HAPPY FEAST DAY OF BLESSED IWENE
TANSI (January 20, 2021)
“Do not be a half-hearted
Christian, belong entirely to God with Christian faith and courage” (Blessed
Iwene Tansi).
Hometown: Igboezunu Aguleri,
Nigeria
Fame: Trappist monk
Feast day: January 20
Preamble:
Today, January 20, the Church
celebrates the Feast of the Blessed Michael Cyprian Iwene Tansi, who was
beatified by Pope St. John Paul II, at Onitsha on March 22, 1998, during the
Pope’s Pastoral visit to Nigeria that year. The Pope visited Nigeria that year,
specifically, for the Beatification of Father Tansi.
This Papal Visit of 21-23 March
1998, was also very significant in the political life and history of Nigeria as
a nation-state! It was the most singular and visible factor that prepared the
ground for the return of democracy in Nigeria, few months later in 1999.
In fact, two months after the
Papal Visit of 1998, events that led to the end of General Sani Abacha's
military junta and dictatorial regime, began to unfold, and Nigeria's return to
democracy, became a reality thereof in 1999.
Moreover, Pope John Paul II made
the subject of true healing, reconciliation, justice, peace, harmony and
freedom of religion and expression, the theme of his pastoral visit and
homilies he preached throughout the visit.
Therefore, this Papal Visit and
Beatification of Father Tansi in Nigerian in 1998, formed the bedrock or rather
spiritual fibre, that made the return to democracy in the country in 1999, a
reality!
This is why in a day like this,
January 20, that the Church celebrates the Feast of Blessed Iwene Tansi, our
religious and political leaders in Nigeria, must not lose sight of the place of
the Blessed Iwene Tansi in the spiritual and political transformation of the
country!
Apart from the fact that Father
Tansi was the first to be Beatified from Nigeria, and in whole of West Africa,
the spiritual role the Beatification of Fr Tansi played in restoring democracy
and good governance in the country, after decades of military dictatorship, is
something that calls for annual national recognition and celebration in honour of this holy man from Aguleri, Anambra
State.
Moreover, today, that Nigeria has
found itself once more, in a situation far worse than that of the time Pope St
John Paul II visited the country in 1998, let us not fail to recognize the
important place Blessed Iwene Tansi occupies in the political and spiritual
life of Nigeria, and to invoke his powerful intercession for divine
intervention in our much troubled and tormented nation state today!
Who is Blessed Iwene Tansi?
When Archbishop Charles Heerey of
the Archdiocese of Onitsha in Nigeria wished to found a Trappist monastery in
his archdiocese, he singled out the local priest Iwene Tansi (1903-1964) as the
proper candidate for this ministry. Iwene accepted the invitation to pursue the
“vocation within a vocation,” that is, to be not only a priest, but also a
Trappist priest. He agreed to travel to England, where he would train as a
Trappist monk and then return to Nigeria, where he would introduce the monastic
life.
Iwene had been born of humble
parents who were followers of African Traditional Religion in its Igbo cultural
colouring, the farmer Tabansi and his wife, Ejikwevi of Igboezunu Aguleri. When
the child Iwene went to the mission school at the Christian Village in his
hometown Aguleri to study, the priests there called him Michael, which name he
adopted at baptism at nine. He lived with a close relative Orekyie who was a
teacher at the Christian Village mission school, Aguleri. The young Iwene was
trained and educated in the mission school at the Christian Village of St.
Joseph’s Mission Aguleri. Right from his formative years and life in the
village, the young Iwene had already distinguished himself as a devout Catholic
and very meticulous person. It must be the manifestation of his tutelage under
the energetic and pious Holy Ghost missionaries, his uncle Orekyie who was a
teacher at the mission school, and the great sense of diligence he might have
imbibed from them at St Joseph’s Mission, Aguleri. A little wonder too, that
because of his high decorum, the missionaries at Aguleri recommended him for
entry into the newly established seminary at Igbariam.
