Nigerian Catholic priest found dead in Massachusetts as immigration forces his return to Nigeria

Rev. Benjamin Madu, a Nigerian Catholic priest of the Diocese of Abakaliki serving in Massachusetts, has died under circumstances suggesting suicide just weeks before his compulsory return to Nigeria following the expiration of his religious worker visa — days before what would have been the 25th anniversary of his ordination.

He had written his farewell. He had packed his bags. He never made it home.

Rev. Benjamin Madu, a Nigerian Catholic priest who had spent years serving as a hospital chaplain and parish minister in Massachusetts, died on Thursday — just weeks before his R-1 religious worker visa was due to expire on July 29, according to reports by Vanguard.

A spokesperson for the Essex County District Attorney’s Office said foul play was not suspected. A person familiar with the matter told NBC News the priest died by suicide. An autopsy was expected to be conducted while officials worked to contact his relatives in Nigeria.

Father Madu — known to his congregation as “Father Ben” — had served as chaplain at Salem Hospital since 2021 while also ministering at Holy Family Parish, Our Lady of Good Voyage in Gloucester and St. Joachim’s in Rockport. His home diocese in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, had instructed him to return to Nigeria in early July rather than later in the month as originally planned, as US immigration regulations required him to leave the country before applying for visa renewal.

His planned departure had devastated parishioners who deeply valued his ministry to patients and the wider community. In a farewell message published on the parish website last month, Madu gave voice to a grief that now reads with painful foreshadowing.

“Sincerely, it is not my wish to return home right now, but circumstances beyond my control have warranted that my time in the United States come to an end. My heart is broken, yet my joy remains,” he wrote, adding that he hoped to return one day.

Thursday would have been just days before the 25th anniversary of his ordination at St. Theresa Cathedral in Abakaliki on July 15, 2001.

Archbishop Richard Henning of the Archdiocese of Boston extended condolences to Madu’s family, fellow priests and the communities he served. The Diocese of Abakaliki has not yet issued a public statement.