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HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Nigeria is a country geographically located in the western part of Africa. It is a multi-religious country which predominantly comprises Christians and Muslims, among others. Over the years, Nigeria has become reputable in the Christian world for being blessed with vocations of mammoth proportions, which is often referred to as “vocation boom” in the country. Put differently, Nigeria is a country that is famous for her numerous vocations; both vocations to priesthood and religious life. In Africa, Nigeria became the first privileged country to experience the dividends of the trailblazing charism of Fr. Justin, when a group of Italian vocationist missionaries arrived the country in the year 1991 for the purpose of establishing the Nigerian mission of the Vocationist Fathers and Brothers. This mission was however initiated in the late 1980s by Fr. Louis M. Caputo, SDV, who through the help of then newly consecrated bishop of Ahiara diocese, His Excellency, Most Rev. Dr. Victor Chikwe formally established the congregation on October 4, 1991 in Ahiara diocese. www.ahiaradiocese.org Just like Fr. Justin who after an aborted attempt at his father’s residence began the congregation in the parish rectory (of St. George, Pianura), the historical account of the Nigerian mission cannot be successfully relayed without bringing to the fore, Christ the King Catholic Parish (C.K.C.), Mpam-Owere in Ahiara diocese, where the first vocationist missionaries settled temporarily and admitted the pioneer set of candidates. Four of these candidates were ordained to the priesthood as the pioneer Nigerian vocationist priests on August 18, 2001 at C.K.C. Parish, Mpam-Owere. However, these first Italian vocationist missionaries to Nigeria namely; Fr. Alphonso Limone, SDV (the first delegate of the Superior-General to the Nigerian mission) and Fr. Nicola Caradente, SDV (the first Novice Master) who lived and worked in Nigeria for 10 years (1991 – 2001) are deservedly to receive accolade for their unflagging spirit of perseverance and love for vocations in Africa, vis-ŕ-vis Nigeria. Through the help of divine providence, the congregation in 1992 erected her first vocationary (formation house) in Nigeria known as “Our Lady of Divine Vocations Vocationary” at Oparanadim in Ahiazu Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State, Nigeria (also in Ahiara diocese). This house has continued to be recognized as the motherhouse of the congregation in Nigeria. Again, in order to further extend her tentacles to accommodate vocations from different parts of the country, the Nigerian fathers in the year 1998 moved for the establishment of another vocationary in the western part of the country. This latter community, which was to serve as the students’ house of the congregation, was initially sited at Arigidi (close old Bodija) in the archdiocese of Ibadan, and later at a permanent site in Inu-Odi village of Ido Local Government Area of Oyo State (also in Ibadan archdiocese). The Nigerian vocationist students formally settled in this large community, known as “Fr. Justin Russolillo’s Vocationary,” on October 5, 2004. This community presently houses about 80 professed brothers, undergoing formation and studying (Philosophy and Theology) for the priesthood at the diocesan major seminary – Seminary of Saints Pater and Paul, Bodija in Ibadan. GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
Since 1991, the Nigerian vocationist family has recorded a tremendous membership growth of about 165 members ranging from priests to postulants; the congregation presently has the membership capacity of about 80 professed brothers, 15 novices, 15 postulants, and 35 priests (working within and outside Nigeria). Furthermore, on Monday, August 27, 2007, the Nigerian mission of the Vocationist Fathers and Brothers Congregation was formally elevated to the status of a Regional Delegation by the Superior-General of the congregation, Very Rev. Fr. Louis M. Caputo, SDV. According to Fr. Caputo, this was an evident indication of the accelerated growth of the Nigerian mission since 1991. “The Congregation of the Society of Divine Vocations and I, have placed faith and trust in you (the Nigerian Vocationist Fathers and Brothers), and have decided to raise the Nigerian mission to a Delegation,” said Fr. Caputo in a preliminary speech with which he formally declared the Nigerian mission a delegation while addressing a general council of the Nigerian vocationist family, during his visit to Nigeria in August 2007. {Culled from THE GUIDE Newspapers of the Catholic diocese of Ahiara, Sept. 9, 2007}. “I love the Nigerian Vocationists, and I want them to grow. Tremendous progress has been made in Nigeria…. and I hope and pray that the government of the new regional delegation will be more responsible in order to continue on the path of its qualitative growth,” Fr. Caputo further told THE GUIDE Newspapers later in an interview. The members of the Nigerian Delegation Council include; Fr. Jonathan Eburuche, SDV (Regional Delegate, who is also the present Novice Master of Nigeria), Fr. Emmanuel Chikwendu, SDV (Secretary, also the rector of Oparanadim community), and Fr. Anthony Ezeh, SDV (Treasurer, also the rector of Ibadan community). VOCATIONIST APOSTOLATE IN NIGERIA
