About Us
Our History
The Catholic Church of the Assumption, Falomo, traces its roots back to the 1940s and 1950s, when Falomo was still a quiet fishing village nestled within the swampy lands of Ikoyi. At that time, Ikoyi was largely an expatriate enclave—home to British colonial administrators and foreign company workers from firms like UAC, John Holt, Costain, and Elder Dempster. With no Catholic church available in the area, the faithful—both expatriates and their domestic staff—had to attend Mass at the chapel of St. Gregory’s College, Obalende, which had been established in 1928 under Rev. Fr. Leo Taylor, an American missionary and pioneer principal of St. Gregory’s Grammar School.
In 1957, recognising the growing need for a place of worship in Falomo, Archbishop Leo Taylor acquired land and chaired a Building Committee for the construction of a new church. Rev. Fr. Patrick Braniff was commissioned to design it. The Archbishop approved the design in March 1958, and later that same year, he laid the foundation stone. By the grace of God, the church was completed in just two years.
On 17th May 1960, a few months before Nigeria’s independence, the Church was solemnly dedicated and named “Church of the Assumption”—in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary’s glorious Assumption into Heaven. Fr. Patrick Braniff was appointed as the first Parish Priest.
Before the Church building was completed, Masses were held in St. George’s Catholic Primary School, located within the same compound. The parish initially fell under St. Michael’s Catholic Church, Lafiaji, led by the late Monsignor John A. Kilbey (popularly known as Pa Kilbey), who was instrumental in financing the new church to ensure its timely completion.
At the time of its dedication, the Church of the Assumption had only about 100 parishioners, a mix of Nigerians and expatriates. However, as more Nigerians began moving into Ikoyi and assuming roles in government and society, the congregation rapidly grew. The surrounding area—what is now known as South West Ikoyi—saw major development and land reclamation, bringing in new residents and increasing the church’s population.
In its early days, St. Michael’s Church continued to support the fledgling community by sending altar servers and sometimes choristers, especially when the local school was still under construction.
Over time, the Church underwent several phases of development. In 1980, the gallery was completed under Rev. Fr. O’Keefe. In 1983, a new extension project was launched. It was dedicated on 29th July 1984 by Anthony Cardinal Olubunmi Okogie, then Archbishop of Lagos. The final extension of the Church as we know it today was completed under Rev. Fr. Noel O’Leary.
The parish also gave spiritual birth to several outstations:
1. St. Charles Borromeo Oratory (1004 Estate, Victoria Island) – originally managed by the Church of the Assumption and funded by the Federal Government.
2. Church of the Divine Mercy (Lekki Phase 1).
3. Church of the Transfiguration (Victoria Garden City, Lekki).
A major spiritual milestone came on 15th August 1995, when relics of St. Cecilia and St. Vincent de Paul were solemnly placed in the altar by the Archbishop of Lagos, marking the feast of the Assumption.Soon after, on 17th August 1995, the current Church Hall was officially opened.
In 2010, under Rev. Fr. Innocent Opogah, the Church was fully air-conditioned, enhancing the comfort of worshippers. The renovated Church was blessed on 17th May 2010 by Cardinal Okogie, as part of the Church’s Golden Jubilee celebrations.