By Linda Kor
There are many people from our community who go off to far away lands to serve others, but it is not often that we expect someone to travel great distances to serve us here in Holbrook. Two months ago, Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish received a new priest who has done just that.
Father Anthony Dike (pronounce Deekay) has left his native lands in Nigeria in order to sustain and impart the word of God to parishioners in Holbrook.
His arrival necessitated an enormous transition from his previous home as he adjusts to a new environ-ment and lifestyle so different from what he has known.
Among the immediate changes were the eight-hour time difference and isolation. Both have taken some time to adjust to, as has the change in environment.
“In Nigeria it is very green and with a lot of vegetation with the temperatures warmer, like in Phoenix. We eat some of the same foods, such as rice and beans, but not many. Some of the fruits are the same, like we have banana trees but we eat more plantain, which is a very similar fruit,” he explained.
Dike, who has been a priest for 11 years, says that the living circumstances are very different here com-pared to his previous home.
“In Nigeria we have many priests living in one building and there are boys that do the cleaning, cooking and laundry, we are always in our calling. The people in the town come to visit every day so we can minister to them. If no one sees you for a day, they think something is wrong and come looking for you,” he said with a grin.
The method of ministering is also different in his homeland.
“In Nigeria as a priest you are expected to be very firm and talk tough in your ministry as you tell peo-ple what they should be doing. Here it is much different, much more gentle and soft,” explained the priest.
Due to cultural differences, there are aspects of living that are different as well.
“In Nigeria, if a woman gives birth to a baby, the women that are close to her rub powder over their face and arms so that people in the community will know a baby has been born and they can ask these women about this because the mother does not leave the home until some time after the birth,” Dike ex-plained.
The warm reception he has received from the community has softened some of the changes that Dike has had to make.
“The people in the community have been very kind. Parishioners have brought me plantain and even a CD of African music, which I listen to every morning,” stated Dike.
When asked what he appreciates the most about being in the U.S., Dike said it was the way we protect life.
“There is so much protection of life here on the roads. There are signs showing how to travel and speed signs. In Nigeria we have no signs like that and no laws in place to protect life. You drive as fast as you like and if someone has been drinking alcohol, then there is nothing you can do if they decide to drive a car,” he noted.
The priest receives phone calls from his hometown in Enyiogugu Mbaise, daily, mostly just to see how he is and if he is eating well. He also has a fellow Nigerian priest, Father Kingsley Georg-Obilonu of St. Peters Catholic Church in Springerville, who also recently arrived in the U.S., whom he is in regular con-tact with.
“We attended seminary together, so we know each other well, and we talk about the things we miss and how different it is here,” stated Dike.
While still in Nigeria, Dike said the priests had concerns over the potential of racism in U.S. and how that could be overcome.
“It was a discussion that we had and one that we had real concerns about, but there has been nothing at all to indicate a problem. We are of one mind and skin color has not been an issue. It has been very nice,” he said.
As Dike adjusts to his new life he is grateful for all of his parishioners who have attended church and made him feel welcome. All individuals interested in attending Mass are invited and encouraged to do so. Services are held at Our Lady of Guadalupe at 5:30 p.m. on Saturdays, and 9:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Sundays.
Father Anthony Dike
