Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi, OCSO (September 1903 – 20 January 1964) was an Igbo Nigerian priest of the Catholic Church who worked in the Archdiocese of Onitsha and later became a Trappist monk at Mount Saint Bernard Monastery in England. On 22 March 1998, upon the recommendation of Cardinal Francis Arinze, he was beatified by Pope John Paul II. His feast day is 20 January.
Heritage and Early Life
Tansi was born in September 1903, in Aguleri, a region of Nigeria under the control of the Royal Niger Company (RNC). The RNC maintained a trading outpost there, purchasing palm oil from local farmers to sell abroad. A notable incident occurred when a local person, Onwurume, punctured a barrel of palm oil to get some for his roasted yam, causing the entire barrel to empty. When he ran away, he was apprehended by RNC employees and put into custody. Local people gathered to negotiate his release, but the RNC called for military reinforcements, arrested twelve village chiefs, and attacked neighboring villages, looting and burning homes .
Michael's father, Tabansi of Igbezunu, Aguleri, was one of the hostages taken by the RNC but later released. Michael was his firstborn son from his first marriage. He had another son and five children from a second marriage . Young Iwene became permanently blinded in one eye from a childhood mud fight .
His father sent Iwene to Holy Trinity School in Onitsha, run by the Holy Ghost Fathers, to get an education that could lead their family out of poverty. Michael was baptized on July 7, 1913, and took the name Michael. He served as an altar boy and catechist at school. Upon graduating, he became a teacher from 1919 to 1925 and later headmaster at St. Joseph's school in Aguleri .
Seminarian
In the early 20th century, enthusiasm for Black priests in Nigeria was low. The Bishop, primarily Irish, and most of the clergy were European, viewing the native Igbo as steeped in paganism. Michael attended St. Paul Seminary in Igbariam from 1925 to 1937. His family opposed his entrance to the seminary, preferring he pursue a career that could alleviate their poverty. Despite this, Michael felt a calling to continue his religious studies .
Parish Priest
Tansi was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Onitsha on December 19, 1937 . He led an austere life, building his own home from traditional materials, eating minimal food, and often walking instead of using provided transportation. His lifestyle and dedication endeared him to the Nigerian Catholics .
Tansi served in four parishes: Nnewi, Dunukofia, Akpu/Ajalli, and Aguleri. He organized the community to help the poor, taught new building techniques, and promoted women's rights. Notably, he supported a woman who fought back against her attackers, encouraging her to take them to court, which she won—a significant milestone for women's rights in Nigeria .
He was known for his strict discipline and opposition to certain traditional practices, such as masquerades, which he viewed as harmful. His practical teachings often addressed everyday issues, promoting efficiency and conservation, such as plucking mangoes individually to avoid waste .
Later Life and Monasticism
Later in life, Tansi sought a more contemplative existence and joined the Trappist monks at Mount Saint Bernard Monastery in England. His time as a novice gave him insights into his earlier strict methods as a priest.
Beatification
On 22 March 1998, Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi was beatified by Pope John Paul II, with Cardinal Francis Arinze recommending his beatification. His feast day is celebrated on 20 January.
Tansi's life and work remain a testament to his dedication to faith, community service, and the integration of practical wisdom with spiritual guidance. His beatification stands as a recognition of his significant contributions to the Catholic Church and the Nigerian community.
Trappist Monk
Attraction to Monastic Life:
- While serving in his last parish in Aguleri from 1949-1950, Michael became attracted to monastic life.
- There were no monasteries in Nigeria at that time, and the Bishop planned to send candidates to Europe to become monks and later return to establish a Nigerian monastery. Michael was selected for this project.
Jubilee Year and Journey to Rome:
- In 1950, a jubilee year in the church, Michael was first sent to Rome to make a pilgrimage to the four major basilicas.
- He was then sent to Mount St. Bernard in England, arriving on 8 June 1950.
Life at Mount St. Bernard:
- At the monastery, he joined the novitiate, took his vows, and adopted the name Cyprian after the Roman martyr.
- He worked in various capacities including the refectory, bookbindery, vegetable gardens, and orchard.
- He was known for saying, "If you are going to be a Christian at all, you might as well live entirely for God."
Challenges and Reflections:
- Cyprian was sensitive to criticism and faced a harsh novice master who often found faults in his work, causing him stress.
- He reflected on his past strict discipline in Nigeria and recognized his mistakes.
- Despite initial fears of racial prejudice, he was fully accepted by the monks, except for a South African monk who was critical of him.
- The English winter was particularly hard on him.
Commission and Ill Health:
- He was initially commissioned to establish a monastery in Cameroon, not Nigeria.
- His health deteriorated, preventing him from fulfilling this mission.
- He felt the Nigerian independence movement was improperly conducted but accepted his declining health without complaint.
Death:
- Cyprian's health worsened, and he was taken to Leicester Royal Hospital.
- He died on 20 January 1964 due to arteriosclerosis and a ruptured aneurysm.
- His body was initially buried at the monastery in England but later interred at the Cathedral Basilica of the Most Holy Trinity in Onitsha, Nigeria.
Quotations
- "Count no one saved until he is found in heaven" (Onye afuro na enuigwe, si aguyi na).
- "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 traveling 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."
- "God will give you double for what you give Him".
- "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."
- "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."
- "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."
Veneration
Recommendation and Beatification:
- Blessed Tansi was recommended by Cardinal Francis Arinze, inspired by Tansi when he was one of his teachers.
- Tansi was beatified by Pope John Paul II on 22 March 1998 at Oba, Nigeria, becoming the first West African to be beatified.
- Pope John Paul II 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 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."
Legacy:
- A statue of Father Tansi stands outside Most Holy Trinity Basilica in Onitsha.
- In 2010, Michael Cyprian Iwene Tansi was named a patron of Nigerian priests, with Archbishop Valerian Okeke comparing him to St. John Mary Vianney as a model of sanctity.
Institutions Named After Blessed Cyprian Iwene Tansi
- >Blessed Iwene Tansi Major Seminary, Onitsha Anambra State, Nigeria (Provincial Seminary).
- >Blessed Iwene Tansi Secondary School, Aguleri.
- >Blessed Iwene Tansi Parish, Umudioka.
- >Blessed Iwene Tansi Parish, Awada-Onitsha.
- >Blessed Iwene Tansi Parish, Mba Farm, Onitsha.
- >Blessed Iwene Tansi Parish, Ugwu Orji Owerri, Imo State.
- >Blessed Iwene Tansi Parish, Transekulu, Enugu State.
- >Blessed Iwene Tansi Chaplaincy, Nike Grammar School, Enugu State.
- >Blessed Iwene Tansi Chaplaincy, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (Igbariam Campus).
- >Tansi International College, Awka.
- >Tansian University, Umunya.
- >Blessed Michael Tansi Catholic Church, Aba.
- >Blessed Iwene Tansi Parish, Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State.