364:"Do not be imitating the whites in everything, strive hard to gain the Kingdom of God. The whites are already in heaven in this world, but you are suffering every want. Are you going to suffer also in the next world: Life on earth could be compared to the journey of a young student who received a slip for a registered parcel, and he had to go to Lagos to claim this parcel. On the way he passed through many beautiful towns, towns with very attractive things in the shops. He started going from one shop to another, stretching his hands to the beautiful things he saw. He stopped so often in these big towns that he almost forgot what he was travelling for. It was after a long time that he ultimately reached Lagos, and when he went to claim the parcel he was told that the parcel had lain in the post for so long without him arriving to claim it that they had finally decided to send it back to the sender."
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384:"She is not 'Onye Bem' (a common Nigerian expression for wife, meaning 'in my place) but your wife, your better half, part of your own body. 'Onye' means a stranger which your wife is not. You must recognize the worth and position of your wife and treat her as your partner and your equal. Unless you do that, she is not a wife to you but a servant, and that is not what God wants a wife to be to the husband."
294:. He was strict with students who failed to work hard at the parish school. He was known to hide near the school; when he saw students coming late, he would emerge from hiding and penalize them. He was remembered for being a perfectionist, which sometimes caused resentment. Later, his experience as a novice monk gave him insight into his earlier methods and caused him to reconsider.
242:. Tabansi meant for his son to get a better education that would help lead their family out of poverty. Michael was baptized on July 7, 1913 with the Christian name of Michael. At the school, Michael served as an altar boy and catechist. Upon graduating, he became a teacher, and worked as such from 1919 to 1925, Later, he became headmaster at St. Joseph's school in Aguleri.
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be in a special home wherein she would be looked after until she got married. He would not allow men to see their brides before they got married, and if the groom attempted to go there without Fr. Tansi's permission, he could be penalized. He also had a women's group organized, who would enforce disciplines on their own members to avoid premarital sex and deter
374:"If you want to eat vultures, you may as well eat seven of them, so that when people call you "vulture eater" you really deserve the name. If you want to become a Catholic, live as a faithful Catholic, so that when people see you, they know that you are a Catholic. If you are going to be a Christian at all, you might as well live entirely for God."
306:
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on 22 March 1998, at Oba, Nigeria, becoming the first West
African to be beatified. Pope John Paul said: "Blessed Cyprian Michael Tansi is a prime example of the fruits of holiness which have grown and matured in the Church in Nigeria since the Gospel was first preached in this land. He received the
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He also stood up against oppression of women within the traditional culture and advised women to fight back against those who would rape or mistreat them. On one occasion, a female parishioner was attacked by a group of males, and she fought back against them. Fr
Michael, who was nearby, came on his
289:
He was unyielding in confronting vice among his flock. He had a special interest in preparing young women for marriage. With the help of local nuns, the women were taught about
Christian marriage and how to care for the children they would have. He would organize the community to place the bride to
313:
While serving in his last parish, in his own hometown of
Aguleri from 1949-1950, Michael began to become attracted to the monastic life. At that time, there were no monasteries established in Nigeria, and the Bishop was interested in the idea of sending some candidates to a monastery in Europe who
325:
Cyprian was sensitive to criticism, and his novice master was hard on the new monks. This caused him much stress, and it was during this trying time that he understood that he had made some mistakes in
Nigeria with the hard discipline and expectations he had placed on those under him. Despite his
274:
When he became a parish priest, he lived an austere life in comparison to the priests around him. He built his own home using traditional materials. He would sleep on any bed, even if it was uncomfortable. He would eat even poorer food than what the local people ate, surviving on tiny portions of
250:
At that time, few locals in
Nigeria were becoming priests. Most of the clergy were Europeans. While Igbo could become priests, they were subject to strict discipline and were often expelled from seminary for relatively minor lapses. Tansi took asceticism seriously and once fasted to such extremes
340:
He was commissioned to establish a monastery not in
Nigeria, but in neighboring Cameroon. Ill health changed those plans. His health deteriorated, but he accepted death with no complaint. Before he died, he went to Leicester Royal Hospital, and, when he was examined, the doctor came out of the
254:
Michael attended St. Paul
Seminary in Igbariam from 1925 to 1937. His family criticized his entrance to the seminary, because they wanted him to go into business, as his father had planned. There, he developed a particular devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
231:
Michael was the oldest son. His name Iwene meant 'let malice not kill'. His parents were poor farmers; they were not
Christian. His mother was sentenced to death by a medicine man because he decided she was responsible for the deaths of several youngsters in the village. After her death from
317:
1950 was a jubilee year in the church, and
Michael was first sent to on a pilgrimage to Rome. He was then sent to the Trappist abbey of Mount St. Bernard in England. He arrived on 8 June 1950. At the monastery, he entered the novitiate and then took vows, receiving as his monastic name
286:
bicycle and joined with her and fought them until they fled. He then encouraged her to bring the assailants to court, which she did, winning the case against them and forcing them each to pay her four pounds; this case was a milestone in the establishment of women's rights in Nigeria.
