With profound sadness, yet with hearts lifted in solemn reverence, the Catholic Diocese of Ekiti bows her head in humble surrender and radiant gratitude as she announces the passing of a colossus in faith, a patriarch of the Church in Nigeria, and a shepherd after God’s own heart — Bishop Emeritus Michael Olatunji Fagun, who journeyed home to his Creator on October 13, 2025, at the ripe and noble age of ninety. Born on April 17, 1935, in the serene and fertile town of Akure, Ondo State, his life was no ordinary transit through time; it was a sacred pilgrimage, a luminous witness to the divine symphony that unfolds when a soul wholly yields itself to the will of God. From the cradle, grace rested gently upon him; in his youth, the call of the Eternal resonated with crystal clarity in his heart; and from the altar of priestly ordination on July 4, 1965, he rose like a burning flame and shining lamp, offering his entire being to God and to humanity. When history required a vessel through whom the destiny of faith in Ekiti would take shape, heaven chose him. Appointed as the first Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Ekiti, Bishop Fagun was far more than a custodian of ecclesial structures — he was a builder of souls, a planter of seeds, a vigilant guardian of the flock. He did not labor for monuments of marble and stone, but for living tabernacles of faith in the hearts of men and women. Through the long decades of his episcopacy, the Diocese of Ekiti blossomed like a well-watered vineyard kissed by divine dew: parishes flourished, vocations multiplied, the Gospel took root, and the Word of God rose like fragrant incense toward heaven. He walked among his people with the quiet strength of an oak and the tenderness of a shepherd guiding his lambs. His wisdom was an ancient river — deep, calm, and ever flowing. His homilies bore not mere utterances but living fire; his leadership, clothed in humility, commanded not by force but by the moral majesty of a life well-lived. In the chamber of prayer, he was a man of silence; in the public square, he was a voice of truth — clear, firm, and unwavering. If any lived and promoted the Michaeline spirituality, it was Bishop Fagun — affectionately known as Baba Fagun. If any etched their name into the noble history of Scriptural and ecclesiastical translation in our land, it was Bishop Fagun. His fingerprints are upon the spiritual architecture of a people; his footprints upon the sands of Catholic history in Ekiti. He was not only a bishop; he was a father, a teacher, a guardian of the sacred, and a tireless pilgrim of grace. His legacy is woven like golden threads into the fabric of Ekiti’s Catholic story. He nurtured generations of priests, religious, and lay faithful. He laid foundations upon which future shepherds shall confidently build. He founded the fast-growing Congregation of the Sisters of St. Michael the Archangel, a living testimony that his pastoral vision was both rooted and prophetic. His name resounds not as a whisper in forgotten corridors, but as a cathedral bell, echoing through the ages with dignity, honour, and faith. Rest is due to those who have laboured. At ninety years, +Fagun has not merely died — he has transitioned. He has completed his psalm, crossed the Jordan, and now stands before the Master to hear those golden words: *“Well done, good and faithful servant; enter into the joy of your Lord.”* In the communion of saints, he shall behold St. Jerome, his spiritual mentor, and he shall greet his dear friend and classmate, Archbishop Patrick Ebosele Ekpu, in the radiant light of eternity. The earth has lost a noble patriarch; heaven has gained a saintly witness. His passing is not a silence but a song—sung by angels, cherished by the Church, and inscribed forever upon the hearts of the faithful. > *“The memory of the just is blessed.”* — *Proverbs 10:7* He laboured tirelessly; he shall rest peacefully. His reward shall be greater than his labour.