To ask one to write about His Excellency, Rt. Rev. Dr. Michael Ugwu Eneja is liked to asking one to write about an elephant, the part of it that e observes, what a giant among men he is, infact.

During the Easter season in 1970, the new Bishop of Enugu just translated from the See of Port Harcourt, Rt. Rev. Dr. Godfrey Mary Paul Okoye, C.S. Sp. of blessed memory who was assisting in a number of ways gve me two assignments before Pentecost: 1. To travel with him to Isienu, Nsukka where he would interview the first seven (7) postulants of the new Congregation of Sisters the Daughters of Divine Love, and to report to Very Rev. Msgr. Ogbonna, Rector of Bigard Memorial Major Seminary, and begin teaching there.

I began my teaching assignment which brought me in touch with some great men: among the teachers the then Fr. Albert K. Obiefuna (now the retired Archbishop of Onitsha Archdiocesan and Metropolitan of the Onitsha Ecclesiastical Province), the then Very Rev. Msgr. Michael Eneja (Bishop Emeritus of Enugu Diocese), the late Rev. Fr. Anozia (with the golden voice), the then Rev. Fr. Gregory Ochiagha (now the recently retired Bishop of Orlu Diocese) and others. The teachers used to gather at my residence at No. 7 Awolowo Street, Uwani North every Wednesday for lunch.

After each lunch, Fr. Anozia would render one or two melodious songs for the entertainment of people who lived in Awolowo, Ibiam or Anyaegbunam Street. While the Priests were eating upstairs, the people gathered downstairs in readiness for the musical celebration. The only teacher who never came to our lunches was Msgr. Eneja. One day, I met him in his Office and put the question as directly as I could. “We have a tradition,” I said, “that the teachers at Bigard have lunch in my house every Wednesday, but you never come, why.”

He said without emotion: “Supposing when all are enjoying ourselves at your house, someone comes from the Vatican to visit our seminary, what would be the excuse for our massive absence. Remember, the seminary is a 24-hour a day business, not a secondary or primary school that shuts down at 2.00pm” When he was Bishop of Enugu, I used to go to his office to pay a courtesy call whenever I returned to Enugu from the USA where I lived then. I asked him what was the most urgent need of our churches in Enugu? He said simply: “Hymn books. If we can supply each member of the congregation with a hymn book it would improve the quality of our worship. Collective singing helps to keep our minds on what we are doing.”

Now, I have the extraordinary good blessing of living in a parish in which His Excellency, our Bishop Eneja, is spending his retirement years at Holy Trinity Catholic Parish, Independence Layout, Enugu. I can only tell you that we continue to learn from him from his topical homilies at Mass to statements fat Parish gatherings.

Let me mention just one more topic: He says that our people have an honest wish to go to heaven and spend “forever and ever” with God there. What our people need to gradually learn is that heaven is not for wishful thinkers. But for people who are ready to work for it. Take for example, our Lord asked if we could spend only one hour with Him. In order to enjoy eternity with Jesus, we have to make the effort to spend a least one hour or part of one hour with Him per day to get used to spending time with Him… It is not practicable for me to mention the names of the students who I helped to form at Bigard.

Allow me to mention some of the giants among them: His Excellency, Most Rev. Dr. A.J.V. Obinna, the Archbishop of Owerri and Metropolitan of the Owerri Ecclesiastical Province; His Excellency, Rt. Rev. Dr. Iwejuru Ugorji, Bishop of Umuahia Diocese; Very Rev. Msgr. Boniface Asuzu, formerly the head of Social Communications in Onitsha Archdiocese; Very Rev. Fr. (Prof.) Stanislaus Ani of the upcoming Coal City University; Rev. Fr. John Amadi; Rev. Fr. Patrick Ndulue and others. I would add as a Note that after more than 20 years of work, the Hymn Book and Sanctuary Beautification ministries will be taking off some time this year.

May the good Lord who started the excellent work we can see in Bishop Eneja mercifully conclude it as beautifully as He started it.