Late Bishop Michael Patrick Olatunji Fagun was indeed a great man who had a date with history. He became bishop at a time the European missionaries were into complete indigenization of the Nigerian Church leadership immediately after the Nigerian civil war.
At only 36 years of age, and after just 6 years in the priesthood, late Bishop Fagun was one of 7 young indigenous priests (one of whom was only 3 calendar years in the priesthood) elevated to the episcopate in 1971: the others were late Bishop Ephraim Silas Obot (1936-2009), Ikot-Ekpene, later Idah; late Bishop Alexius Obabu Makozi (1932-2016), Lokoja, later Port Harcourt; late Archbishop Joseph Edra Ukpo (1937-2023), Ogoja, later Calabar; late Archbishop Patrick Ebosele Ekpu (1931-2024), Benin-City; Anthony Cardinal Olubunmi Okogie, 89, (Oyo, now emeritus of Lagos), and Archbishop Felix Alaba Job, 87,(now emeritus of Ibadan).
With the transition of Bishop Fagun, only two of the “Magnificent 7” of 1971 are still with us, and will be for a good number of years yet, we pray.
Bishop Fagun was indeed a trailblazer whose legacy can never be erased, particularly in the area of indigenous liturgical songs in his native Yoruba language. He also brought the Catholic faith closer to his people through the following publications, among so many others:
1. The translation of the Psalms into Yoruba (1964);
2. the translation of the Sunday Missal into Yoruba (1972);
3. the translation of the Legion of Mary handbook into Yoruba (1975);
4. the translation of the Daily Missal into Yoruba (1976), and
5. the translation of the Jerusalem bible into Yoruba (1992).
Baba Fagun, as you arrive the mansion of light for your well-deserved rest, greet your brothers who have gone on before: Archbishops Ukpo and Ekpu, Bishops Makozi and Obot. They were your collaborators in the onerous task of putting the Nigerian church firmly on the path of indigenization: they were fellow young shoulders upon which that daunting task rested back in 1971.
We commiserate with the Bishop, priests and good people of Ekiti diocese on this irreparable loss of a good Bishop. At the same time, we thank God for a most productive life in the Lord’s vineyard granted him.
May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace. Amen
