I don’t normally get involved in this Blog in politics- especially foreign countries I know nothing about- but the killings in African countries is disheartening. Nigeria
Seven people were killed in Rann when Boko Haram fighters attacked a military base in remote northeast Nigeria
But this brings us to our saint of the day-BLESSED CYPRIAN MICHAEL IWENE TANSIwho was a Trappist monk and is
Born to non-Christian parents in 1903, he was sent to live with his Christian uncle who gave him an education. Holy Trinity School in Onitsha
He was baptized 3 years later by the Irish missionaries. Bl. Cyprian was a diligent student with a precocious personality and deep piety. When Iwene was a young child, he became permanently blinded in one eye as a result of a mud-fight with other children.
He worked as a teacher for 3 years and later served as a headmaster of St. Joseph
In 1925 against the wishes of his family, he entered He felt the call to serve God in a more direct way in a life of contemplation and prayer and, if possible to bring the contemplative monastic life to Nigeria Nottingham , England , and to be trained in view of founding a contemplative monastery in the diocese of Onitsha
In 1962 Mount Saint Bernard decided to make the foundation in Africa, but for political reasons it was made in the neighboring country of Cameroon , near Bamenda, rather than in Nigeria
Interestingly enough, the process for his beatification was first opened in the diocese of Nottingham , but then transferred in 1986 to the Archdiocese of Onitsha. The Archbishop was the present Cardinal Francis Arinze, who had been among the first children baptized by Father Tansi when the latter was a young parish priest.
He is called the Patron Saint of Nigeria’s Democracy because soon after his Beatification in 1998, Nigeria
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| Mount. Saint Bernard Abbey |
Bl. Cyprian used to say, “if you are going to be a Christian at all, you might as well live entirely for God”.
He died on 20 January 1964 and was beatified on 22 March 1998 by Saint John Paul in Nigeria
Speaking in a homily to over three million faithful that gathered for the Papal Mass at Onitsha
"Today I wish to proclaim [to Nigerians] the importance of reconciliation: reconciliation with God and reconciliation of people among themselves… When we see others as brothers and sisters, it is possible to begin healing the divisions within society. This is the reconciliation, which is the path to true peace and authentic progress for Nigeria and for Africa ."
The saintly Pope also said:
He was first of all a man of God: his long hours before the Blessed Sacrament filled his heart with generous and courageous love. Those who knew him testify to his great love of God. Everyone who met him was touched by his personal goodness. He was then a man of the people: he always put others before himself, and was especially attentive to the pastoral needs of families. He took great care to prepare couples well for Holy Matrimony and preached the importance of chastity. He tried in every way to promote the dignity of women. In a special way, the education of young people was precious to him.
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