Global Servant

“Choosing the priesthood is not a one-time decision. It is a daily response to making Christ present wherever we find ourselves.” Fr. Deji Dada Augustine’s ’20 MSCM priesthood began with his ordination in October 2009 on the Feast of Guardian Angels in his home diocese of Ondo, Nigeria. Since 2018, Fr. Dada facilitates missions and aid to his Diocese, offering support in areas of education, seminars for clergy and Pastoral workers, and recently, religious freedom. His ministry continues to have impact from New York to Nigeria.

As Parochial Vicar at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Elmsford, New York, Fr. Dada takes great pleasure in accompanying young individuals as they respond to God’s invitation to holiness, mission, and service within the Church. This can be a challenging task, especially in the current social and political environment. In his research as a fellow in the Villanova School of Business Center for Church Management, he also focuses on models of feeding the hungry at the human, family, and parish levels. “The Augustinian values of veritas and community have been amazing tools in bringing truth to my ideas and mission, providing a guiding image for crafting strategic alliances with organizations and people, and keeping me grounded in service.”

Fr. Dada remains steadfast in support of religious freedoms in his homeland of Nigeria. Tragically, on Pentecost Day 2022, precious lives were taken during a mass shooting at a church in his diocese of Ondo. Fr. Dada has been integral in coordinating an international response kick-started by his Bishop, Jude Arogundade.

Through collaboration with the Aid to the Church in Need, United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, Global Christian Relief, and partnerships with other global organizations and non-profits, he is not only impacting change in Africa, but bringing awareness to the persecution of Christians there. “Responding to this tragedy has opened a wide channel for good and awareness about the plight of Christians and Catholic priests who are being kidnapped and murdered in large numbers.” His work has required negotiations and a constant search for common ground.

Through Fr. Dada, Christ’s love and compassion span the globe: reaching the hungry, the needy, and the oppressed. “The pastoral playground in the modern world has been described as volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous. My VSB experience has not only equipped me with the mental and intellectual capacity to thrive; it has provided the community which gives me the ability to innovate, lead changes, collaborate, build bridges, and make lasting friends while grounded in humble service.”