Nigeria, March 21 -- Tributes have trailed the sudden death of a young Nigerian "missionary" priest, Very Rev. John Simon Tanko, 47, who recently died of heart failure while on holiday in his home country after being away with the St. Patrick's Missionary Society in Kenya for 7 years.

The priest of the Catholic Diocese of Bauchi, Nigeria, who was the parish priest of St. Patrick's Catholic Parish, Bangladesh, Mombasa, in the Archdiocese of Kenya was found dead on his bed on Sunday 23 February while parishioners were waiting for him to offer Holy Mass.

Fr. Tanko "was a bridge that carried the gospel to the marginalised people of Kenya," said Very Rev. Fr. Cletus Ikpa, the Vicar General Administration of Bauchi Diocese in his homily at th...