322:, after the Roman martyr. Father Cyprian worked in the refectory and bookbindery, and in the vegetable gardens and orchard. Father Anselm Stark, who knew Fr Cyprian, recalled: "As a person he was very ordinary, very humble, obviously a great man of deep prayer and dedication."
270:
As Black priests became more common, some followed the lifestyle of the foreign missionaries. Monks and nuns also lived more comfortably than most Nigerians, and some people began looking at taking holy orders as a priest, monk or nun as a way to escape poverty.
163:
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from local farmers to sell abroad. Relations between the local population and the foreign company were often strained. Michael's father, Tabansi of Igbezunu, was once taken hostage by the Royal Niger Company and later released.
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examination and spoke with monastery priest Fr. James, saying: "Can you help me please, Father? This man must be in terrific pain, but he will only admit that he has 'a little pain.'" He died the same day, as a result of
573:
263:
At that time in Nigeria, almost all priests were foreign missionaries. Few Africans were being ordained to the priesthood. Tansi was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Onitsha at the
379:"Whether you like it or not, saving your soul is your own business. If you are weak and fall by the wayside, we shall push you aside and tread on you as we march forward to meet God."
297:
He also was opposed to some aspects of the traditional pagan culture in Nigeria. Nigerian pagans had murdered his own mother after claiming she was a witch who had caused mischief.
349:
264:
127:
729:
667:
882:
847:
416:
There is a statue of Father Tansi outside Most Holy Trinity Basilica in Onitsha. In 2010, Michael Cyprian Iwene Tansi was named a patron of Nigerian priests. Archbishop
577:
282:, Dunukofia, Akpu/Ajalli, and his home town Aguleri. He organized programs for the needy, taught people building techniques, and was remembered as being kind.
897:
867:
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would become monks in Europe and later return to Nigeria to start up the first Nigerian monastery. Michael and others were selected for this project.
852:
309:
The body of Blessed Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi on display during his silver jubilee celebration at Holy Family Catholic Church, Festac Town, Lagos
413:
gift of faith through the efforts of the missionaries, and, taking the Christian way of life as his own, he made it truly African and Nigerian."
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When Iwene was a young child, he became permanently blinded in one eye as a result of a mud-fight with other children.
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Nigerian Catholics were not accustomed to this kind of priest. He became popular in the four parishes he served in:
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fears of racial prejudice, he was accepted by most of the other monks. The English winter was also hard on him.
794:
193:
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131:
760:
Question and Answer with Francis Cardinal Arinze and Fr. Kevin Barrett 2009 (information starts at 13:55)
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yam. He went by foot, used bicycles, and sometimes had a motorbike. He also travelled during rainstorms.
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swallowing poison, Iwene's father married again. He and his second wife had four boys and one girl.
220:
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139:
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99:
705:
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Blessed Iwene Tansi Chaplaincy, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (Igbariam Campus)
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Blessed Iwene Tansi Major Seminary, Onitsha Anambra State Nigeria (Provincial Seminary)
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402:
361:"Count no one saved, until he is found in heaven" (Onye afuro na enuigwe, si aguyi na)
200:
826:
781:
204:
106:
25:
817:
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421:
574:""Rite of Beatification of Father Cyprian Tansi", Catholic Archdiocese of Onitsha"
219:
Tansi was born in September 1903, in an area of Nigeria under the control of the
174:
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His body was buried at the monastery in England, but was later interred at the
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His father sent Iwene to Holy Trinity School in Onitsha, which was run by the
170:
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35:
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224:
189:
555:
Hartman O.P., Irene. "Blessed Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi 1903-1964",
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717:"Blessed Cyprian may be new saint", BBC Leicester, September 15, 2009
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and a ruptured aneurysm. The date of his death was 20 January 1964.
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223:(RNC). The RNC maintained a trading outpost in Aguleri, purchasing
778:"Homily at the Mass for the Beatification of Father Cyprian Tansi"
600:"Blessed Iwene Tansi: The patron saint of Nigeria's democracy @20"
392:
328:
304:
279:
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Blessed Tansi at Cathedral Basilica of Most Holy Trinity Onitsha.
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Blessed Iwene Tansi Chaplaincy, Nike Grammar School, Enugu State
541:. Coalville, Leicester: Mount Saint Bernard Abbey. p. 1.
