The Nigerian Catholic Priest says funeral arrangements for the late Catholic Bishop is to be communicated later.
“Kindly pray for the happy repose of his soul,” Fr. Ajayi says.
Born in April 1935, the late Bishop Fagun was ordained a Priest in July 1965. He was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Ondo Diocese in June 1971 and was ordained a Bishop in October that same year.
In July 1972, he was appointed Bishop of Ekiti Diocese, where he served until his retirement in April 2010.
Following the news of Bishop Fagun’s demise, Nigerians have taken to social media to mourn him and condole with the people of God in Ekiti Diocese.
“Late Bishop Fagun was indeed a great man who had a date with history. He became Bishop at a time when the European missionaries were into complete indigenization of the Nigerian Church leadership immediately after the Nigerian civil war,” Anthony Eluno says in a Facebook post.
He adds, “At only 36 years of age, and after just 6 years in the Priesthood, late Bishop Fagun was one of 7 young indigenous Priests elevated to the Episcopate in 1971.”
“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,” Eluno further says.
He notes that the late Catholic Bishop brought the Catholic faith “closer to his people through the following publications, among so many others: the translation of the psalms into Yoruba (1964); the translation of the Sunday Missal into Yoruba (1972); the translation of the Legion of Mary handbook into Yoruba (1975); the translation of the Daily Missal into Yoruba (1976), and the translation of the Jerusalem Bible into Yoruba (1992).”
“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 to him. May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace. Amen,” Eluno implores.
