A 54-year-old Nigerian Catholic priest, Benjamin Madu, has reportedly died in the United States after he was directed to return to Nigeria following the expiry of his religious worker visa.
Although authorities and church officials have not officially disclosed the cause of his death, the Essex County District Attorney’s Office said investigators found no evidence of foul play, a source familiar with the matter disclosing that Madu died by suicide after learning he would have to leave the United States as his R-1 religious worker visa approached its expiration.
The deceased, who stood as a Diocese of Abakaliki in Ebonyi State, had served for several years as a parish priest and hospital chaplain in Massachusetts, where he became known for his pastoral care and commitment to parishioners.
The source added that he had travelled to Nigeria during the holiday periods in both 2024 and 2025 before returning to continue his ministry.
His death was announced by Father Jim Achadinha, pastor of the Catholic community of Gloucester and Rockport, who described it as a “devastating loss.” Achadinha said Madu “served Holy Family Parish and Our Lady of Good Voyage Parish with true joy, kindness, and generosity,” recalling the priest’s unwavering dedication to the faith community.
Archbishop Richard Henning of the Archdiocese of Boston also paid tribute to the late cleric, extending “our prayers and heartfelt condolences to his family, brother priests and friends in Nigeria as well as the many people Fr. Benjamin Madu ministered to here in Cape Ann and at Salem Hospital.”
According to the Archdiocese of Boston, Madu had served as a hospital chaplain at Salem Hospital since 2021, offering spiritual support to patients and their families during some of life’s most difficult moments. Tuesday would have marked the 25th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood at St. Theresa Cathedral in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.
Church officials said Madu had been preparing to leave the United States this month after his R-1 religious worker visa was due to expire on July 29. Although he had hoped to remain until the end of July, his home diocese instructed him to return to Nigeria earlier in the month.
Under U.S. Department of Homeland Security regulations, Madu was required to leave the country before seeking renewal of his R-1 visa. While the department has removed an earlier rule requiring religious workers to remain outside the United States for one year before reapplying, immigration restrictions affecting Nigeria reportedly limited the church’s ability to secure his continued stay.
Before his planned departure, Madu shared an emotional farewell message with parishioners through the Gloucester and Rockport parishes’ website, expressing both gratitude for his years of ministry and sadness over his unexpected exit.
“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 to continue ministering and would dearly miss the community that had become his home.
His impending departure came as a surprise to many members of the congregation, who affectionately called him “Father Ben.” During his ministry, he served at St. Ann’s and Our Lady of Good Voyage in Gloucester, as well as St. Joachim’s in Rockport, while continuing his work as a chaplain at Salem Hospital.