Dr. Philomena Ikowe’s mission begins at home and extends to her parish, diocese, and homeland
Dr. Philomena Ikowe with one of her three sons at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Arlington, her home parish. (NTC/Juan Guajardo)
Philomena Ikowe is a physician and busy wife and mother of three sons, but on Sundays she is really on the go.
“Sunday is my busiest day, and I love it. No complaints,” she said with a broad smile.
A sacristan, she arrives at St. Joseph Parish in Arlington early to set up for the 11 a.m. Mass, and she often serves as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion at the Mass. Afterward, she and whichever sons are available begin their rounds of bringing the Eucharist to the homebound.
“Depending on how many homes we have to visit, and sometimes we go to the hospitals, we don’t get home until 4 or 4:30,” she said.
But it’s not a sacrifice.
“It gives me joy that I’m able to carry the Lord, and you see the joy in them when they see you. They’re not just seeing you — they see the Church,” she said, adding that she usually brings a bulletin and sometimes a prayer card.
Ikowe has served on her parish pastoral council and helps launder the altar linens — and that’s just the beginning. She also serves on diocesan committees, volunteers at her local homeless shelter, and makes annual medical mission trips to her homeland of Nigeria.
AN EARLY START
Some of Ikowe’s earliest memories are helping clean her local parish in the Diocese of Ogoja in southeast Nigeria. As she and her five surviving siblings grew older, their responsibilities increased, and they would fetch firewood and water for the elderly in the community.
Her father, the late Sir Gabriel Opiepe, was devoted to the Catholic faith and instilled that in his children. Ikowe recalls a structured childhood, with bells ringing to divide the day into time for prayer, for chores, for school, and for church.
She recalled, “As a growing child, I remember I consistently was going to church and leading the holy Rosary. I was about 7 or 8.
“I’m from a traditional Catholic home, and I’ve been Catholic all my life,” she continued. “My dad was one of the best philanthropists and a great teacher. I call him my hero. He led us in the faith.”
A Grand Knight of St. John International (a Catholic men’s fraternal organization dedicated to growth in faith, hope, and charity), her father involved his children in service to the church. Ikowe has adopted that practice with her sons, now in their teens and early 20s.
“I try to get them involved as much as possible because my dad did that for us. … I’m not going to be here for the rest of their lives, so whatever I have taught them, I want to be impactful,” she explained.
Her mother died of heart failure when Ikowe was three (her father remarried), and she lost one sister to measles and another to malaria. Those experiences instilled a desire to pursue a career as a physician.
After graduating from medical school in Nigeria, she practiced as a primary care physician and continued to volunteer at her local parish, offering a free medical clinic each Saturday.
Since immigrating to the U.S. in 2008, Ikowe has earned a master’s degree in public health and currently serves as a medical safety officer evaluating oncology medications.
She travels to Nigeria for two to three weeks each year, volunteering in a medical mission offering screenings, health education, preventive care, and minor surgery to the underserved, especially the elderly and orphans. She’s also done medical missions in the U.S. and Guatemala.
“My involvement with Catholic missions throughout my life has given me an insight and a good understanding of just how much the Catholic Church serves the underserved communities in this world. Nothing gives me more joy than to serve the underprivileged freely,” she said.
She and her siblings have set up an education and health foundation in memory of their late father. And to honor his commitment to the Catholic faith, the foundation provides a Mass kit to each priest in the diocese upon his ordination.
LIFE ON PURPOSE
Ikowe’s heart for service extends beyond Sundays and the annual medical mission trip she takes to Nigeria.
She’s been on the Diocesan Mission Council for seven years, and she also serves on the Texas Mission Council. Plus, she serves on committees for the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Mass, the All-African Mass, and the bimonthly Nigerian Catholic Community Mass.
She explained her persistent efforts, saying, “We are here on Earth, not by our own grace, but by the grace of God. And He has given us the opportunity to be here at this point in time. Not because we deserve it, but because He wants to use us for a purpose. So every single day I do something to live that purpose.”
One of those “every single day” things is a reflection on the Mass readings, a saint’s biography, and prayers that she sends to friends and family.
Winning the “World Changer” award in 2024 from Global Missions Now did not signify that her work was done. Her latest dream is to purchase and equip a mobile medical clinic for her home state in Nigeria.
“I really want to be able to touch as many lives as possible. A mobile clinic where I can actually go to the patient, instead of having them come to me,” she said quickly as her enthusiasm rose.
She pointed out transportation can be a barrier for some patients, and other medical professionals could use the mobile clinic when she is home in Texas.
“All through the year, we can keep helping people. I have this vision of so many things I can do, but I'm just handicapped. But I know the God I serve, He's a faithful God. I believe in prayer,” she said.
Time, accompanied by prayer, will tell whether her goal of a mobile medical clinic can be accomplished, but in the meantime, Ikowe spends Sundays in the Diocese of Fort Worth, traveling to those unable to attend Mass and bringing joy and the healing presence of the Lord in the Eucharist.