With gratitude to God for a life well lived and in the hope of the resurrection of the dead, the Bishop, the Clergy, the Religious and the entire faithful of the Catholic Diocese of Orlu - Nigeria, mourn the death of our father in faith and our number one Priest, Rt. Rev. Msgr. Cyriacus Sunday Mba. Msgr. Mba died on 30th August 2009 at Annunciation Hospital Enugu at the ripe old age of 84.

Until his death, Msgr. C.S. Mba was the oldest Priest in the Catholic Diocese of Orlu both by age and by ordination. He was born in 1925 to the family of Mazi Mba Okwuegbunam and Virginia Mba, both of the blessed memory, of Akunwanta Uno, Arondizogu, Ideato North Local Governament Area, Imo State.

He started his Primary Education at Akaeme Uno, Arondizuogu in 1938 and completed it at Akokwa in 1946. He had his Secondary Education at Christ the King College Onitsha between 1948 and 1952. He started his seminary formation in 1953 at Bigard Memorial Seminary Enugu - Nigeria and completed it in 1959. He was finally ordained a Catholic Priest on 20th December, 1959 at St. James' Catholic Church Arondizuogu. From his records, during his seminary days, he did one of his apostolic works at St. Theresa's Parish Uli - Anambra State in 1953. He was ordained a Deacon in 1958.

After his Priestly Ordination in 1959, he worked as an assistant Priest at St. Mary's Parish, Port Harcourt between 1959 and 1961. From 1962 to 1964 he did his Doctorate in Canon Law at Gregorian University, Rome. When he returned from Rome in 1964, he was made the Parish Priest of Sacred Heart Parish, Mile 2 Diobu, Port Harcourt. Between 1965 and 1969, he was the Rector of Sacred Heart Seminary, Port Harcourt (coupled with the Biafran War effort). From 1970 to 1971, he was the Rector of St. John Cross Seminary, Nsukka in the then Enugu Diocese. Between, 1972 and 1975, he was the Cathedral Administrator of Holy Ghost Cathedral Enugu. From 1975 to 1986, he was a Lecturer and then the Rector of Bigard Memorial Seminary, Enugu - Nigeria. Meanwhile, between 1979 to 1980, he did obtained his Diploma in Canonical Jurisprudence from Gregorian University Rome. From 1986 to 1989, he was the Rector of Catholic Institute of West Africa (CIWA), Port Harcourt. In 1989, he became the Pioneer Rector of Assumpta Spiritual Year, Owerri till 1992 when he came back to his Diocese to become also the Pioneer Rector of Custos Ecclesia (Spiritual Year) Seminary, Uzii in 1992, the office he held till 2000. From 2000 to 2008, he was the Parish Priest of St. Michael's Parish, Nkume in Njaba L.G.A., Imo State. When he reached the retirement age of 75 in 2000, according to his records, Dee Mos, applied for retirement due to age and health reasons. The application was finally considered in November 2008 and he was relieved of the Parochial assignment and was placed in residence at the same St. Michael's Cath. Parish Nkume till his death. It is also worthy to note that Msgr. C.S. Mba was the Orlu Diocesan Judicial Vicar and the Sole Judge of Orlu Diocesan Marriage Tribunal from 1981 to 2007.

Msgr. Cyriacus Sunday Mba was an erudite scholar, a theologian, a writer, prolifica man of great substance, a maker of history, a pace-setter, a great teacher of teachers, a meticulous disciplinarian, a great formator of formators, a spiritual giant, a true son of the church and a Holy Priest of God. Msgr. Mba was due to celebrate the golden jubilee of his Priestly Ordination on the 30th of December, 2009 (as it was earlier scheduled by the Diocese & his Parish). According to the Diocesan necrological record, Msgr. Mba should be the 14th Priest to be buried in the Diocese of Orlu. May God rest him eternally! Amen.

The funeral will take place on Monday, 14th September, 2009 (the Feast of the Exultation of the Cross). The Mass begins by 10: 00 am at Holy Trinity Cathedral, Orlu - Nigeria. The colour of the vestment remains Purple. Interment follows immediately after Mass at the Orlu Diocesan Priests' Cemetry. His Month's Mind will be on Wednesday, 30th September, 2009 at St. Joseph's Parish, Akunwanta, Arondizuogu by 10: 00 am. The colour of the vestment remains Purple.