BRIEF HISTORY OF DIVINE MERCY MINOR SEMINARY MAKURDI
Divine Mercy Minor Seminary (DMMS) Makurdi, Benue State is located along Makurdi – Aliade road, sharing boundary with Pope John Paul II Pastoral Center and St. Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary, Makurdi. It was founded by the Catholic Bishop of Makurdi Diocese, Most Revd Wilfred Chikpa Anagbe, Cmf, in September 2016 – during the extraordinary jubilee year of Mercy that was proclaimed by the supreme Pontiff Pope Francis to be observed from the Solemnity of Immaculate Conception, 8th December, 2015 through the Solemnity of Christ the King, 20th November, 2016. Read More
Inspired and drawing its name from his grace-filled period of the Church, Divine Mercy Minor Seminary was established by Bishop Anagbe in accordance with Canon 234 $I to “…promote vocations by providing a special religious formation, allied to human and scientific education”. Hence, “where the diocesan Bishop considers it expedient, he is to provide for the establishment of a Minor Seminary or similar institution”.
The area covered by the Minor Seminary is part of the former St. James’ Junior Seminary Makurdi in the then Kaduna Ecclesiastical Province. However, when Kaduna Ecclesiastical Province established St. Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary Jos, it became necessary that the Minor Seminary be shifted that same year to Aliade where it was housed by Mt. St. Micheal’s Secondary School for a period of seven years (1986-1993) before moving to Yandev-Gboko, its permanent site. Moreover, with the creation of Gboko and Katsina-Ala Dioceses out of Makurdi Diocese on Sunday 29th December, 2012, St. James Junior Seminary falls under the jurisdiction of Gboko Diocese. Thus, there was a compelling need to have a Minor Seminary in the Diocese to foster “a special religious formation”.
OUR MISSION
Our mission is nothing but to give an integral formation that aims at integrating the human, spiritual, intellectual and healthy moral life so as to provide the humus for cultivating the basic principles of a Christian life.
OUR VISION
Our vision is to:-
- Motivate our students in nothing but the furtherance of the kingdom of God.
- Inculcate spiritual vision of greatness on our learners.
- Educate and empower our immediate community and the society at large.
- Supervise and painstakingly assess our candidates with outstanding pedigree.
THE RECTOR AND MANAGEMENT STAFF OF DIVINE MERCY MINOR SEMINARY (DMMS)
REV. FR. MARCELLINUS MARY OPARAJI, Cmf
Rector, Divine Mercy Minor Seminary Makurdi
MRS. VICTORIA OJILE
Acting Dean of Studies
MRS. GLORIA IKYAAN
Asst. Acting Dean of Studies