Liberia mission is one of the pioneer missions where MSP have and are still working. It took off in 1986 when the first set of MSP priests, namely the Late Fr Gabriel Akemu, Fr Francis Ibanga and Late Fr Stephen Achi arrived on October 3. Liberia is a small country on the West African coast with Cote d’Ivoire bordering it to the East, Guinea to the North, Sierra Leone to the West and the Atlantic Ocean to the South. It has an Archdiocese (Monrovia) and two dioceses (Gbarnga and Cape Palmas). In the past we were present in all these dioceses. So far, 22 MSPs have worked in Liberia. Currently, we are limited to just two, both of us working in the Archdiocese of Monrovia. We are settled in the outskirt of the Archdiocese, Kakata. Kakata is the last parish of the Archdiocese, on the Monrovia – Gbarnga highway. 

The people are predominantly petty traders and business men/women. They are also engaged with some bit of agricultural activities – precisely, subsistent farming to support their meagre resources. Since they have been ravaged by the devastation of the 14 years of civil war, and subsequently the Ebola virus, they are just beginning to pick up with life.

We are currently working in only one of the three dioceses in Liberia – viz the Archdiocese of Monrovia. We are in St Christopher’s Parish, Kakata. It is a remote parish located in the outskirt of the Archdiocese. The Parish was created in 1920, and was administered by the SOCIETY OF AFRICAN MISSIONARIES (SMA) for a long time. They left the parish in 1996 when the civil war became unbearable for foreigners working in the country.
The MISSIONARY OF ST PAUL OF NIGERIA began to run the parish in the year 2000 and have been there since then to date. The role, presence and influence of MSP since the arrival of our early missionaries in 1986, still reverberates in the places we have ministered. A concrete impact is in the nurturing of local vocations to the priesthood. Today, some of the Diocesan priests of the Archdiocese of Monrovia credit their vocation to the priesthood to some of our missionaries who were their pastors in their home/domicile parishes. On the larger scale, other youths who are now adults, still invite past MSP missionaries to join them in Holy Matrimony. This is a testimony that we are well received in the local Church of Liberia.
Liberia is majorly a mission territory, in need of vocations to both the priesthood and religious life. In the Archdiocese of Monrovia, which is the only place we currently work, there are numerous missionary groups of priests from different countries across Africa and beyond, ranging from The Jesuits, Spiritans, Salesians, SMA, etc. We relate very freely with one another at both formal and informal gatherings, without any fear or suspicion of racial, cultural or tribal boundaries. The same applies to the diocesan priests.
 They realise that we all need to work together to build the kingdom of God here on earth. The lay faithful appreciate everyone.

compiled by Fr Emmanuel Mbuk, MSP

Rev Fr Simon-Peter Akpoja, MSP                   - Local Superior
Rev Fr Kenneth Odoh, MSP                             - Local Bursar

Rev. Fr. Simon-Peter Akpoja, MSP (Parish Priest)
St Christopher's Catholic Church,
Kakata, Margibi County, Republic of Liberia.

Rev. Fr Kenneth Odoh, MSP (Assistant Parish Priest)