Father Paschal Anionye’s journey from Nigeria to Syracuse
Editor’s note: the earlier version of this story mistakenly identified Fr. Paschal as a native of Kenya. He is from Nigeria. Our apologies for any confusion this may have caused.
Above: Father Paschal Anionye recently completed his training and is now a Board Certified chaplain through the Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) program at Upstate Hospital in Syracuse. (Submitted photo)
By Eileen Jevis, Staff Writer
His longing to minister to the sick and suffering brought him to the United States. The multi-cultural, multi-racial and diverse population found in our country fulfilled his desire to serve humanity in many capacities – as a missionary, leader, coach, transformative speaker and spiritual counselor.
Father Paschal Anionye grew up in NIgeria, West Africa, born to a deeply religious family. His parents were knights of the church, and his uncle was a priest. His desire to serve Christ came at an early age. “I nurtured a vocation to priesthood during my catechism days in preparation for First Holy Communion and Confirmation,” explained Fr. Paschal. With unwavering desire to become a priest, he joined the Capuchin Franciscan Order at the age of 16. He completed his postulancy and novitiate in Onitsha a city on the eastern bank of the Niger River. During his years in the seminary, Father Paschal earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the Pontifical Urban University in Rome. Four years later, he graduated from the same university with both bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Sacred Theology. He was ordained a priest in 2003.
Answering the next call
Fr Paschal also serves as Parochial Vicar at St. Margaret Church, Mattydale in addition to being Diocesan Chaplain at Upstate Hospital and the Central New York Psychiatric Center. He assists with on-call duties at Crouse Memorial Hospital and St. Joseph Hospital. (Submitted photo)
In 2010, Fr. Paschal felt the call to be a missionary in the U.S. after visiting a priest friend working in California at a VA Medical Center. In 2018, he returned to the U.S. to again visit his friend, who was then serving at the Syracuse VA Medical Center. His longing to minister to the sick and suffering in Central New York brought him to the Syracuse Diocese. In addition to his role as Parochial Vicar at St. Margaret’s Church in Mattydale, he serves as the on-call chaplain at Crouse and St. Joseph’s Hospitals and the Diocesan Chaplain at Upstate Hospital. “My ministry also includes providing pastoral care to those with mental and behavioral health issues as part of my exploration and studies in neuroscience and clinical psychology,” he said.
Referring to John’s Gospel 5:19, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do,” Father Paschal said his vocation called him to join Christ in fulfilling the Father’s desire to bring liberation, happiness, and peace to the people. Father Paschal said he listens to the patients and their families with a non-judgmental and compassionate presence. He admits the work can be exhausting and draining. “But inspiring souls and bringing hope through preaching and celebrating the sacraments and the Holy Mass in church and at the hospital, brings me fulfillment as well.”
“Chaplaincy requires the highest degree of integrity, commitment, and ability to put others before ourselves,” added Rev. Terry Culbertson, Clinical Pastoral Education supervisor at Upstate. “It requires us to look deeply into our own woundedness in order to attend to the wounds of others.” Rev. Culbertson said that while Father Paschal was a chaplain intern at Upstate, he worked hard to develop his pastoral skills and abilities in caring for those in need.
“My training is deeply rooted in the Franciscan spirituality of respect for human dignity and universal brotherhood of all creation,” said Father Paschal. “Ephesians 2:10, says, ‘For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.’” Father Paschal explained that as we enter into our element, growing in self-awareness and a sense of mission and purpose for our lives, God brings us everything we need — both the people and circumstances — to equip us for the journey and destiny for which he created us. “I have always believed in uplifting people and helping them heal and discover their life’s purpose,” he said.
Father’s message to others is to be curious and always to open to new adventures. “It is true that you can’t imagine what hard knocks you will receive in life and may still be receiving. But I encourage you to never be afraid to be profoundly human. I believe that with faith in God and trust in one’s divine self, there is nothing that the human spirit cannot conquer.”
