Rev. Fr. Onyekachi Innocent Duru, M.Div., BCC

Simply called Fr. Innocent is a Catholic priest with over 14 years of experience as ordained Catholic Priest. He has also been a hospital chaplain with over 8 years of experience in providing spiritual care and pastoral support to patients, families, and staff at various hospitals. During these years of hospital experiences in the United States, He has worked as a priest chaplain in the following Hospitals: St Frances Heart Center, Roslyn, St Charles Hospital, Port Jefferson, Mather Hospital, Port Jefferson, Mercy Medical Center, Rockville Centre, and Nassau University Medical Centre (NUMC) East Meadow. Fr. Innocent joined Stony Brook Hospital in 2021 as a Per Diem weekend night chaplain.

Fr. Innocent holds a Master of Divinity degree from Duquesne University, PA, Master’s in Public Administration (MPA) from Adamawa State University, Nigeria among other BA degrees. He has his four units Certificate in Clinical Pastoral Education from Catholic Health Services of Long Island; New York and he is also a National Association of Catholic Chaplain (NACC) board certified chaplain.

As a member of NACC, a body of Professional Chaplains, Fr. Innocent is naturally passionate about fostering a culture of compassion, respect, and dignity in the hospital setting. He believes that chaplaincy is a ministry of empathy, presence, listening ear, and accompaniment that should help people cope with illness, grief, and loss. He is also committed to promoting interfaith dialogue and collaboration among the diverse religious and spiritual traditions represented in the hospital community. Fr Innocent Loves his work as a chaplain.

Dènye Mizajou
04/19/2024