He was born to non-Christian parents in September 1903 at Aguleri, Anambra State Nigeria and named Iwene.
He was sent to live with his Christian uncle at the age of seven.His Christian uncle sent him to school. He was baptised at the age of 10 by Irish missionaries and named Michael .
He was a diligent student, had a precocious personality and deeply pious. He worked as a catechist,school teacher and headmaster in Aguleri.
In 1925, against the wishes of his family, he entered St. Paul’s Seminary Igbariam. He was ordained a priest at Holy Trinity Cathedral Onitsha on 19 December 1937.
Tansi worked tirelessly as a Priest in the parishes of Nnewi, Dunukofia, Akpu,Ajali,Aguleri before discerning his vocation to be a Cistercian monk.
He lived his Priestly ministry and vocation at the Catholic Archdiocese of Onitsha for 13 years.
In 1950,he joined the Monastery of Mount Saint Bernard Abbey, Leicester, England and took the name Cyprian at his profession.
He lived his monastic vocation at the abbey for 14 years and had plans to start a Cistercian Monastery in Nigeria..
Father Tansi said: “If you are going to be a Christian at all, you might as well live entirely for God”.
He died on 20th January 1964 and was beatified on 22nd March 1998 at Oba near Onitsha by Pope Saint John Paul 11 in Nigeria.
