Tributes have accompanied the first Koma-priest, Fr. Simon Raphael Salama whose mortal remains was laid to rest Tuesday, 19 Dec. at the priest’s cemetery, St. Peter’s Minor Seminary, Yola, northeastern Nigeria amid tears and tributes.
Recognized as Nigerians in 1961, after independence, alongside the old provinces of Cameroun, Koma is part of the seven districts of Jada sub-county, Adamawa County.
Koma, a tribe of 61,000 speakers and a member of the Niger-Congo family was said to be discovered by a corps member in 1986 who disclosed that while women wear fresh leaves, men wear loincloths.
Meanwhile, in his homily at the requiem mass which held at St. Theresa’s Cathedral, Yola, the Catholic Bishop of Yola Diocese, Stephen Mamza Dami urged mourners to take solace in the fact that priest’s legacy will “continue to live in the hearts of all those he touched.”
At the mass which had 160 priests including classmates, family members and thousands of faithful from all walks of life, the bishop reminded all to cherish the time they have with those they love even as they honour the memory of the departed.
Dami stressed that the tears on the checks of mourners are “a testament to the deep love and respect that [are] felt for a man who had left an indelible mark in the lives of those around him” adding that Fr. Salama’ “death is a reminder that life is fragile and unpredictable.”
In a moving tribute, the director, Justice, Development and Peace Commission, Yola diocese, Fr. Maurice Kwairanga told The New Chronicle that “his unexpected passing had left a void in the hearts of the community,” noting that the funeral “was a sombre moment for all who knew and loved him.”
He explained that the “the young and vibrant” who was fondly called ‘Domdomkuskus,’ was “a man of great faith and dedication to his calling.”
Kwairanga detailed that “his passion for teaching and guiding the youth in the ways of the Lord was evident in everything he did” especially as the Director of the Catechetical Training Centre where he “touched the lives of countless young people, especially the student-catechists, instilling in them the values of love, compassion, and service to others.”
According to him, the presence of family members, priests, religious, parishioners, and students of the Catechetical Training Centre speaks of “his kindness, wisdom, and unwavering dedication to his work.
The cleric who underlined that “His absence would be deeply felt by all those whose lives this expert in missiology had touched,” added that “It was evident that his presence would be sorely missed in the days to come.”
Further buttressing the legacies of the deceased priest, the Justice, Development and Peace (JDPC) coordinator noted that despite the seeming “collective sense of sorrow and disbelief,” occasioned by the fact that “someone so full of life and energy could be taken from this world so suddenly…there was also a deep sense of gratitude for the time that had been shared with” the priest.
“His memory would live on in the hearts of all those who had been touched by his gentle spirit,” Kwairanga said.
In his tribute, Prof. Francis Anekwe Oborji of the Faculty of Missiology, Pontifical Urbaniana University Rome, disclosed that holy mass was organised in his honour by his classmates who are still in Rome and our students and Nigerian priests and sisters said, “We send our condolences to the members of his family, the Bishop of Yola and to the parishioners and the students of the Catechetical Centre where he worked.”
Oborji described the Urbaniana alumnus as “a nice, sociable person and an easy-going person” stressed that, “our professors here have expressed peaceful words about him.”
Ordained in 2010, Fr. Salama died after a brief illness in the evening of yesterday, 4 December at the age of 43.
“We rejoice in the confident knowledge that he is at peace with his creator as we ask our Mother, Mary to intercede for him and grant him a place amongst the angels and saints in the heavenly Kingdom,” the diocese had said in an obituary announcement.
Until his demise, the late Fr. Salama was the parish priest of All Saints’ Muchalla-Gombi and the Director of the Catechetical Training Centre Muchalla-Gombi.
