By Ngige Nwachukwu
I learnt with pain yesterday, of the death of my former Parish priest, Rev.Fr. Micheal Ndukuba Umenzekwe Azike, a native of Achina in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State. Last seen over forty years ago, I had longed to see him one day again. Ụmụ Israel ekwezikwalụnų mmadụ kpagharịa na ala Igbo. Arụ melụ!
Fr. Azike, seen from my childhood innocence four decades ago, was a seal of religious piety, an exemplar of the old order of sacerdotal devotion ! Here was a servant of God who imbued in me and many other of my generation, the initial but an undying zeal for fervent Catholicism. Under Azike, I learned to become an ardent and unrepentant Catholic . Here was a man who impacted my life in many ways.
One, I was initiated into the Alter Boys association to serve at holy mass under him in 1979. Two, I received the first holy communion under him in 1980. Three, he endorsed my entrance form to the glorious All Hallows Seminary, Onitsha, in 1981.
The very day we collected our admission letters, mailed through him to St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Alor, he told us that for us to succeed in the journey to priesthood, we must reject the world. “Those things that your friends who are attending other secondary schools do are not for you. You have made a different choice,” he advised us in his tiny voice. Three of us received our letters that day. Felix, later Rev. Fr. Felix Udo Ph.D. and Hilary Umenwune – may their souls continue to rest in peace absolute.
Fr. Azike was a strict, devout Catholic and had no time for plural secularism that is destroying the mother church today. He was passionate about mass and how the children of God would maximise its abundant benefits. On the altar, he was patient, streching his tiny voice to lift the hearts of the congregation. Alor was still under Nnokwa Parish , so the masses alternated on 6 am , 9am between Alor and Nnokwa. Azike didn’t have a fantastic voice but would wrap the concecretion with solemnity, singing them all.
He was humane, too. He would tell us if you are serving at mass , wake up early, and eat at least one hour before mass, so you won’t fall on the altar. On a few occasions, we trekked to Nnokwa on a Saturday evenings, behind the father’s house, we heard him rehearsing the mass. He preached holiness . I recall a day in 1980 when catholic pupils from the then 8 primary schools in Alor gathered for children harvest. Lined up in the church with baskets of farm harvests which our parents had given us, Azike asked the Catechist, Mr. Timothy Agada, to halt our procession to the altar.
“If you know you fought with your classmate, rained abuses , disobeyed your parents and seniors (those misdemeanours) go seek for forgiveness so that God will accept your offerings.” Immediately, see pupils disappearing and returning one after the other. That is what the church was then. These days, thieves, murderers, 419ners, yahoo boys and looters are special in the church. These days, no Rev. Fr. asks of source of wealth. Just give, God will give you back.
Azike was a seal of piety. The benediction had just ended one Sunday evening and his Peugeot 404 saloon, white in colour developed fault. Azike with the Blessed host wrapped, was almost trekking to Nnokwa when parishioner, a zealous Catholic and fulcrum of Alor greatness, Chief John Udoji, Ichie Ehulue I n’Alor bound for Onitsha with his family intervened. Quickly, all alighted from his car and Fr. Azike was conveyed to Nnokwa.
Being a mass servant then was a role and honour conferral. It granted a status of holiness, and all of us strived towards it. One day in my Primary School days will live forever. Pupils have gone on break and gathered around the Mama Chiedu kiosk to buy buns, akara, agidi, biscuits and all.
Mama Chiedu was arguing that one of the pupils didn’t pay for biscuits. I was lining up to buy too and saw when the boy gave her one kobo. Everyone stood by the boy but the woman disbelieved all until I told her that the boy had paid her. Guess what happened? She said: “You won’t lie, you are a ‘man server'(sic). The was how the matter ended.
Azike also had fiery temper but often suppressed it. He was a man of scant words and thorough on all accounts. He once told us, “ndidi na amamife bụ nwanne – patience and wisdom are companions.
Now, after administering the first holy communion on us in August 1980 at a holy mass officiated by the Monsignor Nweke Ezeanya who later became the Archbishop of Onitsha, our Catechist, the ever committed Timothy Agada was also priming us for the sacrament of confirmation in October of the same year. We were hopeful until one day in late September, a drama occurred at our Catechism class. Fr. Azike arrived from Nnokwa to have a one on one with the young cathecumen. In our class were proselytes who just received adult baptism and communion. Notable among them was Okonkwo Ezeọnụgo from Isieke village. Besides the Catechist, another veteran teacher and laity leader, Simeon Nwabueze, also came to the doctrine class.
Then, Fr. Azike began to throw questions randomly at individual class members. Gini bụ okwukwe? Gini bu confirmation? Kọwakene ya ofuma? Gini bu purgatory? Numerous questions. Some answered correctly, and some failed. Then, he came to Okonkwo Ezeonugo and asked him. Ọ bụlụ na Virgin Maria abụghị nne nke chukwu, gini kalụ ime? Tough one! Okonkwo looked left, looked right, laughed and enthused at the end: “Ọ bụlụ na ọchọghị ịmụtanụ, ọhapụbanụ. A chọbakwanụ onye ọzọ ga-amụtanụ.”
Hei! The class was torn into pieces. Fr. Azike couldn’t contain his anger and immediately dissolved the class. You are not ripe for confirmation, chiding the Agada and Nwabueze for informing him we were all already.
The sought for thoroughness denied Azike patience he once told us is an accompaniment of wisdom. All are human alas.
May God Almighty accept the soul of His servant, Michael Umenzekwe in peace! Ominibus Moriendum- all must die!
Ngige Nwachukwu is a Journalist, Poet, Essayist and Historian