History of Parish
The parish is made up of two stations namely: St Francis Catholic Church and Holy Family Catholic Church, Workers village.
The Holy Family Church was formerly an outstation under the St. Clement’s Chaplaincy.
The station is made up of civil servants many of who were residing in the Army Barracks when the state was newly created.
The history of St. Francis Catholic Church, Lokongoma, Lokoja, started with a meeting conveyed by Rev. Fr. Jerome Bello on a Sunday after Mass in 1995.
On that day, at the Immaculate Heart Catholic Cathedral, Lokoja, the priest who was then the administrator demanded to have a meeting with the people living around the Ganaja Junction and Phase I Housing Estate areas.
At that meeting the priest muted the idea of having a Mass Centre around the area. This idea was welcomed by all the members who were present.
On Wednesday 16th
August 1995, the first Eucharistic celebration took place in the compound of Mr. Gabriel Otonoku in Phase I House Estate.
The gathering of the community began there and for a while until when they discovered that the compound was too close to the road and it was causing a lot of disturbance for the people especially the non-Catholics in that area.
The Mass Centre now moved to the compound of Sir Francis Omebije
The inconveniences experienced made members to intensify efforts at looking for a permanent place of worship.
Many members were instrumental to the location of this present place of worship.
However, what is most important to members, was the great support both morally and financially they got from the late Bishop, Most Rev. Dr. Joseph Sunday Ajomo.
He gave them the money to pay for the land and was always supporting them in the building of the place.
Some other priests that were mentioned include Rev. Fr. Michael Sunday Sasa, Rev. Fr. Francis Jude Ododo, Rev. Fr. James Dukiya and Rev. Fr. Gabriel Sunday Ibiyemi who was the seminarian when the place started and was going to Mr. Otonoku’s House to teach catechism.