Rev Fr Fidelis Egbunu was ordained to the priesthood in his home parish church of SS Peter and Paul, Egume, on Saturday, 14th July, 1990 by the first Bishop of Idah Diocese, most Reverend Ephraim Silas Obot. I met him less than two weeks to his priestly ordination along Busa Buji street, Laranto, Jos in 1990 while extending invitation cards to family and friends. We talked for few minutes, invited me for his ordination but quickly added, if it is not convenient for me, I shouldn’t bother. I didn’t actually made it but our paths later crossed at a very closed range when my wife became a very strong disciple of him.
It will interest the readers to know that Rev Fr Fidelis Egbunu was no ordinary priest. In fact, if subjected to clinical analysis, his priestly life mirrors the biblical John the Baptist who foretold the manifestation of Jesus Christ as reflected in the way and manner St Boniface Cathedral gained prominence and earned respect among the faithful and the people on the other side while he served as the cathedral Administrator. He was a deliverance minister and caught the attention of my wife who undoubtedly faced some challenges when she gave her life to Christ having come from a core Muslim background. She got the first prophecy of her life when Fr Fide as he was popularly called told her not to worry as she will face obstacles in the course of change of faith but in the end will wed in the church with every one been on the same page with her. It truly came to pass.
My second testimony about Fr Fide came when as the cathedral administrator he insistedmy friends and I must join one of the pious societies in the church having outgrown the Catholic youth organization of Nigeria as we argued then. And that we couldn’t also join the likes of St Thomas Moore and St Augustine because of our parents. All these though were largely due to non committal to serving God as we never missed masses. But he wanted us to serve God the more. When we lost the argument and defense of not wanting to join issues with our parents in those societies, we opted to founding a virgin society named St Valentine. He vehemently opposed the approval of the said society having found out the promoters of the society: Michael Agudah, Basil Edicha, Agison Ogwumu, John Agudah, Jackson Omonu and myself. We were actually seven that signed the letter but my memory have failed me of the person’s name. He was convinced in his conviction, we will abuse the good deeds of the saint during our feast day celebration. He directed his then assistant Rev Fr Nicholas Okpe to suggests three other names to us which he did and guided us through. That was what gave birth to St Maximilian Mary Kolbe. The society has grown in lips and bounds. In fact, the rest today is testimony.
Fr Fide was a prolific writer and author of bestseller, POWER TO CAST OUT DEMONS. The first public book presentation I ever attended. He authored several others afterwards. He was born 24th April, 1963 and attended Roman Catholic Mission primary school, Anyigba. Immediately after his primary education, he proceeded to Government Secondary School, Dekina. Upon graduation, he went to St Augustine’s Major Seminary, Jos (affiliate of the pontifical Urban University, Vatican city). While in Jos, he obtained a diploma in religious studies from the University of Ibadan. His quest for further knowledge took him to the university of Nigeria Nsukka for his PhD in religion and society. And in 2015, he bagged a second PhD in African philosophy from the Kogi State University, Anyigba. He became the founding Head of Department of religion in KSU, the office he occupied until he passed on.
Rev Fr Fidelis Egbunu will be laid to rest on Tuesday, 4th September, 2018 after lying-in-state by 7:00 a.m at Idah. However, on Monday, 3rd September, 2018, there shall be a mass at Martins De Paress Parish, Ejule by 12:00 noon.Same day, there will be wake at St Boniface cathedral, Idah by 6:00 P.m.
Fr Fide touched many lives in all of the places he worked beyond his primary assignment of teaching the word of God, healing the sick and delivering those in captives to assisting the homeless through provision of shelter, payment of school fees and mending homes.
Fr Fide may not have become a Bishop before his demise, but he lived it through his spiritual brilliance, intellectual distinction,competence and mass appeal within and without the diocese.Though no one knows when and how he or she will die, however many would have been less sad to hear Fr Fide died in a hospital in Germany, Canada or London. We pray never to lose any priest in the diocese in this manner anymore as anyone of them deserved the best of medical attention having chosen a life of celibacy.
May the soul of Fr Fidelis Egbunu and the souls of all the faithful rest in the bosom of God Almighty, the I AM THAT I AM until we meet to part no more. Adieu
– Sylvester Ojogbane
Abuja.
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