AFRICA/NIGERIA - Bishop of Jalingo appointed

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - The Holy Father Benedict XVI, on April 16, 2008, appointed Father Charles Hammawa, of the clergy of Yola, Rector of the Major Seminary of Jos, as Bishop of Jalingo (Nigeria).
Father Charles Hammawa, of the clergy of Yola, was born October 1, 1962. He was ordained a priest July 4, 1987. He has a Masters Degree in Philosophy (Ecumenism) from Trinity College (Dublin) and a Licentiate if Biblical Theology from the Pontifical University Urbaniana. Since 2002, he has been the Rector of the Major Seminary of Jos.
The Diocese of Jalingo, suffragan of the Archdiocese of Jos, was established in 1995. It covers an area of area of 61,368 km sq. and has a population of 3,097,000: 279,147 Catholics, 40 diocesan priests and 5 religious priests, 28 religious women, and 44 seminarians. (SL) (Agenzia Fides 16/4/2008; righe 12, parole 137)