How I Became a Catholic Priest and Musician – FadaBen

Rev Fr Benedict Onyemechalu, widely recognized as FadaBen, asserts that priesthood has been his childhood aspiration, while his musical calling is a hereditary passion.

FadaBen, the Parish Priest of St. Andrew Catholic Church, Orozo, Abuja, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday.

Speaking on how he became a Priest, FadaBen said it was his early life desire, actualised in 2013 when he was ordained a Catholic Priest.

“There was this urge to always make myself available for God to use me to minister to people.

“The desire to make heaven and the priesthood is like a medium to actualise this.

“I pursued this desire, trying to see where it leads me to. And so, it led me to the noble vocation of the Priesthood,” he said.

On his music career, he said singing is in his lineage and is therefore natural that he embraced it with his calling.

“Having been exposed to the singers and music enthusiasts growing up, it is only natural that I follow that path in exploring my God-given creative ability.

“It became quite intense when I discovered music to be a means of creative expression, a medium to express myself, ” he said.

FadaBen recalled that, in 2003, he started writing choral and liturgical songs for use in Catholic worship, some of which, he said, were still being used in Catholic Churches.

The priest said he switched to contemporary gospel music in 2016, intending to explore other kinds of talents in him.