Fides Media Living the Faith
By Chioma Ndife
The quiet but impactful life lived by the late Lady Martha Egonekwu Aniero of Eziabunabu, Umudunu Village, Abagana, Njikoka LGA of Anambra State, has been lauded by Awka Diocesan Life Members, her children and others who had close contact with the deceased before her death.
Lady Aniero who died at 80 years of age, was laid to rest on Friday, April 1, after a concelebrated Burial Mass held at St. Michael the Arch-Angel Catholic Church GRA, Abagana. The deceased before her death was a pioneer member of the Catholic Workers Volunteer Force of Nigeria, Legion of Mary and Life Member of Catholic Women’s Organization, a prestigious status which she was elevated to in 1994.
Fides gathered that the deceased attended Ozalla Primary School, Abagana in 1951 and later enrolled for adult education in Enugu in 1986 which qualified her to work with the Anambra State School System.
The Awka Diocesan Life Members in their funeral oration presented at the graveside of their late member, signed by the President, Lady Oby Onyenwe and Secretary, Lady Philo Ifediba, advised that death should be religiously accepted as an instrument of transformation and a vehicle that transported humans to the world beyond which they described as a home of blissful happiness.
They expressed optimism that even though one of them had been separated in body and soul, they were still spiritually near by the unity of faith and inseparable bond of Life Members.
Speaking to Fides, the first son of the deceased, Comdr. Nathaniel Aniero, thanked God for the life style which their mother adopted during her life time and expressed conviction that the family would carry on with the legacies which their mother left in the sands of time. He noted that his mother’s life of prayer was phenomenal and recalled how she insisted that all of them must be active members of different organizations that existed in the Catholic Church during their formative years.
For her part, one of the deceased’s daughters, Mrs. Theresa Nwadioke, said that their mother lived a humane life and expressed unconditional love to people around the vicinity. She disclosed that their mother despised laziness and would always encourage people to engage in legal ventures to better their lives.
She said that people would remember their mother as someone who had no enemy as she easily forgave and forgot any wrong done to her and sought forgiveness from those who she wronged.
Earlier in his Homily, Rev. Fr. Damian Kenechukwu eulogized the prayer life of the deceased and the strong faith which she had demonstrated countless times in God. He stressed the importance of faith in the life of any Christian and beckoned on Christians to learn the act of trusting God in all situations which life brought to them.
He described death as an unavoidable end, saying that death in all ramifications was a necessary end that must come and urged people to prepare for their death as no one knew when it would come knocking.