SUNNYSIDE — Deacon Callistus Ibeh’s journey toward the priesthood wasn’t as easy as riding a bike, but the avid cyclist said he didn’t encounter too many bumps along the way.

Growing up in Nigeria in a family that placed a priority on going to church, Deacon Ibeh said he knew he wanted to be a priest from the age of 8. His grandfather was a catechist at the local St. Patrick Church, and the young Callistus grew up immersed in the faith.

So he decided to come to the Diocese of Brooklyn to study for the priesthood, and now, his dream is about to come true.

Deacon Ibeh, 29, a transitional deacon who spent his diaconate year serving at Queen of Angels Church in Sunnyside, recently completed his studies at St. Joseph’s Seminary and College in Yonkers and is looking forward to his ordination at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph in Prospect Heights on June 28.

“I can’t believe it’s almost here. I kept counting down the years — five more years to go, two more years to go — and now it’s al- most time,” he said on May 12 at Queen of Angels Church.

In some ways, he has come a long way from his roots in Owerre Ezukala, a small town in Anambra State in southeast Nigeria. Then, as now, his faith was the center of his life.

“I was raised in a very faithful family,” Deacon Ibeh said, explaining that his grandfather also taught religious education at church while his mother reinforced those lessons at home.

“So as a young boy, I kind of grew up in this family of practicing faith,” he explained.

“There’s nothing as beautiful as waking up on Sunday and everybody knows what day it is, and everybody just goes to church and comes back.”

Harboring dreams of being a priest, he became an altar server at St. Patrick Church — the only church in Owerre Ezukala — and was intrigued by the lives of the clergy.

“Just serving around the altar, seeing the priest and what he does at the altar, just drew me in as a young boy,” Deacon Ibeh recalled. At 13 years old, he enrolled in a minor seminary, a high school for boys considering the priesthood.

“I remember telling God, ‘Well, I want to do this, but you have to let me know if this is really it.’ And I have to say by the end of that six-year program,” Deacon Ibeh said, “it kind of dawned on me that, yes, I feel really strong about this.”

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For a time, Deacon Ibeh lived in a church rectory, which he said helped him solidify his decision.

“I was able to see the inner life of the priest, not just on the altar, but also when he’s done with Mass, just being in the service of people, helping them do much sacramentally and giving advice and all sorts of things,” he said.

“That kind of drew me in even closer to being a priest myself.”

Deacon Ibeh has a cousin who is a priest serving in the Diocese of Rockville Centre, who urged him to come to New York to attend a major seminary. He arrived in 2016 and fell in love with the Diocese of Brooklyn.

“I loved the feeling here,” he said. “I am grateful the diocese accepted me.”

After attending St. John’s University, where he studied philosophy, he enrolled at St. Joseph’s Seminary and College five years ago.

He was ordained a transitional deacon in November 2024 at the seminary and completed his studies in early May. During his diaconate year, he visited Sunnyside on weekends to serve at Queen of Angels Church.

He maintains a hectic schedule as a transitional deacon, but he does manage to carve out a little time for fun. A sports fan, he enjoys bike riding, playing soccer, and rooting for his favorite soccer team, Manchester United.

Now that he is closing in on the finish line, he is aware that his life is about to change.

“The seminary is one thing, and also being a priest is another thing,” he said.

Deacon Ibeh is eager to see where Bishop Robert Brennan will assign him. One area of interest for him is evangelization. He said he relishes the idea of bringing people into the Church.

“I’m hoping to be out there and help my fellow young people really see the joy of being a Catholic,” he said.

“There’s nothing like knowing God, who you can always talk to as a friend. “I feel excited. I feel a little bitnervous, but I feel I answered his call.”