Vocationary Work in Nigeria: Presently, the Nigerian fathers run two vocationaries (formation houses) in the country. These houses – Our Lady of Divine Vocations Vocationary, Oparandim and Fr. Justin Russolillo Vocationary, Ido – are situated in the eastern and western parts of the country respectively. The geographical placements of these houses are well orchestrated to ensure that the congregation reasonably lives up to her charism in the country by opening and making accessible, her doors to vocations from different parts of the country. This arrangement has however continued to yield the desired result, in line with the charismatic goal of Fr. Justin, as the Nigerian vocationist family can today boast of members from different ethnic backgrounds in the country. The congregation also has among her members, people from other countries like Cameroon and Democratic Republic of Congo (Congo DR). Also, the doors of these vocationaries still remain open to members from different parts of Nigeria and neighbouring countries in Africa. The Parish Ministry: The parish ministry, in the spirit of Fr. Justin, has always been adjudged a veritable and viable field of apostolate in the work of carrying out the charismatic task of the congregation. The Nigerian fathers are also fully engaged in the parish work and can boast of four parishes where they function as parish priests and assistants. These parishes include: St. Peter’s Catholic Parish, Isiala-Oparanadim (Ahiara diocese), Our Lady of Fatima Parish, Uruagu (Nnewi diocese), St. John the Evangelist Parish, Uromi (Uromi diocese), and St. Patrick’s Parish, Owode-Ikorodu (Lagos archdiocese). Religious Education: In recent times, the vocationist fathers in Nigeria have become peculiar for their work of religious education, especially those germane to vocations. The fathers teach novices of different religious congregations such as Vocationist Sisters (Nigeria), Daughters of the Precious Blood of Jesus Congregation, Daughters of Divine Providence for Deaf and Dumb, among others. They also preach and direct retreats in the dioceses where they are located. Media Evangelism (The Vocationists’ Search Magazine): During his lifetime, Fr. Justin was revered as a great writer, whose penetrating spiritual works immensely contributed to the enhancement of the congregation’s charism and spirituality. The Nigerian fathers also inherited this intellectual patrimony, as her members (both fathers and brothers) had over the years, authored and published over 70 books on diverse areas of spiritual, religious, ecclesiastical, and social life, among others. Furthermore, in December 2005, the Nigeria family, having recognized the veritable role of the print media in the charismatic work of the congregation, launched a magazine known as The Vocationists’ Search Magazine. This creative venture came as a pragmatic move to enhance the charism of the congregation in order to adequately address the ensuing problems of the vocation climate of Nigeria occasioned by vocation boom as well as vocation crisis in the country. The Vocationists’ Search Magazine, which (for now) is in circulation within the country, is further designed to propagate the charism of the congregation as well as edify its audience on different areas of life, especially those apropos to vocation. Vocation Counseling and Discernment: The Nigerian vocationist fathers are also renowned in the country as experts in vocation counseling and discernment. Since 1993, thousands of aspirants from different parts of Nigeria and beyond had thronged the various vocationaries of the congregation and parishes, as the case may be, where they always receive lectures and counseling on matters of vocation. Many of them always attend our monthly vocation conferences known ‘Vocation Discernment Programme’, which is organized by the fathers every first Saturday of the month for the purpose of educating aspirants on diverse areas of vocation ranging from vocation to priesthood/religious life to vocation to the lay life. PROSPECTS AND CHALLENGES To God be the glory that the Vocationist Fathers and Brothers Congregation, with her wonderful charism, has come stay in Nigeria. We are poised to making the charismatic goal of Fr. Justin a consolidated reality in Nigeria, and by so doing, continue to furnish the universal church with more qualitative and holy vocations for the work of universal sanctification. Though the work in Nigeria has always been attacked and sometimes seemed to be discouraged by financial straits, we will by the grace of God still remain undeterred, and as a matter of charism, always optimize the merits of the vocation boom in Nigeria to the greater glory of God and credit of Fr. Justin as well as his congregation. We continue to depend on good spirited individuals who have interest to cooperate with us in the work of universal sanctification, by way of financial support for vocations in Nigeria. Thousands of genuine vocations still lie un-harvested in Nigeria, and it has always been our desire to attend to a good number of these vocations, but we have often been limited on account of inadequate financial wherewithal for this work. We can always attain the apogee in our work of vocations only with the cooperative assistance of the people God.
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The Congregation
of the Society of Divine Vocations (Vocationist Fathers and
Brothers) is a religious congregation of priests and brothers
founded by Venerable Father Justin Mary Russolillo with the
charismatic raison d'ętre of loving and caring for divine vocations.
During his lifetime, Fr. Justin in his religious zest and ineffable
love for vocations expressed strong desire to extend the tentacles
of the congregation to the different continents of the world,
including Africa. This dream of his, especially for Africa, was to
be materialized in Nigeria 36 years after his glorious call to
eternity. 
The over 16 years
of the existence of the Vocationist Fathers in Nigeria has recorded
a profound simultaneous growth in her activities and membership. The
congregation had within this period produced and sent over 25
vocationist missionaries (priests) of Nigerian origin to
Philippines, Madagascar, India, Argentina, Ecuador, Columbia, Italy,
and United States. In Nigeria, the congregation is spread around
five dioceses of the country viz. Ahiara, Nnewi, Uromi, Ibadan, and
Lagos (arch)dioceses, where the fathers are found running formation
houses and parishes. 