by

GOODBYE FROM MY HEART

INTRODUCTION

By Brother Patrick

Father Benjamin Okwy Madu (1972-2026) was ordained to the priesthood at Saint Theresa Cathedral for the Diocese of Abakaliki, Nigeria in 2001. After coming to the United States in 2018, Father Ben served as a chaplain at Salem Hospital and weekend assistant for the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport in Massachusetts.

Last month, our community was saddened by the news that Father Ben was being compelled to return to Nigeria because of new religious visa requirements that seem to provide little support or appreciation for much needed missionary priests. On July 2nd, we were devastated to learn that Father Ben had died suddenly.

Not long before his death, Father Ben talked with me at length about his visa situation and imminent return to Nigeria. As Father Ben had done on previous occasions (most recently before his visit home last winter), he assured me that his home region of Nigeria was safe for him to live and labor in the Lord’s vineyard. He also spoke about his abiding love for his parents, family, and home country.

At the same time, Father Ben was deeply distressed about the policies and procedures that made it impossible for him to remain in the United States. He loved it here. He loved his work at Salem Hospital. He loved his ministry on Cape Ann. And as he wrote in his farewell message, he found peace, friendship, and consolation among us and along our rocky shores.

Pope Francis once said: “The right to weep must no be denied.” Jesus wept in the gospel and he weeps now with us. No one should be afraid to cry for Father Ben. He would have cried for any one of us. He was gentle, compassionate, and always ready with a kind word. He was our friend. He was our priest. He was part of our parish family.

In our hearts, we know why this happened. We know that people with power can make decisions that destroy the lives of people without power. At the same time, we know that Father Ben would not want us to be angry. He would not want us to lash out. Rather, Father Ben would want us to pray, make peace, love each other, and forgive again and again those who created the circumstances that led to his death. He would want us to overcome darkness with light and goodness.

Father Ben delighted us with his joy, kindness, singing, and good example. His love for God, love for God’s word, and love for God’s people made us all want to be better people, better sharers of God’s love and mercy. On a personal level, whether meeting him in church, in the confessional, or at a local restaurant for Sunday lunch, Father Ben always left me with something to pray about. That something always brought me closer to Jesus and closer to my brothers and sisters in faith.

Pope Francis also said: “The work of God’s love is stronger than death. We are called to be collaborators with God’s love with our faith.” In this way, we keep Father Ben’s spirit alive by following his good example. We keep Father Ben’s spirit alive by striving to live the gospel in thought, word, and deed. We keep Father Ben’s spirit alive by remembering his beautiful life, not his sudden death.

Our hearts are shattered by our friend’s passing. But from that brokenness rises a strong sense of gratitude for a life of service, for a new angel to watch over us, and for a new intercessor to pray for us. May Father Ben find eternal peace in the loving embrace of Christ Jesus, our merciful redeemer, friend, and brother. Amen.

Brother Patrick Garvey
Diocesan Hermit
brpatrick@assisiproject.com

Art Credit: Richard Seeley – 16753371 – Dreamstime

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GOODBYE FROM MY HEART

By Father Ben Madu

In April 2o22, Father Paul Ritt (our regional vicar) talked with Father Jim; and I was invited to celebrate weekend Masses in the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport. What a thrilling opportunity! As usual, whenever I am asked to celebrate the Eucharist for the first time in a predominantly white community, my African presence often prompts an initial reaction of curiosity, fixed stares, and guarded expressions.

This has been my experience since arriving in the United States eight years ago. But my response has always remained the same: wait until after Mass and you may come to appreciate the beauty this African spirit brings. “That was marvelous,” or “That was from the heart,” or “I love it when you sing,” or “I felt that you were speaking directly to me,” or “I love the joy and laughter but I could not hear you.”

In truth, there is nothing extraordinary except the care that I put into each homily. I do not simply prepare it. I absorb it fully. And then through stories, life experience, humor, and reflection, I try to offer something nourishing to myself and to the faithful. I preach not by reading from a page, but by speaking from the heart; by allowing inspiration in the moment to shape the message so it can reach each person where they are.

I begin my homily on Thursday by reading the Sunday scriptures. On Friday, I reflect on commentaries and insights from others; and by Saturday, I allow the Spirit of God to minister to my soul. By the time I stand in the pulpit, I have fully absorbed the message and I am ready to preach it from the heart.

Gloucester and Rockport became my Eucharistic community each weekend; and I cannot overstate the love, warmth, kindness, hospitality, and generosity that I received here. I experienced it in Father Jim’s loud and fearless morning embrace, Brother Patrick’s sincere and direct hugs, and the joy and kindness of every parishioner at Saint Joachim Church in Rockport, Saint Ann Church in Gloucester, and Our Lady of Good Voyage Church in Gloucester. I look forward to seeing your beautiful faces every weekend. I look forward to your warm embraces, generous smiles, and handshakes.

Sincerely, it is not my wish to return home right now, but circumstances beyond my control have warranted that my time in the United States come to an end. My heart is broken, yet my joy remains. If I am ever given the chance to minister again to the people of Gloucester and Rockport, I would gladly do it all over again. I will miss the home I found away from home, a mother far from my mother, a father far from my father, and a people far from my own people.

God bless you all. I will soon return to Africa, specifically Nigeria, my homeland, where nature speaks to the soul and bonds of community help ease the loneliness that has weighed on me while living alone in the “white house”  in Lynnfield. I will deeply miss the seaside, where I often drive after Mass to call my family and hear about their Sundays. There, where the ocean meets the rocks and its endless rhythm becomes the music of my post-Mass peace; there I found comfort and serenity. Goodbye from my heart.

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A PRAYER OF COMMENDATION

We commend you dear friend,
Father Benjamin Madu,
to God our Father.
We entrust you to our Creator.
May you rest in the arms of our Sweet Lord
who formed you from the dust of the earth.
May Holy Mary,
all the saints and all the angels
welcome you now
as you go forth from this life.
May our Lord Jesus Christ,
who was crucified for you
bring you a place of peace and freedom.
May our Lord Jesus Christ,
who died for you,
welcome you into the garden of paradise.
May our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Good Shepherd,
embrace you as one among his flock.
May God the Father
forgive your sins and shortcomings
and set you free
among those he has chosen.
May you see our Redeemer face to face
and enjoy the vision of Almighty God
now and forever. Amen.
Glory to the Father,
to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Pray: Holy Rosary – Sorrowful Mysteries

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Members of the Assisi Project, ranging in age from 18 to 102, pray each and every day for all who ask for our prayers. If you would like our fellowship to pray for you or your special intention, please contact Brother Patrick at brpatrick@assisiproject.com. In communion with Pope Leo XIV and in solidarity with people of faith and goodwill everywhere, we also pray for peace, truth, and justice. In addition, we pray for all migrants and refugees; for the courage to speak truth to power; and for the poor, the persecuted, and the unjustly imprisoned. Please join us in prayer by clicking the link below! Thank you for your prayers! May God bless you! May the Risen Lord give you peace!

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ABOUT US

Founded in 2007, the Assisi Project is a Fellowship of Franciscans in Spirit with friends and followers throughout the world. We are dedicated to helping Christian believers of all ages more faithfully live the Gospel of Christ in the spirit of Saint Francis and Saint Clare of Assisi. We are also dedicated to promoting a devotion to Pope Francis (1936-2025) as a patron of peace, mercy, and fraternity in our sick and suffering world.

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In Memory of Father Benjamin Okwy Madu