Ondo State, Nigeria, April 17, 2026, Fr Dr. Okhueleigbe Osemhantie Ãmos
Iwaro-Oka, Akoko—Ondo State was, for forty-eight unbroken hours, transfigured into a theatre of solemn dignity, sacred memory, and ecclesial splendour, as the Diocese of Ondo gathered in overwhelming numbers to bid a final, reverent farewell to a matriarch of rare spiritual depth, Mrs. Mary Magdalene Asanbe, who, having journeyed through the vicissitudes of time, answered the Lord’s call on March 5, 2026, at the venerable age of 88.
The funeral rites, both elaborate and deeply symbolic, commenced at 10am, on Friday, March 17, 2026, at the historic Parish Church of Our Lady of Good Counsell, a parish under the pastoral stewardship of the Augustinian Fathers. The sacred edifice, already echo with centuries of faith, bore an added weight of transcendence as over one hundred priests, robed in liturgical splendour, processed in stately cadence, an arresting spectacle that spoke not merely of ecclesiastical order but of a life that had profoundly touched the Church.
Presiding at the Eucharistic celebration was the Bishop of Ondo Diocese, Most Rev. Jude Arogundade, whose quiet composure and pastoral gravitas set the tone for what would become a liturgy of remarkable solemnity. In a gesture at once symbolic and deeply pastoral, the Bishop received the mortal remains of the deceased at the threshold of the Church, marking the commencement of the sacred rites.
Thereafter, the celebrant, Very Rev. Fr. Prof. Jude Asanbe, erstwhile Rector of the Catholic Institute of West Africa and son of the deceased, took his place at the altar, flanked by distinguished clergy: Very Rev. Fr. Dr. Tai Oludare, Dean of Ondo Deanery, and the Vicar General, Very Rev. Fr. Prof. Dominic Adeosun, who delivered a homily that pierced both heart and conscience.
With measured solemnity, he admonished:
“Take care of your parents while they are alive. Only those who live a befitting life can truly have a befitting funeral, thanks to the Asanbe family for giving us a perfect example of caregiving.”
The liturgy was further enriched by the angelic cadences of the choir, whose renditions seemed to suspend time itself, evoking what many described as “a foretaste of the last judgment.” The Responsorial Psalm, rendered with scholarly poise and spiritual sensitivity by Sr. Dr. Maria Natalia Ajayi, IHM, Ag. Head of the Department of Religious Studies, CIWA, lent an added layer of contemplative depth to the celebration.
The congregation was a constellation of ecclesiastical dignitaries and faithful, including the host Bishop, Most Rev. Jude Arogundade; representatives from various dioceses; the Secretary General of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, Very Rev. Fr. Dr. Michael Banjo; Very Revd Fr. Dr. Augustine Fasiku, tye Director of Pastoral Affairs Department, CSN, Rectors of Major and Minor Seminaries, the Registrar of CIWA, Very Rev. Fr. Wilson Akhigbe; Priests and religious-Lecturers from CIWA, retinue of priests drawn from across the nation; major superiors, and religious men and women from diverse congregations, Catechists, Government Functionaries, traditional rulers and array of lay faithful.
Beyond the physical assembly, the echoes of Mrs. Asanbe’s influence reverberated through an outpouring of goodwill messages from eminent prelates, including Archbishop Augustine Obiora Akubeze, Most Rev. Francis Alonge, Bishop Anthony Ewherido, Bishop John Akin Oyejola, Bishop Patrick Eluke, Bishop Gabriel Dunia, Bishop Gerald Musa, Bishop Anselm Lawani, and Bishop Donatus Ogun, among others.
In a tribute both luminous and evocative, Bishop Musa wrote:
“Mrs. Asanbe’s life of faith, devotion, and service to God and His Church remains a shining witness to the Gospel.”
Corroborating this, Bishop Ogun reflected:
“Mama was a woman of strong faith in God and a devout Catholic. Her devotion to God and His Church is evident in the offering of her son to the service of the Church as priest.”
Equally poignant was the testimony of Sr. Ifeoma Arinze, Provincial Superior of the Daughters of Christ of St. Vincent de Paul, whose words unveiled the quiet heroism of the deceased:
“Dear Fr. Asanbe, your mother was among the few persons who volunteered to teach catechism in Okaodo Church in 1988 and 1989. She was a very humble and peaceful woman who served God quietly without making a show. Her faith in God was demonstrated in her dedication to His service and her desire to communicate her faith to the younger generation.”
At the Post Communion reflection, Most Rev. Jude Arogundade delivered what may well be described as the historical and spiritual crescendo of the celebration. With scholarly precision and pastoral warmth, he traced the noble lineage of the Asanbe family, situating Mrs. Asanbe within a venerable tradition of catechetical excellence and missionary zeal.
“She is not only a daughter of royal descent, but also the daughter of a catechist of remarkable distinction, one who worked closely with Fr. Paul Emechete, the first Nigerian to be ordained a Catholic priest in 1918. He is from Issele-Uku Diocese, Mrs Asanbe’s father as a catechist gave himself entirely to the work of evangelisation. Her father was not a mere village catechist; he was a tireless apostle of the faith who traversed vast terrains from Akoko to Okene in present day Kogi State, planting the seeds of the Gospel, nurturing young Christian communities, and strengthening the foundations of the Church in those early and demanding years.”
“Indeed, the roots of this family’s Catholic heritage run even deeper. The grandfather of Fr. Asanbe himself was one of the sixteen catechists trained in those formative years of missionary expansion by Fr. Paul Emechete. What we celebrate today, therefore, is not an isolated story of personal piety, but a generational witness, a legacy of faith handed down, preserved, and lived with integrity.”
“Thus, when the Asanbe family is mentioned, what readily comes to mind is a well defined and historically grounded Catholic identity, not conjectures, but a lived and verifiable tradition of faith. It is important that we understand this, especially for those who may not be familiar with this rich background.”
“I am particularly pleased that members of the Catholic Institute of West Africa are here to hear this narrative firsthand.
In a moment that drew both applause and tears, the Bishop invited the entire assembly to rise:
“Let us stand and applaud a woman whose life strengthened the Catholic faith in Ondo Diocese.”
The final commendation, performed personally by the Bishop, was imbued with rare solemnity, as incense rose heavenward and prayers of commendation were intoned with deliberate reverence. Thereafter, the mortal remains were conveyed for final interment amid hymns that spoke more of hope than of loss.
Yet, as is often the paradox of Christian funerals, grief yielded to celebration. The social reception that followed was marked by cultural elegance and familial warmth, as Fr. Prof. Asanbe and his family, in graceful choreography, danced to the pulsating rhythms of Yoruba talking drum, a fitting tribute to a life that had harmonised faith, culture, and service.
In a related development, the Church also announced the forthcoming funeral of Most Rev. Peter Nworie Chukwu, the deceased Bishop of Abakaliki Diocese, whose passing, as noted by Bishop Arogundade, affected the attendance of several bishops at the Asanbe funeral. According to the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, the obsequies will hold from May 12 to 13, 2026, in Ebonyi State.
As the curtains fall on these sacred rites, one truth lingers with compelling clarity: Mrs. Mary Magdalene Asanbe did not merely live, she witnessed. And in witnessing, she has bequeathed to the Church a legacy not easily forgotten, but eternally inscribed in the annals of faith.
Thanks for Reading
Fr. Okhueleigbe Osemhantie Ãmos is a priest of the Catholic Diocese of Uromi and a Lecturer at the Catholic Institute of West Africa, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
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