The Vatican announced today that Pope Benedict has accepted the resignation of Bishop Timothy Joseph Carroll SMA (a native of Minor Row, Millstreet) as Vicar Apostolic of Kontagora, Nigeria, in accordance with canon 401, para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law. In recent years Bishop Tim has been experiencing poor health and felt it necessary to hand over to a younger man.
Bishop Tim has worked in the Kwara and Niger States area of Nigeria since ordination in 1965.
Thirty years later he was appointed Prefect Apostolic of the newly-erected Kontagora Prefecture. In 2002 he was appointed Vicar Apostolic of Kontagora and ordained a Bishop on 17 August 2002 in Kontagora. Kontagora was carved out of three existing dioceses: Ilorin, Minna and Sokoto.
A noted linguist Bishop Tim translated several books of the Bible, including the Synoptic Gospels, into Kamberi. These are now in use by many denominations throughout the area.
Kontagora Vicariate covers about 46,000 sq kms with an estimated population of 1.6 million drawn mainly from the following ethnic groups: Kamberi, Dakakari, Dukawa, Kamuku, Gungawa, Hausa and Fulani. The first SMA missionaries came to the area in 1937 settling first at Masugu and Zuru. To help him in caring for this vast area Bishop Tim has 11 SMA priests (from Ireland, India and several African countries) as well as diocesan priests and Kiltegan missionaries. Fr Dan McCauley, from Strabane, Co Tyrone, is his Vicar General.
There are sixteen parishes with hundreds of outstations in the Vicariate. OLA Sisters also minister in the diocese looking after Primary Health Care in Kwimo and Papiri. Conscious that the best evangelization is from within Bishop Tim and his collaborators devote a lot of attention to providing Adult Literacy programmes and training Lay Leaders. There is a Training Centre at Masuga fror Lay Leaders and Catechists. A number of priests have ‘well-digging’ teams to go around the villages to provide clean water for the people.
Kontagora has not been immune from inter-ethnic conflict and in 2006 a serious outbreak of violence saw extensive damage to church properties. Sadly, one of the Church Leaders, Joseph Ibrahim, was killed in the violence. RIP.
| Date | Age | Event | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Apr 1940 | Born | Minor Row, Millstreet,Co. Cork, Ireland | |
| 20 Dec 1965 | 25.7 | Ordained Priest | Priest of Society of African Missions |
| 15 Dec 1995 | 55.6 | Appointed | Prefect of Kontagora, Nigeria |
| 30 Apr 2002 | 62.0 | Appointed | Titular Bishop of Tipasa in Mauretania |
| 30 Apr 2002 | 62.0 | Appointed | Vicar Apostolic of Kontagora, Nigeria |
| 17 Aug 2002 | 62.3 | Ordained Bishop | Titular Bishop of Tipasa in Mauretania |
| 30 Apr 2010 | 70.0 | Resigned | Vicar Apostolic of Kontagora, Nigeria |
Read an interview with Bishop Tim from September 2009 on the Catholic.org magazine on the growth of the Catholic Church in Africa.
from SMA.ie, catholic-hierarchy.org, sma.ie,
Bishop Carroll, Our prayers are with you and with Fr. Michael in your time of need. You have both been an inspiration to many, through your kindness, selfless work and sacrifice. We will always be thankful to your family for raising such excellent men and your family will remain in our thoughts and prayers. I had the privilege of serving your brother as Parish Secretary at St. Mary Magdalen, Camarillo, CA. God Bless you.
Mary A. Kwolek
Bishop Tim, we love you . We pray for your sound health Keep on being the good servant You are. People of kontagora miss you much. C.y.o.n ,president,St.Micheal’s