Nigerian Missionary Priest Dreams of Expanding School He Founded

October 17, 2025

In rural parts of Nigeria, some children have to walk miles each way to get to school. Others don’t go to school because their parents can’t afford it or the parents aren’t home. They don’t have clean water and, instead, drink out of a stream. They don’t have electricity, access to healthcare, or sanitation.

This was the situation Father Emmanuel Offiong faced when he was assigned to a rural parish in Calabar, in southern Nigeria, his homeland.

“So I decided to start a small school,” he said.

He established Milagrosa Primary School, which serves about 300 elementary school students, and later on added Holy Ghost Secondary for youths in the area. The schools could serve more if the students from far away didn’t have to walk several miles each way to get there.

Father Offiong, now a missionary priest serving as a hospital chaplain in the Council Bluffs area, still has those children in his heart and he is committed to helping them, even if it is from half a world away.

Inspired by the story of Boys Town in Omaha, Father Offiong dreams of building a dormitory for the kids in his homeland.

While serving first as a hospital chaplain to the non-Catholic hospitals in Des Moines and now in the Council Bluffs area, Father Offiong is doing what he can from afar.

With the help of friends, he set up a nonprofit organization called MissionCare-USA, Inc., a board of directors, and received approval from Bishop William Joensen to raise funds for this project.

He’s trying to raise $250,000 for a 250-person dormitory, a 250-person dining hall, an infirmary, classrooms, a science laboratory, a water treatment plant, and living quarters for staff.

 A water treatment facility will prevent frequent illnesses like cholera, which cause absences. Additional classrooms are needed. During the rainy season, lessons are often disrupted due to leaking roofs and broken windows.

And it is hoped that they can obtain a 32-seat bus or 18-seat bus and utility vehicle to provide safe and efficient transportation for students.

Eileen Smith, of St. Patrick Parish in Council Bluffs, is a supporter of Father Offiong’s effort.

“The way out of poverty is education,” said the retired school teacher. “The church in Africa, is very holy. They bring so much. My premise is it’s a good project and Father needs help.”

The best part of the project is that it’s rooted in the Catholic faith, she said.

“If the (kids) can learn a skill and be educated and get ahead, they can raise the dignity and the economics of the whole country,” she said.

For more information, go to mymissioncare.org or email missioncareusa@yahoo.com.