Statement regarding Reverend Philomen Okoh

Reverend Philomen Okoh, now a priest of the Archdiocese of Oniteke, Nigeria (formerly a member of the Congregation of the Missions) has been serving on the chaplaincy staff at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak without the permission or authorization of the Archbishop of Detroit. Initially he had that permission but it was later withdrawn. Father Okoh has been directed to leave the Archdiocese of Detroit on several occasions in the past but has refused to do so.

The purpose of this notice is to inform you that Father Okoh does not have the faculties of the Archdiocese of Detroit and is prohibited from exercising any public ecclesiastical ministry here. In addition, he has engaged in various unauthorized fundraising activities for personal projects he is supporting in Nigeria and an organization known as Healing Hearts Outreach.

If you are aware of Father Okoh’s involvement in any attempts to exercise public ecclesiastical ministry in the Archdiocese of Detroit, you are asked to contact Msgr. G. Michael Bugarin at 586-777-3670 or bugarin.michael@aod.org.