•President Michael Sata with Dr Kenneth Kaunda and opposition party leaders at Cathedral of the Holy Cross.

By MIRIAM ZIMBA? –

THE name Michael in the Jewish context means ‘He who is like God’, and true to this name, St Ignatius Catholic Parish where the late?President Michael Sata congregated will remember him as such.
November 3, 2014 was not only the Feast Day for St Martin, but also a?day in which St Ignatius Parish held Mass in honour of Mr Sata.
Although the church was filled to capacity with a lot of senior?Government officials, various representatives of political parties, by?and large the majority in attendance, were mainly Catholics from St?Ignatius Parish.
Mr Sata, who had been a parishioner at St Ignatius for so many years,?was initially a regular member of the first church service on Sundays?when he attended the 07:00 hours Mass.
He later changed his time and started attending the 08:15 hours Mass,?which is conducted in the vernacular language.
According to Fr Joe Keaney, immediate-past St Ignatius Parish priest,?Mr Sata could have made this switch because he probably identified?more with the local language singing, which seemingly spoke to his?inner-self.?Fr Keaney, who became parish priest at St Ignatius in 1993, described?Mr Sata as a traditional Catholic who always maintained a regular seat?in church.
“Most times he seemed not to be listening or paying attention in?church, but if he was not clear about something, he would raise his? hand and ask questions, or even object to what he did not agree with.
This is something very rare in the Catholic Church,” he said.?Fr Keaney, however, acknowledged that Mr Sata was one such individual who had a great sense of humour.
One of the fondest memories Fr Keaney will remember Mr Sata for was?his ‘fashionably late appearance during his daughter’s wedding Mass,?prior to his election as Republican President.
“He walked her down the aisle in church about one-and-a-half hours?late. I said to him, with all due respect, I am not a prophet, I do?not know who will win this election (2011 tripartite elections) but if?you do win,
I sincerely hope that you will manage the country and the?economy better than you do with weddings in your family,” he?recounted.
Fr Keaney described Mr Sata as one man who was very respectful of the?clergy.
He was one who had a great sense of understanding and regard?for the hierarchy of the church.
According to Fr Keaney, this was the only time Mr Sata was given a?chance to address the congregation at St Ignatius.
“However, this did not deter Mr Sata from being present at Sunday?masses, especially in activities during the Holy Week preceding?Easter celebrations,” he said.
A few years ago, before he became President, Mr Sata had a minor?stroke and Fr Keaney was called to pray for him at his home.
“I was really touched by his inner-self, how humble, quiet and?respectful he was, simply how nice he was. All the wind was knocked?out of his sayings.
He was just nice, and I said this is the inner-self of this man,” Fr Keaney recounted.
“It would be impossible to separate Mr Sata from the context of the?preaching.
He was such a larger-than-life kind of person, such a?public person who was owned by the nation, a household name,” he said.
Fr Keaney jokingly remarked that he had no doubt that Mr Sata would?earn himself space in God’s kingdom.
He expressed certainty that each person who had the opportunity to?encounter Mr Sata would describe him in a different way, but there?would be a lot of common grounds, among them, he was tough, a hard?man.
“To be honest, I feared him. I was always very careful about what I?would say to him because I would not want to upset him,” Fr Keaney?said.
Fr Keaney also described Mr Sata as probably the most ‘unBemba-like?Bemba man’, as regards his personality which seemed slightly parallel?to the respectful and polite nature most Bembas are known for.
There is great sadness in the nation.
From the time the news about Mr?Sata’s demise broke, one can literally feel the sadness in the nation.
“But this sadness was taken to a new level for me when I went with?other Jesuit priests to State House on Saturday evening following the?arrival of the President’s body, for a special farewell service.
“I had the opportunity to offer my condolences to the First Lady?Christine Kaseba-Sata. I could immediately see that her grief was?different from that of the nation, because she and her family were?mourning not just for the public figure that everybody knew and liked,?but she saw something in him that very few could have seen, the?inner-self,’’ Fr Keaney said.
