ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN NOVEMBER
Saints celebrated on the 15th of November
Servant of God Vivian Uchechi Ogu was born on April 1, 1995 to Mr and Mrs Peter Ogu of Imo State, Nigeria. Herself, her parents and her three siblings attended St Paul's Catholic Church, Airport Road, Benin City. She was a member of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, sung in the children's choir, and was involved in missionary works as the president of the Holy Childhood Association in the parish, where she made a remarkable impact both at the parish and Archdiocesan level, and in evangelisation work. According to Fr Stephen Dumbiri, "Vivian played a prominent role in the yearly Teen Camp meetings which began in 2007" where they encouraged young people’s active participation in the Sunday Eucharist and further catechesis on the liturgy. As the president of the Holy Childhood Association, at the age of nine years, she mobilized funds to pay the bill of poor children in the Central hospital, Benin City. She organized several visits to orphanage homes where she touched the lives of so many poor orphans. As a renowned preacher, she inspired and mentored so many children and even youths, especially in her parish and her School in following the path of holiness and defending the dignity of virginity, following the footsteps of Saint Maria Goretti, her favourite saint. She also wrote a commentary on St Matthew's Gospel, a work she did not see finished in this life because of her martyrdom.
On November 15, 2009, while at home that evening, armed robbers came to rob her family and afterwards took her to a nearby bush and attempted to rape her. She refused and died a heroic death by opting to be shot rather than being sexually defiled.
The Government council of Ikpoba Okha officially named the street on which she was killed "Vivian Ogu". On September 17, 2019, the Edo State government launched the Vivian Ogu Sexual Assault Referral Centre.
In May 2023, Archbishop Akubeze approved Christiana Marinelli, who is based in Rome, as the Postulator of the Cause. The Archbishop received the Suplex Libellius on September 12, 2023, as issued by the Congregation for the Cause of Saints, and requested him to initiate the Cause for Canonization of Vivian Ogu. The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria gave its approval that the cause of her beatification and canonization be opened on September 14, 2023.
According to Fr Stephen Dumbiri, the Archdiocese of Benin City is pursuing the cause for the beatification and canonization of Vivian Ogu not just because she was killed for refusing to be raped but because she made a great impact in the life of so many young people, as well as her apostolic zeal for the Lord before her death.
Memorial Day for Vivian Uchechi Ogu is November 15. The Vivian Ogu Movement was inaugurated in 2014 by the Catholic Archbishop of Benin.
Sources:
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2023-10/vivian-ogu-nigerian-martyr-cause-canonisation-martyrdom.html
https://www.vivianogu.org/About
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vivian_Uchechi_Ogu
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