1. HISTORICAL LANDSCAPES.
Seat of Wisdom Seminary, Owerri is an ecclesiastical institution established for the training of young men for the Catholic priesthood. With growth in the number of vocations to the priesthood in the province, the bishops of the then Onitsha Ecclesiastical Province deemed it fit to forward a proposal to the Propaganda Fide for the opening of a new seminary. The subsequent approval of this proposal in 1982 was the genesis of this seminary.
The name “Seat of Wisdom” is the brain child of her first Rector, Very Rev. Fr. (now Msgr.) Dr. Theophilus Okere, who at the time of his appointment to the rectorial seat of the new seminary in 1984, was the Rector of “Bigard’s first daughter” at Ikot-Ekpene (now St. Joseph’s Major Seminary). While the efforts to secure a land for the permanent site were still in process, the then Local Ordinary of the Catholic Diocese of Owerri – Rt. Rev. Dr. Mark Onwuha Unegbu – provided a temporary site for the seminary at 160 Wetheral Road Owerri near the Carmelite Monastery in Owerri. Hence, the new seminary effectively opened for the first time on the 15th day of November, 1985 at this make-shift site with a hundred and two (102) pioneer seminarians and four priests on the Staff namely: Rev. Fr. Dr. T.I. Okere (Rector), Rev. Fr. Dr. Clement Ginikanwa Obielu (Vice Rector), Rev. Fr. Dominic Okafor (Spiritual Director), and Rev. Fr. Dr. Fredrick Nnabuife (Bursar). Thus, Seat of Wisdom Seminary set sail aboard the sea of a checked history which is shaped by a four-pronged mission (Spiritual, Pastoral, Academic, and Human) - a history characterized by glorious as well as turbulent trails; and at the same time daunted by providential, persistent as well as gracious motivations – all with the sole purpose of training successive bands of personnel for the Catholic priestly ministry.
For five interesting teething years following its foundation (1984 – 1989), Seat of Wisdom Seminary sojourned in this temporary site. The visit of the Cardinal Prefect of the Propaganda Fide, His Eminence Joseph Cardinal Tomko, to the new seminary on October 31, 1986 added more ecclesiastical hues of relevance for the sojourn at the temporary site. Such that later on, at the permanent site, one of the Hostel buildings would be named after this Cardinal as a gesture of engraving his significance in the history of our seminary.
The movement to her permanent site, was finally effected on October 30, 1989 on which same date the seminarians commenced the 1989/1990 Academic and Formation Year. The permanent site of the seminary was registered under the Land Perpetual Succession Act Cap. 98 of the Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It is worthy of note that the Federal Government of Nigeria also did express some gestures of support and encouragement at this early stage of the relocation to the permanent site as the road connecting the Seat of Wisdom Seminary to the Aba – Owerri expressway was tarred and commissioned within few weeks of this relocation. With the dawn of a new phase of history for the young seminary, more tutorial and administrative personnel were injected into the college of formators to adequately respond to the new challenges of the newly occupied permanent settlement. This included: Rev. Fr. Dr. T.I. Okere (Rector), Rev. Fr. Dr. C.G. Obielu (Vice Rector), Rev. Fr. John Iwe (bursar), Rev. Fr. Oliver Onwubiko, Rev. Fr. Mark Njoku (administrative dean) Rev. Fr. Prof. Richard Onwuanibe (dean of studies), Rev. Fr. Kevin Madu (spiritual director) Rev. Fr. Dr. Echeagu (liturgist), Rev. Fr. Dr. Cyril Akalonu (spiritual director), Rev. Fr. Donatus Ike, Rev. Fr. Martin Elekwachi (administrative dean), Rev. Fr. Victor Ifeanyi (administrative dean) Rev. Fr. Dr. Simon Amateze, etc. Men, who, devoted to their ministry, and for the love of God and the Church, denied themselves the goodies of life for the growth of the seminary. However, it must be noted that, right from inception, the staffing of Seat of Wisdom Seminary has been expectantly fluidal since re-assignments of priests by their Local Ordinaries are made according as needs indicate.
The formal inauguration of the seminary at her permanent site took place on Saturday the 6th day of January, 1990 with the visit of Friedrick Cardinal Wetter, the Archbishop of Munich and Freising, West Germany. The inauguration event drew to our seminary such luminous personalities like: Francis Cardinal Arinze, eleven bishops from all over the country, many priests and seminarians, Rtd. Justice Chukwudiufu Oputa, the then Imo State Military Governor, Commander Amadi Ikwechegh, etc.
Presently, the Seminary has Very Rev. Fr. Dr. John Chijioke Iwe as the Rector with Rev. Fr. Dr. Benedict Okike and Rev. Fr. Dr. Bernard Ukwuegbu recently elected as the Vice Rectors I and II respectively.
On Saturday, the 12th of December 1992 this seminary joyfully celebrated the first graduation/ordination into the clerical state of her pioneer Deacons. This took place in the Seat of Wisdom Seminary Main Chapel and they were the first fruits of her labour. The Ordaining Prelate was the then bishop of Owerri Diocese, Rt. Rev. Dr. Mark O. Unegbu. The Acting Rector then was Rev. Fr. Dr. Clement Ginikanwa Obielu (who later would succeed the first Rector Rev. Fr. Dr. T.I. Okere, then on sabbatical leave). The total number of Deacons ordained at that auspicious ceremony was forty-five, springing from the various Dioceses of Aba (three), Ahiara (five), Awka (seven), Enugu (two), Nsukka (one), Okigwe (four), Onitsha (eleven), Orlu (four), Owerri (five), Umuahia (three), and Uyo (one). In 1993, Seat of Wisdom gave birth to her first set of priests. This was a feat of great significance as it marked the beginning of a continuous fruition of the concerted efforts of the pioneer team of formators whose “tears, sweat, and blood” laid the solid foundations on which wisdom Family majestically stands to take her current stock of over six hundred catholic priests, a few thousands of polished citizens and convinced Christians, a current population of about five hundred and seventy-seven seminarians and most spectacularly a daughter Philosophy Campus at Umuahia, Abia State – Nigeria, which was opened on 27th February, 2006 and whose rector, presently, is Rev. Fr. Dr. Eugene Azorji.
Currently our seminary has a total population of five hundred and seventy-seven (577) seminarians drawn from various dioceses and religious congregations across Nigeria including Owerri Archdiocese, Umuahia diocese, Orlu diocese, Okigwe diocese, Ahiara diocese, Aba diocese, Port Harcourt diocese Ikot-Ekpene diocese, Uyo Diocese, Sons of Mary Mother of Mercy Congregation, Missionaries of the Sacred Hearts, Congregation of Christ the Emmanuelite, Society of Divine Vocations and Order of Mother of God.
We are full of praises to God Almighty for the heights already attained by Seat of Wisdom Seminary, Owerri since its inception. These heights constitute the uniqueness of the Seat of Wisdom family. This family tries to thrive in discipline, good work, excellence and in some qualitative priestly formation.
