A FUNERAL ORATION PRESENTED BY THE PRESBYTERIUM OF THE CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF NNEWI ON THE OCCASION OF THE BURIAL CEREMONY OF REV.

FR CHRISTOPHER CHUKWUCHEBEM UGOCHUKWU When a priest dies, it is always a matter of great concern for the people of God. Surely, no one needs any explanation to understand why this is so. The Catholic priest is at the centre of the spiritual life of the Church and of Gods people. The people call him father not because they have lost track of their biological and historical genealogy but because in the priest they see and feel the grace of God on positive rampage. For many, the priest is a Christ-bearer, truly a Christopher. He is like the thermometer with which the spiritual pulse of the people is checked and maintained. You can simply never imagine the pains deposited in the hearts of the Christian people at the death of a priest. It is the death of not only a father, but a shepherd, a spiritual director, a motivator, a beloved, a great leader, a rallying point, a close confidant, a repository of many peoples trust and hope. Nothing can be more painful than the loss of a beloved priest! But no matter how much the people love their priest, their pain at the death of a priest can never equal the broken experience of other priests with whom he shares the sacramental bond of the sacred order. The priesthood is the unique fraternity. Leonard Feeney described this fraternity rather more elaborately in these graphic words: There is not under the stars an intimacy more reckless or more profound than the bond between one Catholic levite and another. It needs no coaxing, no prelude, no ritual. It is subject to no formality. We meet and possess one another instantly. There is not the shadow of a barrier between us, neither age, nor antecedents, not nationality, nor climate, nor colour of skin. Singly we go, independent and unpossessed, establishing no generation, each a conclusion of his race and name; yet always companioning one another with a strange sympathy, too tender to be called friendship, too sturdy to be called love, but which God will find a name for when he searches our hearts in eternity." To other priests, the death of a priest is not just the death of a parish administrator; it is the loss of a brother and a deep close friend. It is a very subjective experience which, if not cushioned by gallant faith, renders the heart asunder, especially if the priest in question is young. We have gathered here today barely four months after the burial of Fr James Onyalagu who died as a result of the injuries he sustained in a motor accident, and one month from the funeral of our dear Uncle, Fr Matthew Udegbunam, to bury the youngest priest ever to die in the Catholic diocese of Nnewi, Fr Christopher Chebem Ugochukwu. We were told he was rammed by a tricycle on the evening of 16th August 2013 in far away Lagos where he was on leave. And so, as if also rushing for its own

tenth anniversary, Fr Christophers death has brought us here for the ninth presbyteral burial since the inception of our beloved diocese. May God bless and reward Fr Evaristus Mbanusi who at the cost of sleepless nights, days and resources helped to clear and bring back to us the mortal remains of our brother. Fr Christopher Chukwuchebem Ugochukwu was born on 3rd October, 1979 to the family of Mr. Joseph and late Mrs. Christiana Ugochukwu of Abubor Nnewichi-Nnewi in Nnewi North Local Government Area of Anambra State. He was the sixth out of the six surviving children of his parents. On the 11th of September 1993, when he entered St Pauls Seminary Ukpor to begin his seminary formation, he inaugurated a journey that was to end twenty years after. After due reception of the ministries of the Lectorate and Acolytate in 2007 and 2008 respectively, he was ordained deacon in December 2009 and subsequently, a priest on the 10th of July 2010. Until his death, he was an active member of the Nnewi diocesan presbyterium, serving as the parish vicar of St John of the Cross Parish Uruagu Nnewi. Dear friends, when the news of the sudden death of Fr Chris was announced that Friday night through a text message sent to all the priests in the diocese by our beloved bishop, it came like a thunderbolt. Nobody was really disposed for such an unpleasant surprise and neither did anybody understand it at all. Calls and counter calls went round all over. So many asked: Is it really true? What happened? So Stuff is dead? How come it was Fr Chris of all people? There was real shock and agony all over the diocese. It was as if darkness interrupted the day and refused to be pushed away. Many of us cried till morning. At that moment, so many unanswered angry questions jammed in our heads: how many priests will a bishop bury in a year for it to be enough? How many deaths will a family witness in the space of five years for death to give them some respite? How many priestly accidents can a diocese witness within the space of ten years for this violence to stop? But time and faith have helped the process of our gradual healing through these few but weighty days. At least, we can now better appreciate how much the answer to these worrying questions is blowing not in the wind, but rather, in the divine Providence. God knows the best and in His will, we continue to find our peace. Our faith tells us and we are very sure of this that, no matter what happens and how it happens, Gods retirement plan for us is out of this world. Fr Chebem, your ordination on the 10th of July 2010 (with 15 others) brought so much joy to this prebyterium and diocese. You were the tallest in that set, an amiable, neat, refined and decent gentleman who had a sense of decorum and priestly carriage with an ever piercing smile. On that day, you seemed so fit and ready for the ministry you served in for only three years. This readiness and ministerial passion

played themselves out when you took up your relief duties in St Peter Clavers Parish Utuh and All Saints Catholic Church Ihiala respectively. As the vicar of St Michaels parish Ezinifite, you exhibited rare charism and character with your virtues of humility, patience and sacrifice. You were not a trouble maker. Like in most cases, your early priestly ministry had its own challenges but you went on recollected, calm, not complaining, willing to serve, happy and yet friendly. FR S-T-U-F-F! You never lost your charm. But it was your stint as the parish vicar of St John of the Cross Parish, Uruagu Nnewi that brought out from you the resplendence of that pastoral charity which the Apostolic Exhortation Pastores Dabo Vobis often demanded from the priest. At a point when your former parish priest was transferred to another parish, it was you who remained to extendedly hand over the tradition of that noble ancient Church to the current parish priest and Episcopal vicar, gladly without any restraint. Till today, St John Cross rectory still testifies to your humility, selfless service, creativity and ingenuity, conviviality, family spirit, hard work, utter respect for your superiors and spirituality. Your parishioners will surely miss your inspiring and didactic homilies, your caring heart, your availability and ever readiness to listen, help and serve. Truly we believe with John Donne who once said that when a man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language. We are sure that death could not have killed all these virtues. How could it? May these eternal virtues ferry you on the wings of Providence to that eternal Jerusalem we all hoped and worked for. Fr Stuff, you live in our hearts. Our dead are never dead to us, says George Eliot, until we have forgotten them. We cannot forget in a hurry the times you spent with us during our formal and social meetings. We cannot forget the quality you added to our weekly human development programme. You live in our hearts! We promise to always remember you on Gods altar whenever we raise the cup of salvation and call on the Lords name (Ps 116: 13). We pray that God whom you happily served here on earth as a priest will never abandon you, in Jesus name. Amen. We implore you all gathered here today to always pray for the eternal repose of the soul of Fr Christopher and the souls of our other fallen brothers. We beg you earnestly to pray always for this diocese, her priests and her bishop. Pray also for the Ugochukwu family that God may lead them safely through this trying moment. Dear Fr Chebem, rest in peace! Chukwu nonyere gi! Laa nudo! Rev. Fr Emeasoba Gabriel Uchechimezie Deputy Director, Catholic Communications, The Catholic Diocese of Nnewi

For and on behalf of the Presbyterium of the Catholic Diocese of Nnewi.