Fr. Bernard-Mary Ayo Oniwe O.P., currently pastor of St. Peter Church, Elizabethtown was born in Lagos, Nigeria on August 12, 1968, the first of the five children of Lawrence (late) and Veronica Oniwe. He joined the Order of Preachers, Province of Nigeria/Ghana in 1993, after obtaining a B.A. in Dramatic Arts in 1991 from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife, Nigeria. He made his solemn religious vows in 1998 and on completing his M.A. in Theology from Dominican Institute of Philosophy and Theology, an affiliate of Duquesne University, Pittsburg, he was ordained a priest in Ibadan, Nigeria on September 23, 2000. He was assigned to St. Dominic Catholic Church, Yaba as associate pastor immediately after his ordination and later appointed as associate chaplain to Chapel of Perpetual Light, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife, his alma mater. His Provincial sent him on mission to the Diocese of Harrisburg in November, 2003 where he served as parochial vicar at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Lewistown/St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church, Mifflintown, chaplain at Harrisburg General Hospital with residence in Prince of Peace, Steelton, and chaplain at Lancaster General Hospital with residence at St. Mary, Lancaster until July 2007 when he left for University of South Carolina, Columbia where he taught college first year writing class and completed a PhD in Comparative Literature in 2018. Fr. Bernard returned to the Diocese of Harrisburg in June 2018 as parochial vicar to The Good Shepherd Church, Camp Hill, and in December 2018, he was designated by the bishop as administrator of St. Peter Church, Elizabethtown. He has been described as "a risk taker". He loves celebrating the Most Holy Eucharist joyfully and reverently. His hobbies include reading, singing, dancing, movies, soccer and roller skating.
