The remains of Late Very Rev. Fr. Dr. Sylvanus Okechukwu was laid to rest on Monday 13th February, 2012 (barely a day to the 30th anniversary of his Priestly Ordination) at the Orlu Diocesan Priests' Cemetery at the Holy Trinity Cathedral Orlu - Nigeria. Fr. Sylvanus died in the early hours of Monday 22nd January 2012 in his apartment in the Parish where was spending his sabbatical leave in the Diocese of Freiburg in Germany.

The members of Christ faithful gathered very early enough at the Cathedral to pay their last respect to the beloved and worthy priest of God, Fr. Sylvanus Okechukwu. The corpse left St. Damian's Mortuary, Okporo in a motor cade and was received at the Cathedral by the Bishop, Most Rev. Dr. Augustine Ukwuoma. The remains was laid in-state in the Cathedral where the Bishops, Priests, Religious men and women, the family members, relations, sympathizers and members of Christ's faithful paid their last respect to Late Very Rev. Fr. Sylva. There was a sung Office of the Dead and other prayers for the Dead.

The Funeral Mass, which took a Provincial dimension, started at 10: 00 am and was presided over by the His Grace, Most Rev. Dr. A.J.V. Obinna (the Archbishop and the Metropolitan of Owerri Ecclesiastical Province). The Bishops at the con-celebrating side include Most Rev. Dr. Gregory Ochiagha (the Bishop Emeritus of Orlu), Most Rev. Dr. Augustine Ukwuoma (Bishop of Orlu), Most Rev. Dr. Vincent Ezeonyia of Aba Diocese, Most Rev. Dr. Lucius I. Ugorji of Umuahia Diocese and Most Rev. Dr. Solomon A. Amatu of Okigwe Diocese. Very Rev. Fr. Leonard Ugbor represented the Diocesan Administrator of Ahiara Diocese. The Rectors: Very Rev. Dr. Azorji of Seat of Wisdom Seminary Ariam Campus and Very Rev. Dr. John Iweh of Seat of Wisdom Seminary Owerri Campus and more than 450 Priests both from within and outside the diocese of Orlu including his class mates (Bigard 1982 set of Priests) and his co-formators also concelebrated in the Funeral Mass. There were many Deacons, Seminarians, Religious men and women, and a good number of the lay faithful from all walks of life at the funeral Mass. Bishop Augustine Ukwuoma welcomed the Bishops, Priests, and the entire members of Christ's faithful who gathered to celebrate the funeral mass and pray for the repose of Fr. Sylvanus Okechukwu.

In his Homily, Rev. Fr. Cornelius Omeike of St. Charles Lwanga's Chaplaincy, Anambra State University, Uli (class mate of Fr. Sylva), described Fr. Sylvanus Okechukwu as a committed and dedicated priest of God. He was one of the first five Pioneer Deacons of Orlu Diocese ordained by Bishop Gregory Ochiagha at the inception of Orlu diocese in 1981. He extolled the virtues and the other numerous qualities of Fr. Okechukwu. According to him, Fr. Sylva was a great and good leader where ever he finds himself. He was selfless and realistic. He was loved and cherished by all who encountered him. He was a real Pastor of souls and a very good Parish administrator. He was peaceful, peace-loving and a peace-maker. Fr. Omeike opined that Late Fr. Sylva lived and died as a priest. He later asked Late Fr. Sylva to articulate our supplications for a better Nigeria to Blessed Pope John Paul II (of the happy memory) who ordained him a priest. He prayed God to receive Fr. Sylva in His Kingdom and give all of us the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss as we emulate his virtues and rare qualities.

The rite of Final Commendation was performed by Most Rev. Dr. Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji of the Catholic Diocese of Umuahia. Condolence messages were read by the M.C. Rev. Fr. Modestus Onyewuenyi. Immediately after that, Bishop Lucius Ugorji who is the Chairman of Owerri Provincial Seminary Commission, expressed the sentiments of Condolence of the Owerri Provincial Bishops. The Bishop Emeritus of Orlu Most Rev. Gregory Ochiagha eulogized the rare virtues of Late Fr. Sylvanus Okechukwu, describing him as a priest of real values who was selfless and dedicated in every way to the service of God and the humanity and prayed God to grant him eternal rest. Finally, Bishop Ukwuoma thanked once more all who have, in one way or the other, identified with the entire Diocese of Orlu during the death and funeral of Fr. Okechukwu, especially the Diocese of Freiburg in Germany and prayed God to bless and reward all of us abundantly and rest eternally His priest Late Fr. Sylvanus Okechukwu.

