministry most closely reflects the vision of Pope Francis: a Church that goes forth to the peripheries, accompanies the wounded, and proclaims hope to those most in need.
Born on 20 January 1963 in Satriano, Calabria, Italy, Cardinal Battaglia studied philosophy and theology at the Pontifical Regional Seminary of San Pio X in Catanzaro before being ordained a priest on 6 February 1988.
Long before becoming a bishop, he distinguished himself through a ministry of charity and accompaniment. For more than twenty-six years, he has dedicated himself to working among vulnerable people, especially young men and women caught in the destructive cycles of drug abuse, chemical addiction, alcoholism, and drug trafficking. He has devoted his priestly life to helping recovering addicts, prisoners, homeless persons, impoverished families, and young people living on the margins of society to rediscover their dignity and hope.
As director of the Calabrian Solidarity Centre (CeIS) for many years and later as National President of the Italian Federation of Therapeutic Communities, he became renowned for his tireless efforts to rehabilitate lives broken by addiction and social exclusion. It is this extraordinary ministry that earned him the affectionate title "the Father of the Street Boys" or "the Street Priest," because he has consistently chosen to walk alongside those whom society often neglects rather than remain distant from them. His life is a living testimony to the Gospel he preaches.
Recognizing his remarkable pastoral gifts, Pope Francis appointed him Bishop of Cerreto Sannita–Telese–Sant'Agata de' Goti in 2016. On 12 December 2020, he was appointed Archbishop of Naples (Napoli), one of Italy's most historic and influential archdioceses, officially taking canonical possession of the see on 2 February 2021.
His faithful service to the Church was further recognized when Pope Francis created him a Cardinal during the Consistory of 7 December 2024, assigning him the titular church of San Marco in Agro Laurentino in Rome.
Cardinal Battaglia's episcopal ministry is characterized by remarkable simplicity, humility, and pastoral closeness. He is known for regularly visiting prisons, hospitals, poor neighbourhoods, and communities on the margins, reminding the faithful that the Church must always remain close to those who suffer. He has consistently called for dialogue, reconciliation, hope, and peace while speaking courageously against organized crime, violence, corruption, and every form of social injustice affecting southern Italy.
His episcopal motto, "Confide, surge, vocat te"—"Take heart; rise, He is calling you" (Mark 10:49)—beautifully summarizes his mission of encouraging those who feel forgotten to encounter the healing and liberating call of Christ.
Today, as Archbishop of Naples and a member of the Vatican's Dicastery for Evangelization, Cardinal Battaglia continues to inspire Catholics throughout the world through his witness of evangelical simplicity and compassionate leadership.
The visit of Bishop Hilary Nanman Dachelem, CMF, to Cardinal Battaglia therefore represents more than a courtesy call. It reflects the communion that unites bishops across the universal Church and provides an opportunity for mutual encouragement in their shared mission of proclaiming the Gospel, serving God's people, and building a Church rooted in mercy, justice, hope, and love.
The meeting was also significant in light of the growing relationship between the Catholic Diocese of Bauchi and the Archdiocese of Naples. By the grace of God, Cardinal Domenico Battaglia is expected to visit the Catholic Diocese of Bauchi next year to ordain priests and commission the College of Nursing and Allied Sciences, an occasion that promises to further strengthen the bonds of faith and collaboration between the two local Churches.
May this encounter bear abundant spiritual fruits for the Church in Naples, the Catholic Diocese of Bauchi, and the entire People of God, inspiring all to embrace the Gospel with renewed zeal, charity, and hope.
God be praised!
🙏🏾🙌🏾🙏🏾
