With pains in our hearts, the parish priest, Parish council and the entire parishioners of St. Theresa’s Catholic Parish, Umueze Anam received with a big shock the news of the demise of, Chief Gabriel Nwoffiah, the Vice Chairman of our Parish Pastoral Council. In reality, no amount of words can adequately express our profound anguish and pain at his demise. However, we wish to commiserate with members of his family at this painful moment. The demise of Chief Gabriel Nwoffiah has created a big vacuum in the life of our young parish which will certainly take a long period of time to fill. Frankly speaking, Chief Nwoffiah was not just a foundation member of our parish but was as well a big and reliable pillar of the Church. His contributions to the growth and progress of the parish in terms of being prudent, transparent and accountable in managing the meager resources of the parish as a finance com- mittee member, and his fatherly support to his zone 3 and other pious societies and associations in the parish such as CWO, Bible society and a host of others cannot be overemphasized. As a person, he was such a gentle, unassuming, peaceful, hardworking, honest and trustworthy man to relate with. He is the kind of person anyone would always like to have either as a father or as a friend. I believe, his legacies of love, humility, honesty especially on financial matters, and his care and sympathy for the need of others, his generosity and God fearing attitude are what he has left behind for us, as a par- ish and for all who had the opportunity to relate with him. In fact, his love and devotion to the Church and to the things of God is worthy of emulation by all. These words are not just eulogies and encomium which are normally poured on the dead. They are in fact words coming from the deepest part of our hearts. Undoubtedly, the four walls of St. Theresa’s Church Umueze Anam must have equally felt the loss of one of the strong pillars on which they stand. Well, we take solace in the fact that death is not an end in itself; instead it is a transition, a movement to a higher and better level of existence in the presence and peace of God. We therefore pray that God who has used him to bless us here on earth and who has finally decided to call him to himself will grant him rest and peace in His eternal bosom, and grant the family he has left behind the fortitude to bear this great loss. Adieu, Man of prudence and accountability Adieu, Man of humility and discipline Adieu, The pillar of the St. Theresa’s Catholic Church Umueze Anam. Rev. Fr. Franklin C. Udenze, OCD. Parish Priest and Mr. Dumaka Emmanuel Secretary PPC.