His Works
Seminaries, schools, hospitals and religious institutes
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Encounter with Christ & Missionary Zeal
Like St. Paul, Fr. Charles Heerey encountered Jesus Christ in a way that left him convinced he had been chosen to spend his life as a missionary of God's infinite love. This conviction became the driving force of his ministry, shaping his apostolic zeal and pastoral charity.
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1922
Early Missionary Assignments
His first assignment was as assistant priest at the Sacred Heart Catholic Mission in Calabar, where he distinguished himself with tireless concern for the sick, especially lepers, embodying Christ's compassion for the marginalised.
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1924
Seminary Leadership
Appointed Rector of the newly founded St. Paul's Junior and Senior Seminary at Igbariam, he gave structure to the seminary, mapping out daily activities and academic programmes for both arms and laying the foundation for the training of future priests in Nigeria.
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1927
Episcopal Ordination
On 29 May 1927, Charles Heerey was ordained Coadjutor Bishop of Southern Nigeria.
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1931 – 1933
First Catholic Secondary School
On 21 May 1931 he became Bishop and Vicar Apostolic of Southern Nigeria. The Church then had about 200 primary schools and no secondary schools. In 1933 he built and opened Christ the King College (C.K.C.), Onitsha, the first Catholic secondary school east of the Niger, telling its pioneer students: “I am giving you the best staff at my disposal and I hope that you will bring credit to the Church, the college and your country.”
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1937 & 1943
Founding Religious Institutes
In 1937 he established the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Mother of Christ, dedicated to uplifting women, serving the poor, and providing education and healthcare with Christlike compassion. In 1943 he founded the Brothers of St. Peter Claver for education and pastoral work, later absorbed into the Marist Brothers in 1957.
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Healthcare Ministry
He established eight pilot hospitals across his vast territory, supported by clinics and maternities in remote areas, among them St. Luke's Hospital, Anua; Holy Rosary Hospital, Emekuku; Bishop Shanahan Hospital, Nsukka; St. Charles Borromeo Hospital, Onitsha; Holy Rosary Hospital, Onitsha; Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Ihiala; and St. Joseph's Hospital, Adazi. By 1956 he had established nine Catholic leper settlements, often confirming lepers with his bare hands.
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1950
First Archbishop of Onitsha
On 17 June 1950 he was appointed the first Archbishop of Onitsha and Metropolitan of Eastern Nigeria, a testimony to his zeal and to the confidence the Church placed in him.
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1940s – 1950s
Monastic & University Vision
He sent Fr. Michael Iwene Tansi (later Blessed Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi) and Fr. Clement Ulogu to Mount St. Bernard Abbey in England, hoping to found a Catholic monastery, and worked toward a Catholic university in Eastern Nigeria. Though neither project came to fruition in his lifetime, he humbly submitted to God's will, trusting in divine providence.
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Education & Secondary Schools
Through his inspiration over 90 Catholic secondary schools and teacher training colleges were established across Eastern Nigeria, including the College of Immaculate Conception, Enugu; Holy Ghost College, Owerri; Stella Maris College, Port Harcourt; Queen of the Rosary College, Onitsha; and Holy Rosary College, Enugu.
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Youth Apostolate
He promoted youth involvement in evangelisation by establishing the Young Catholic Students (Y.C.S.), with the help of Mr. Gabriel Eze of Oba.
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1965
Empowering the Laity & Women
He founded the Catholic Women Organisation (C.W.O.) in Onitsha in 1965, sending Lady Violet V. I. Okoye for leadership training at Columbia University, New York, and appointing her its first long-serving Organiser, supported by Sr. Mary Magdalene Brady (MSHR) and Sr. Mary Consolata Anyacho (IHM). The C.W.O. spread rapidly across Nigeria.