"If you are going to be a Christian at all, you might as well live entirely for God."
—Blessed Cyprian

Only three non-martyrs have been beatified in England since the Reformation. The first was the Italian Passionist Blessed Dominic Barberi, who received Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman into the Roman Catholic Church; he was beatified by Pope Paul VI in 1963.

The third, Newman, was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI during his memorable 2010 British visit.

Nestling in-between is a hidden hero of our faith: Blessed Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi OCSO, monk of Mount Saint Bernard Abbey, Leicestershire, who died 20 January, 1964. He was beatified by Blessed Pope John Paul II, in March 1998, on the eve of the New Millennium.

Who was Father Tansi? The answer lies in his three names: Cyprian, Michael and Iwene.

In Biblical terms, a new mission sees a new name. Born 1903, the youngest of five children to a pagan family in Aguilleri, Nigeria, his Ibo name Iwene means, "Sorrow cannot harm you"—a fitting epigram for the 61 years that followed.

His dad died when Tansi was young. At six, a maternal uncle enrolled him in a Roman Catholic school. Further sorrow followed; Tansi was blinded in his left eye—hit accidentally by a lump of clay during a childhood game. This disability was his secret.

Inspired by the French Holy Ghost Fathers, he was captivated by the Roman Catholic faith. Classmates mocked this inspired child-convert's hours spent praying before the Tabernacle. Baptized Michael at age nine, he emulated his name saint by never shying away from spiritual combat.

At 19, further sorrow enveloped Tansi when his beloved mother was forced to drink lethal poison by a witchdoctor who blamed her for an outbreak of child deaths. This strengthened his desire to counteract traditional religions. Tansi ensured his sister and three brothers converted to the Roman Catholic faith.

He became headmaster, from pupil teacher at his old school, two years after his mother's death, but secretly cherished the desire to be a priest, and was eager to enter a seminary recently opened by Bishop Joseph Shanahan—Holy Ghost Father and apostle of Nigeria—but had to wait a year for a replacement headmaster. This devout seminarian overcame strong family opposition and the skepticism in the Church about indigenous African priests. His seminary zeal was characterized by Fr. (later Bishop) Brosnahan, who said, "No child died without baptism while Tansi was there."

In 1936, Tansi suddenly doubted his worthiness to be a priest, but the encouragement and example of his spiritual director saw him persevere. He was ordained on 19 December, 1937, to his people's immense rejoicing.

Tansi's first mission was assisting the first Ibo priest Fr. John Anyogo. His 13 years as diocesan priest were characterized by his love of poverty, prayer, self-sacrifice, courageous preaching and practical action. The pagan families he sought to evangelize were his best friends.

Fr. Tansi fasted frequently, trekking by foot to mission stations where he spent long hours hearing confessions before celebrating Holy Mass The fruits of this newly-ordained priest's indefatigable evangelization were a series of thriving parishes. Morality, marriage and family life were his big concerns as he battled against the local custom of cohabitation and tribalism. A hostel was established helping young girls prepare for marriage and run homes to foster good Catholic families.