The procession with the corpse of Late Fr. Sylva to the Diocesan Priests' Cemetery took place thereafter. The interment rite was led by Bishop Augustine Ukwuoma of Orlu in the company of the Provincial members of the College of Bishops. Many priests and the lay faithful gathered around the Cemetery to commit to the mother earth the remains of Late Fr. Sylvanus Okechukwu.

Meanwhile, Very Rev. Fr. Dr. Sylvanus Okechukwu was born on 20th June 1953 to the family of Late Mr. John Paul Okechukwu & Late Mrs. Comfort Okechukwu from Umudike, Umuowa, in Orlu Local Government Area of Imo State.

He started his primary education in 1960 at St. Michael's Primary School, Umuowa and finished up at St. Michael's Primary School, Rumuomasi, Port Harcourt, in 1965.

Though first child and first son of his parents, he had an early vocation to the Sacred Priesthood. In 1966, he had the rare opportunity of serving an Irish Priest  Rev. Fr. Thornton, the pioneer Rector of St. Mary's Minor Seminary Umuowa, Orlu. The Nigeria-Biafra Civil War of 1967 to 1970 disrupted his academic careers but he later continued after the civil war in 1970.

In 1974, he sat for his London G.C.E. Ordinary Level (OL) after finishing up at St. Peter Claver Minor Seminary, Okpalla. After his OL Examinations in 1974, he was sent on apostolic work to St. Anthony's Parish Isiekenesi, in Ideato South Local Government Area under the supervision of Rev. Fr. Justin Ahunanya Agu, of the blessed memory, whose inspiration, symbolized by the fatherly advice, accessibility and above all, his singleness of purpose, became the catalysts to the already lit flame in Fr. Sylva’s vocation to the priesthood.

In 1975, Very Rev. Fr. Sylvanus Okechukwu proceeded to Bigard Memorial Seminary Enugu, for studies and formation in Philosophy and Theology. After two years of studies in Philosophy in Bigard Enugu, he proceeded to Bigard Memorial Seminary (now St. Joseph's Major Seminary) Ikot Ekpene in Akwa Ibom State as one of the pioneer students, where he completed his studies in Philosophy. Thereafter he was sent to St. Peter Claver Seminary Okpala to help prepare some Seminarians for their West African School Certificate Examinations. He taught Biology and Literature in English.

In 1978, He went back to Bigard Memorial Seminary, Enugu to begin his studies in Sacred Theology. While in Bigard Enugu, Fr. Sylva distinguished himself spiritually, morally and academically and above all he endeared himself to his colleagues.

On the 16th of December 1979, he was installed a Lector followed by his installation as an Acolyte on the 20th of December 1980. Fr Sylva entered the presbyterium of Orlu Diocese gallantly with his epoch making diaconate ordination on the 19th of December 1981 (being one of the first in the history of nascent Orlu Diocese) by the then Catholic Bishop of Orlu, Most Rev. Dr. Gregory O. Ochiagha, and priestly ordination on 14th February 1982 at Kaduna during the Pope's first Pastoral visit to Nigeria by His Holiness, Pope John Paul II (now Blessed John Paul II). Thus he became one of the few priests in Nigeria with the appellation 'Papal priests'.

With his ordination to the Sacred Priesthood, Very Rev. Fr, Sylvanus Okechukwu became the first indigenous priest of Umuowa extraction. In June 1982, Very Rev. Fr. S.I. Okechukwu sat for his Bachelor Degree in Theology and graduated with First Class Honours. In 1983, then Catholic Bishop of Orlu Diocese sent him to Germany for Further studies. He studied for his master's degree in Education at Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, and obtained his Doctorate Degree in Theological Ethics from the Jesuit University, all in Frankfurt, Germany.

On his return to Nigeria in 1990, he became the first Parish Priest (1990-1996) of St. John's Parish Isiokpo in Ideato North Local Government Area and later the Parish Priest (1996-2002) of St. Theresa's Parish, Uli in Anambra State, where he also served as the Dean of the Dean of the St. Theresa's Pastoral Region. While in these Parishes irrespective of his numerous pastoral engagements, he lectured on Part-time basis at Seat of Wisdom Seminary, Owerri before he finally and permanently joined the Academic Staff of the Seminary as the Registrar Coordinating the academic affairs between the Seminary and Imo State University, Owerri. He served as the President of the Bigard 1982 Papal Priests since 1982 till death.

In July 2011, he travelled to Germany to continue pastoral work before the cold hands of death took him away on 22nd January 2012. May God rest him eternally.

Read the Funeral Oration Presented at the Graveside of Late Very Fr. Dr. Sylvanus Okechukwu by the Presbyterium of Orlu Diocese....