St. Pio Friary,
Olunde, Ibadan

History:

With his letter of 15^th August 1995, Br. Giulio Dante Galassi, the then Regular Superior of the Capuchin Custody of Nigeria, requested of the Archbishop Felix Alaba Job of Ibadan Archdiocese for the opening of the third friary of the Custody. After series of correspondence, the Archbishop of Ibadan, with the letter dated 7^th may 1996, granted the Capuchins the permission to open a presence within its ecclesiastical territory.

It is noteworthy, however, that the Archbishop had earlier, in 1984, invited the Capuchins to his Archdiocese, but he was told by the general curia that his colleague in Onitsha Archdiocese had just been granted a similar request. So, he had to wait for twelve years to have his dream actualized.

The first group of friars set to begin their philosophical studies together with their formators initially resided in a rented apartment at BashorunApanpa road, Jericho, Ibadan. The construction of a proper friary took off officially on the 15^th of September 1997 and was completed by December 1999. The friars transferred from the temporary house to the new friary at Olunde, Ibadan, on 25^th April 2000.

On 25^th February 2004, the work of the construction of the Church titled Padre Pio sanctuary kicked off. In addition, the construction of a house designated Padre Pio house for the relief of suffering (serving as a clinic for the relief of the suffering, retreat and conference centre) started. The solemn dedication of the Padre Pio sanctuary and the blessing of the Padre Pio house for the relief of the suffering, by the Archbishop of Ibadan, Most Rev. Dr Felix Alaba Job, took place on November 30, 2006.