Dora Chichah, the woman who married Rev. Fr. Daniel Okanatotor Oghenerukevwe, a Catholic priest from the Diocese of Warri in Delta State, has opened up about how they met and their journey together.

This comes after Fr. Oghenerukevwe was suspended by the Diocese for marrying in the United States without completing the formal process of being released from his priestly vows. According to the Diocese, while Fr. Oghenerukevwe had requested to be released from his canonical obligations on November 30, 2024, he proceeded with the marriage before completing the required procedures.

Fr. Oghenerukevwe married Dora Chichah in Dallas, Texas, and photos from the ceremony have since circulated widely.

During a live testimony session at Pastor Jerry Eze’s Streams of Joy International Church in Dallas, Dora shared the story of her journey. She revealed she had been praying for a life partner for over nine years and described herself as a single mother of three.

“My name is Dora, and I’m sharing my testimony from Streams of Joy, Dallas. Indeed, the Lord has shown me mercy. Since 2020, I have been on this altar, believing God for a life partner,” she said.

She continued, “I have been believing for over nine years for divine settlement. I kept praying. I said, ‘God, settle me.’ In 2021, Pastor Jerry prophesied that the Lord had heard my prayers and that He would build my character during my waiting time.”

Dora explained that in 2024, she felt led by God to relocate to Dallas, Texas. It was here that she reconnected with Daniel, someone she had known growing up in the same area. They quickly exchanged contact information, and soon after, their relationship blossomed.

“He shared how he had been praying for four years for clarity about his vocation, and I too had been praying,” Dora said. “He told me he had fasted for three months, asking God to show him the right woman.”

Their relationship developed quickly, and within three months, they had completed their marriage preparations. “We did the traditional wedding, the court wedding, and the white wedding at Streams of Joy, Dallas,” she said.

The testimony video included photos of the couple on their wedding day.

Meanwhile, Mary Okanatotor, who claims to be Fr. Oghenerukevwe’s sister, defended her brother’s decision to marry, stating it was the best choice for him as he had been feeling lonely. She also emphasized that he had informed the Diocese of his decision before going through with the marriage.

“This was not a secret marriage; he wrote to the Diocese about it,” she explained in a social media post.