Name: Emmanuel Nwala
Hometown: Abara Etche, Port Harcourt in River State, Nigeria
Stage of formation: Prenovice

Emmanuel Nwala, 25, from Abara Etche, Port Harcourt in River State, Nigeria, is the son of Anthony and Kathrin Nwala. He has been in discernment with Glenmary for five years. He completed his philosophy degree at St. Joseph Major Seminary this June. He has spent much of his ministry at St. Francis Church in Port Hartcourt where he worked with Father Charles Agu, a good friend of Glenmary. Emmanuel is studying for the priesthood with Glenmary.

More about Emmanuel Nwala

As a young boy in Nigeria, Emmanuel Nwala not only felt called to the priesthood, he felt called to missionary priesthood and acknowledges an influence from the St. Patrick Fathers, an international missionary society. After a short time in minor seminary, Emmanuel lived with Father Charles Agu at St. Francis Church in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, where he met Father Steve Pawelk and first considered making application to Glenmary. He is eager to take on the challenge of missionary priesthood in the United States and has an understanding of the challenges involved. “You have to have challenge in your life,” he says.

When he worked at St. Francis Emmanuel enjoyed being involved with the families of the church. He taught catechism, assisted at the altar and pitched in wherever a hand was needed. At the age of 12, Emmanuel entered seminary with one request from his mother: “Just come back and visit and you can go.” Emmanuel misses his family and his mentor, Father Charles. “But I have to be what I have to be,” Emmanuel says.

He has been pleasantly surprised at the interracial aspects of American society, saying that he expected more divisions between the races. “There are nice people all around me,” Emmanuel says.

He enjoys living with the other men in the prenovitiate and says that by working together, they all find life easier. “Together we stand, divided we fall,” Emmanuel says

.Since his time at the Glenmary House of Studies, Emmanuel has learned to cook and is working with the other prenovices to learn the things they need to know for the house to run smoothly. Emmanuel is also becoming acquainted with the community of Ohio County. He wants to be of service to the poor of the county and looks forward to other ministry possibilities like working with inmates at the local jail.

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