St. Athanasius Church makes anniversary extra sweet for visiting Nigerian priest
Fr. Emem Returns to Bensonhurst Parish Each Summer
The people of St. Athanasius Church on Sunday feted a beloved Nigerian priest on the 20th anniversary of his ordination.
Father Gerald Emem Umoren, familiarly known as Fr. Emem, has served the Bensonhurst parish for the past several summers. He marked his 20th year as a priest on Sunday, Aug. 21, by celebrating a Mass of Thanksgiving and presenting a pair of Communion chalices to his host congregation.
This special Mass of Thanksgiving, which priests customarily celebrate the day after their ordinations and then on ordination anniversaries, was a planned event. But what Emem didn’t expect was “the extent of the celebration” following the liturgy, he told the Brooklyn Eagle on Monday. Recognizing that Emem was far from home, a group of 150 parishioners gathered to present him with a cake and other tributes.