630:"Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi", Saints Resource, RCL Benziger
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stated that he was inspired by Tansi, who was his teacher.
730:"Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi Feast Day Jan 20 – Full Text"
795:
Eyoboka, Sam. "Catholic bishops immortalise Rev. Tansi",
525:
Entirely for God: the life of Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi
448:
Blessed Iwene Tansi Parish, Ugwu Orji Owerri Imo State
199:
On 22 March 1998, upon the recommendation of Cardinal
173:(September 1903 – 20 January 1964) was an
428:
Institutions named after Blessed Cyprian Iwene Tansi
350:
Cathedral Basilica of the Most Holy Trinity, Onitsha
128:
Cathedral Basilica of the Most Holy Trinity, Onitsha
527:, Elizabeth Isichei (Cistercian Publications, 1980)
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Blessed Iwene Tansi Parish, Transekulu, Enugu State
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118:
105:
95:
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56:
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539:A New Life of Father Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi
469:Blessed Iwene Tansi Parish Ijebu-Ode Ogun State.
369:"God will give you double for what you give Him"
767:. The Apostolate for Family Consecration. 2009.
672:, United States Catholic Mission Association"
445:Blessed Iwene Tansi Parish, Mba Farm, Onitsha
436:Blessed Iwene Tansi Secondary School, Aguleri
333:Sculpture by Leicester Thomas on the wall in
8:
265:Cathedral Basilica of the Most Holy Trinity
706:"Blessed Cyprian Tansi", Mount St. Bernard
625:
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466:Blessed Michael Tansi Catholic Church, Aba
43:
20:
550:
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442:Blessed Iwene Tansi Parish, Awada-Onitsha
883:Venerated Catholics by Pope John Paul II
848:Nigerian emigrants to the United Kingdom
668:""Blessed Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi",
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7:
728:enternigerianews (20 January 2018).
439:Blessed Iwene Tansi Parish, Umudioka
898:20th-century Roman Catholic priests
813:Publications on Blessed Iwene Tansi
267:in Onitsha on December 19, 1937.
14:
868:20th-century venerated Christians
460:Tansi International College Awka
251:that he became ill as a result.
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16:Igbo Nigerian priest (1903–1964)
853:Nigerian Roman Catholic priests
780:. 22 March 1998. Archived from
211:. His feast day is 20 January.
1:
194:Mount Saint Bernard Monastery
67:Southern Nigeria Protectorate
888:20th-century Nigerian people
873:People from colonial Nigeria
151:Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi
134:, Coalville, Leicestershire
31:Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi
914:
463:Tansian University, Umunya
893:Trappist beatified people
878:People from Anambra State
843:Nigerian beatified people
557:Southwest Kansas Catholic
537:Wareing, Gregory (1994).
420:compared Father Tansi to
83:20 January 1964 (aged 60)
42:
424:as a model of sanctity.
215:Heritage and early life
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335:Mount St Bernard Abbey
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186:Archdiocese of Onitsha
132:Mount St Bernard Abbey
784:on 27 September 2011.
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422:St John Mary Vianney
408:He was beatified by
221:Royal Niger Company
188:and later became a
559:, January 24, 2013
399:
338:
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240:Holy Ghost Fathers
184:who worked in the
684:on 5 January 2022
670:Missionary Saints
580:on 7 October 2023
410:Pope John Paul II
209:Pope John Paul II
148:
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113:Pope John Paul II
111:22 March 1998 by
96:Venerated in
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858:Igbo theologians
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740:on 18 April 2019
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52:Priest and Monk
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799:, June 6, 2010
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403:Francis Arinze
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734:ENTER NIGERIA
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196:in England.
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838:1964 deaths
833:1903 births
352:, Nigeria.
827:Categories
655:A New Life
642:A New Life
474:References
389:Veneration
356:Quotations
246:Seminarian
144:20 January
79:1964-01-20
863:Trappists
688:6 October
653:Wareing,
640:Wareing,
401:Cardinal
205:beatified
203:, he was
107:Beatified
86:Leicester
744:18 April
644:, p. 34.
604:TheCable
292:abortion
225:palm oil
192:monk at
190:Trappist
178:Nigerian
765:YouTube
657:, p. 4.
610:5 March
584:31 July
320:Cyprian
90:England
63:Aguleri
26:Blessed
130:&
122:shrine
120:Major
682:(PDF)
675:(PDF)
280:Nnewi
159:
140:Feast
746:2019
690:2021
612:2022
586:2018
175:Igbo
171:OCSO
73:Died
57:Born
36:OCSO
763:on
207:by
829::
732:.
698:^
620:^
602:.
565:^
547:^
481:^
169:,
156://
88:,
65:,
748:.
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614:.
588:.
81:)
77:(
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