He cited St Paul’s letter to the Ephesians in which St Paul urges?prayer for the hidden self to grow strong so that Christ can live in?the hearts of man through faith.
In explaining the hidden self, Fr Keaney said everybody had a hidden?self and a public self.
“What the whole nation knew was the public self of Mr Sata.
They did?not know his hidden self, which is more Christ-like.
He was more?gentle, more compassionate, loving, tender and more caring,” he said.
“I recall he used to seem inattentive in church, and I may have judged?him wrongly by asking myself ‘why does he come to church?
He always?seems to be looking around and not paying attention’, but what a bad?judgment it was.
“I do believe that since he was young, the hidden self was being?nourished and developing because he listened attentively to the Word?of God,” Fr Keaney said.
In his message of tribute to the late President, Father Superior for?the Jesuit Community at St Ignatius, Fr Charles Chilinda, who was the?main celebrant at this Mass who shared what could be described as a?‘cat and mouse’ kind of relationship with Mr Sata, described the?President’s demise as a great loss.
“His leaving has not been easy to grapple with. This underscores how?important he was to this nation,” Fr Chilinda said.
He noted that the tributes that kept pouring in were evidence that Mr?Sata was many things to different people and in such a short time in?his presidency, he made an indelible mark on the country.
“We wish he could have enjoyed his presidency for much longer, but?that was not to be. His time on earth has been cut short.
“This reminds us of the fragility of life. We are only called to be?instruments of God to serve humanity,” Fr Chilinda said.
He depicted Mr Sata as a simple man who did not really seek for things?that would make him richer, but for him, his presidency was an?opportunity to serve the people of God.
Fr Chilinda implored members of the Patriotic Front (FP) and all that?considered themselves friends of the late President to emulate this?noble virtue.
One of the stories Fr Chilinda will fondly recall Mr Sata for is once?when he was approached by someone who was unjustly treated in a?dispute over a piece of land he owned.
“Mr Sata ensured that I had access to deliver documents pertaining to?this man’s case and he would ensure that I was expressly cleared by?his security.
When I presented these documents to him, he acted?promptly according to the matter with the urgency it deserved,” he recounted.
“He immediately called the commissioner of Lands in a bid to ensure?that justice prevailed over the matter.
He was a man of immediate?action, one who sought justice for all,” he said.
He fought for those who had no voice, especially for the poor and the children.
“In as much as he may not have been too far from controversy, and?I am also not so far from controversy, he was a simple, gentle,?charming and compassionate man.
“He was compassionate to the extent that he did not just dismiss?people from employment on account that their families would suffer and?this made him forgiving,” Fr Chilinda said.
In many ways than not, it was obvious that the 08:15 choir at St?Ignatius won Mr Sata’s favour, as they are often referred to as the?‘Presidential Choir’.
For this reason, they stopped at nothing in leading the entire?congregation in a Mass held in the President’s honour, singing and?dancing to songs of thanksgiving for his life.
The thanksgiving hymn intensified emotions as the congregation praised?God for the life of President Sata, and this was accentuated by ‘Ba?Buomba’ who led the procession alongside the choir in song and dance?in praise and thanksgiving.
A trio led by young and talented gospel songbird Gloria Kabonga,?comprising Joy and Besha Rodney also paid glowing tribute to Mr Sata?through her most recent single Chalema-Bakateka Mwendebwino.
The title of the song can be translated to mean ‘with a heavy heart,?farewell our beloved President, go well’.
This song evoked a lot of emotions as many congregants could not hold?back their tears in the solemn moment.
In the lyrics, Gloria acknowledges that the burden of losing the?President is not only heavy for the family and the Government but for?all Zambians.
As the nation continues to mourn Mr Sata, his fellow congregants at St?Ignatius will remember him in many ways.
These tributes and many more others speak volumes about the tight-knit?relations he shared with the St Ignatius community.