Meet New National Coordinator CCRN

By Matthews Otalike, National Communication Commission

This is Brother Celestine Ugwu, the news National Coordinator of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in Nigeria. He was elected on the night of 22nd March 2025, following the dissolution of the former executive committee that was constituted in 2021. The one-term leadership for all lay apostolate organizations in Nigeria was the directive of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, a decision taken to put to rest the rancour in most organizations created largely by self perpetuating leaders.

Brother Celestine Ugwu joined the Christ the Redeemer Catholic Charismatic Renewal Prayer Group in the Holy Family Catholic Cathedral Sokoto in 1994. He went through the Life in the Spirit Seminars and was assigned to the Teaching Ministry. He served creditably and other teachers later entrusted him with the responsibility of leading the Ministry as the Leader. In that position, he joined the Service Team of the Prayer Group. In an election, he was entrusted with the role of Treasurer of the Prayer Group.

Over time, Brother Cele, as he was fondly called, rose to become the Coordinator of the Christ the Redeemer prayer group. As member of the Sokoto Diocesan Service Team of the CCRN, he was appointed Publicity Secretary, Treasurer, and Vice-Chairman of the Diocese at different times and later became the Chairman of the Diocesan Service Team.

As Chairman of the Diocesan Service Team, he was elected Financial Secretary, a position he held until he was later elected as Coordinator of the Kaduna Provincial Service of Communion. That is the position he held until members of the National Service of Communion, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, elected him as the National Coordinator of the CCRN.

Back home in Sokoto, the Kaduna Provincial Chaplain of the CCRN, Very Rev. Fr. Chukwubueze Onyekwelu, who is the Vicar General for Priests in Sokoto Diocese, presented him to the Bishop of the Diocese, Most Rev. Dr. Matthew Hassan Kukah who imparted on him, his episcopal blessing to function in the power of the Holy Spirit.