Nigerian Catholics honor the Blessed Virgin Mary as Queen of Nigeria, the principal patroness to whom the nation is entrusted, and St. Patrick, the Apostle of Ireland, as patron saint of Nigeria, because so much of the Catholic faith in the country was planted by Irish missionaries. Nigeria’s own first Blessed is Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi (1903–1964), an Igbo priest and Trappist monk beatified by Pope St. John Paul II in Nigeria in 1998. Below are their stories, Scripture and a prayer for Nigeria.
A short prayer for Nigeria, written for this page:
Mary, Queen of Nigeria, St. Patrick and Blessed Cyprian Tansi, pray for Nigeria.
Protect its people from violence, give its leaders wisdom and honesty,
and keep its many young Catholics strong and joyful in the faith. Amen.
Mary, Queen of Nigeria
Devotion to Mary is deeply rooted in Nigerian Catholicism, with large pilgrimages, Marian shrines and countless Rosary groups. The Catholic bishops of Nigeria have entrusted the country to the Blessed Virgin under the title of Queen of Nigeria, and the Church in Nigeria prays a Prayer for Nigeria in her name, especially in times of crisis and before elections. See Catholic prayers to Mary.
St. Patrick
From the late nineteenth century, missionaries from Ireland, especially the Holy Ghost Fathers (Spiritans), the Society of African Missions, and the St. Patrick’s Missionary Society (the Kiltegan Fathers, founded in 1932 for the Nigerian mission), worked in Nigeria, founding parishes, schools and hospitals. They brought with them devotion to St. Patrick, who is honored as a patron saint of Nigeria. See the novena to St. Patrick and the St. Patrick prayer.
Blessed Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi
Michael Iwene Tansi was born in 1903 near Aguleri, in southeastern Nigeria, to parents who followed the traditional religion. Baptized as a boy, he became a teacher and, in 1937, one of the first priests ordained for the Archdiocese of Onitsha. As a parish priest he was known for his zeal, his care for the poor and his defense of the dignity of women; among the children he baptized was the future Cardinal Francis Arinze. In 1950 he entered the Trappist abbey of Mount St. Bernard in England, taking the name Cyprian, hoping one day to bring monastic life to Africa. He died in England in 1964. Pope St. John Paul II beatified him at Oba, near Onitsha, on March 22, 1998. His feast is January 20.
Scripture: God’s blessing on every nation
Psalm 66:2–3 (Douay-Rheims):
May God have mercy on us, and bless us: may he cause the light of his countenance to shine upon us, and may he have mercy on us.
That we may know thy way upon earth: thy salvation in all nations.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the patron saint of Nigeria?
The Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Nigeria, and St. Patrick are honored as Nigeria’s patrons.
Who is Nigeria’s first Blessed?
Blessed Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi, an Igbo priest and Trappist monk, beatified in 1998.
Why is St. Patrick a patron of Nigeria?
Because Irish missionaries, including the St. Patrick’s Missionary Society, did much of the early work of evangelization in Nigeria.
More prayers
- Patron saints of countries
- Novena to St. Patrick
- Catholic prayer for peace
- St. Josephine Bakhita
- St. Charles Lwanga and companions
- Patron saints
Texts and sources
- Psalm 66:2–3 (Douay-Rheims).