By Sylvester Asoya
For giving West Africa its first Catholic Monk and Nigeria, her first Saint, Aguleri, Anambra State, remains one of the happiest communities despite the challenge of daily of survival
The people of Aguleri, a town in Anambra East Local Government Area of Anambra State are usually in high spirits. And the average person is not unnecessarily anxious for reasons that are not far to seek.
To prove this happiness that prevails, a psychologist on a field study to this fascinating community can easily discover that the people frequently experience positive emotions in spite of the odds. And the fact that the people do not worry much despite the challenge of existence, and the unfortunate inter communal crisis that gave a bad name to this interesting settlement many years ago, is also baffling.
But at the centre of their joy is Blessed Cyprian Michael Iwene Tnasi, an extraordinary priest and West Africa’s first Catholic Monk and Nigeria’s first Saint.
It is obvious that Blessed Tansi will forever live in the hearts of his people who admire him greatly for his exemplary Christian life and for sustaining the Catholic faith in Aguleri and other places. Part of this admiration and reverence show in his giant statue that stands at Aguleri Junction, the centre of town which is also the business and commercial area of Aguleri.
Nonetheless, outside the town’s centre, Tansi is also evoking interests with his presence in Aguleri’s three Catholic parishes; the numerous schools; roads and other public places where he stands tall. This is in addition to regular visits to the town by tourists and people from different parts of the world.
Recently, some nuns from Society of Our Mother of Peace, Umunchukwu, in Anambra State visited Aguleri on a mission to learn more about Tansi’s remarkable life, his community and what his people are doing to keep his memory alive. One of the nuns, Reverend Sister Mary Clare, insists that visiting Igboezunu, Tansi’s birth place in Aguleri. is not only fulfilling but a dream come true.
On his part, Reverend Father Martin Atumanya, parish priest at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Aguleri expresses joy over the wondrous things happening in Tansi’s town. “We appreciate God always because he has a way of blessing people. We are happy and proud that God decided to call one of our sons. He created us and knows the goodness in us that is why we must continue to trust him. We were told that Tansi was a stammerer but it was not an inhibition to his work”.
The priest goes down memory lane, recounting how the Christian missionaries came to Aguleri during the reign of Igwe Idigo, a kindhearted king who welcomed the early Christians to his kingdom.
In the same vein, Paschal Okpala, a seminarian, provides more perspectives on Tansi’s amazing life, his Christian faith, his struggles and challenges on earth.
“I feel happy and grateful that a Nigerian, an Igbo, is addressed as Blessed. This shows that we have something more than those who are even considered better. I saw the film of his life when I was eight. He was a stammerer and he got angry easily. But anytime he reacted angrily on account of the fact that he stammered, he would lie down on a stone instead of his bed as atonement.
”For him, that was penance and he believed that he would be forgiven by God by so doing. He went to many villages, built churches and converted many people and he was also physically strong. There is a story about him somewhere in Igbariam where he worked as a priest. That story of how he beat up a masquerade that had visited the church and intimidated worshippers is still being told till today”.
A business woman, Ifeoma Ejike from Aguleri gives another view of the priest and his remarkable earthly journey. According to her, Tansi deliberately suffered himself in many ways.
“We were told that anytime he was served a delicious meal, he would pour water inside the food just to punish himself. He was also a great and fearless man who hated evil and he fought all the evil men in the land. Today, my heart is glad. It is a miracle that God saw everywhere and chose our son and our place for this great honour. We are still praying and hoping that at the end of this life, we shall also obtain mercy. However, I must say that we his kinsmen and women are doing everything possible to find favour with the Almighty”.
It is understandable that this priest will continue to inspire people and groups for many years to come. At St. Joseph’s Catholic Church where he was baptized and where he also celebrated his first Mass, a prayer meeting holds every Monday. Paul Obiekwe is a member of the prayer group but his relationship with Tansi goes beyond coming from the same community.
“This great man trained my mother. Father Tansi also consecrated the marriage between my father and mother. He was a man of the people and that is a thing of joy for us. He really worked for God and man that is why all of us in Aguleri love him no matter our faith or denomination. And he is still working for us, that is why we invoke his name in difficult times”.
In Aguleri, this important son of the soil will be remembered forever. This is so because he lives in the hearts of his people for many reasons.
• Asoya, a senior journalist, wrote from Lagos.