The birth name of today's saint was Iwemmaduegbunam and that means "let human malice not kill me." He was born in September 1903 in Nigeria. He was one of five children and even though his parents were not Christian, his parents sent him to live with and educated by his Christian uncle. He was baptized on January 7, 1912 and given the name Michael. He was accidentally blinded in his left eye while playing with his schoolmates. He became the headmaster of Saint Joseph's School in 1924 and entered the seminary the following year. He was ordained in 1937 for the archdiocese of Onitsha, Nigeria. He was a parish priest from 1937 to 1950. He traveled on foot for hours to minister to his parishioners. He was noted for working with women who were planning to marry. He traveled to England and became an oblate at the monastery of Mount Saint Bernard. He took the name Brother Cyprian and lived the rest of his life as a Trappist monk in the monastery. Blessed Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi died on January 20, 1964. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II in Oba, Nigeria on March 22, 1998.
"In every success we are right, I think, to take a modest share of joy and satisfaction while leaving the glory to God who is the Principal Author of our good work, we being just the instruments. Like the apostles we learn to rejoice not because of marvelous achievements obtained, but because our names are written in heaven, in the book of life, because God is to be glorified by our efforts."
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