92-year-old Woman Fights Catholic Archdiocese of Onitsha Over Church Building She Donated To Them

 A 92 years old woman Madam Juliana Onuora from Nkpor, in Idemili North Council Area of Anambra State is currently at war with the Catholic Archdiocese of Onitsha over a church, Our Lady Catholic Church, she built and donated to the Diocese in 1985.

Madam Juliana is arguing that she built the church in 1985 to fulfill her promise to God that she would build a befitting Basilica to God if she comes back to Nigeria alive from West Germany where she went for medical
treatment.
And that when she built it, she did it so that it would serve as a chapel where her staff and management would be worshiping instead of trekking several miles to worship outside her business empire.

But  the Catholic Archdiocese of Onitsha is arguing that no one owns a church and even when an individual builds one and donates to the Church, and it is consecrated by the bishop, it ceases to belong to the person but to the Diocese.


The ugly incidents that followed the lingering land tussle between the church and the family of Onuora has degenerated into a serious war, which led to the burning down of the parish priest’s building by irate youths suspected to be working on the orders of the 92-year-old woman's daughter.

As a result, the entire compound including the church and other surrounding buildings have been cordoned off by policemen from the Police Zonal Headquarters, Zone 9 Umuahia to forestall further breakdown of law.

Madam Onuorah has written to Pope Francis that her life is in danger and she needs his quick intervention. She further appealed to the Inspector General of police to ensure his men are not used to cause high blood pressure and heart attack for her as her wealth used for charity and philanthropy should not be the cause of her death.
Talking to a SunNews correspondent, Madam Onuorah lamented:
“I built this place because I am in good terms with the priests and bishops. How can I instigate my workers to set my property ablaze and it is even a taboo to burn a church. I don’t know why the church is fighting me over my property. I built the church in fulfillment of my promise to God. I never knew that my magnanimity would turn against me. They arrested some of my workers, closed my bakery and the Catholic Church has been chasing my only daughter around, pulled down my perimeter fencing and threatened to also burn me alive here. Let God reward all of us accordingly.
I learnt that my Archbishop came here yesterday but he never visited me and the priests are right here under my nose but they have never come here. My son, I am gradually dying in sorrow. And for this, let me state clearly that the church is for worship of God.  They should come and worship God and go but leave my property alone. I am not interested in the proceeds they get. I even give the little I have to support the work of God but what I cannot tolerate is fighting me over my own ‘sweat’  and that is why I am calling on the world, the government, activists to hear my cry. I don’t have anything to fight the church and I don’t want anything to happen to my only daughter.