At sixteen, Iwene Michael began
teaching at the mission school in his hometown, Aguleri. Six years later, he
entered the seminary at Igbariam. At thirty-four, he was ordained a priest at
the Cathedral at Onitsha. Immediately after ordination to the priesthood in
1937, Father Tansi worked as a Parish Vicar under Father John Cross Anyogu (who
was later consecrated a Bishop of Enugu) at Nnewi for three years – from 1938
to 1940. His laudable performance at Nnewi mission encouraged the Ordinary to
transfer him to Dunukofia to open that station. This he did creditably too.
After five years at Dunukofia he was again transferred to Ufesiodo (Orumba
Aguata region) to build up the Mission. He worked satisfactorily as well in
this field. Finally, he was posted to his hometown Aguleri in 1949. It was
while at Aguleri that Father Tansi expressed for the first time in writing to
his Archbishop his wish to become a Trappist monk. Consequently, from Aguleri
he departed for the Monastery in Leicester England in 1950.
As a pastor, Father Tansi
dedicated himself not only to daily contemplative prayer but also to active
ministry. He evangelized the youth, prepared couples for marriage, visited the
sick, was a very good confessor, promoted vocations to priesthood and religious
life, and provided for the needs of the poor. He travelled extensively throughout
the parish environs to meet and serve his people. An active and busy pastor
suddenly developed interest for a monastic life! After thirteen years as a
diocesan priest, Archbishop Heerey selected him as the most appropriate
candidate to receive, incorporate, and share the Trappist spirituality.
Not a young man at age
forty-seven, the parish priest left his native land and travelled to the
distant land to prepare himself professionally. En route to England, Father
Tansi made a pilgrimage to Rome. In 1950, he arrived at the Abbey of Mount St.
Bernard in Leicestershire. Six years later, he took the religious name Cyprian
(in honour of that great third-century African ascetic theologian, St. Cyprian
of Carthage).
Unfortunately, after Cyprian had
begun his formation program, the Trappists reviewed the proposed location of
their foundation in Africa and changed the site from Nigeria to neighbouring
Cameroon. Although disappointed at this change of location, Cyprian
nevertheless continued his formation and dedication to the Trappist
spirituality. Early in 1964, however, Cyprian was diagnosed with an aortic
aneurysm. Within a few weeks, he died. Originally buried at the monastery in
Leicestershire, his remains were transferred in 1988 to Onitsha and then to be
buried finally at Aguleri his hometown, which had been also his last parochial
assignment in Nigeria before moving to England.
Meanwhile, work is in progress at
the Site where the Archdiocese of Onitsha is building National Shrine in honour of Blessed Iwene
Tansi, in his place of birth at Igboezunu, Aguleri. This is the small village
at Aguleri, where Father Tansi was born. Therefore, it is appropriate that the
Church, in its wisdom, has decided that the remains of the Blessed Iwene Tansi
be interned and preserved for posterity, finally, in a Chapel in the Shrine
built for that purpose in his native village,
Igboezunu, Aguleri.
Already, the Shrine Site at
Igboezunu, Aguleri has started to attract a number of pilgrims on regular
basis! It is hoped that when the Shrine is finally ready, and fully operative,
more and more pilgrims will love to visit the centre for prayers and other
spiritual exercises and liturgical celebrations.
The saintliness that Cyprian
Michael Iwene Tansi manifested to others had been a part of him throughout his
whole life, beginning even in his youth. Commenting on his whole life during
his beatification at Onitsha in 1998, Pope (St.) John Paul II said: “He proved
himself endowed with virtue, devoted to responsibility, and given over to
piety, prayer and studies.
Finally, on a day like this, the
universal Church honours Blessed Iwene Tansi, we shall not fail to continue to
pray that in no distant future, God willing, we shall all gather again around
the Altar, together with the Holy Father the Pope, for the Canonization of the
Blessed Iwene Tansi, which is the last stage remaining for his Sainthood in the
Church.
Meanwhile, the faithful are
expected to continue to seek for God's favours in prayer, through the
intercession of the Blessed Iwene Tansi, and to report any favour received
through his intercession to the Postulator's Office at the Archdiocesan
Secretariat, Onitsha. --- (Website:
http://www.onitsha-archdiocese.org)
*******
"Lord help me to remember
that nothing is going to happen today that you and I, together can't
handle." --- Blessed Iwene Tansi
*********
BLESSED IWENE TANSI, PRAY FOR US!
Francis Anekwe Oborji
Rome, January 20, 2021
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