A Life Given Fully: Sr. Oghenekevwe Eduvie Makes Her Final Profession of Religious Vows.
There’s a particular kind of stillness that fills a Church when someone stands before God and says, without reservation, “This is my life now, I am all yours now, Lord”. St. Michael’s Catholic Church, Otovwodo, Ughelli, Delta State, Nigeria held that stillness on the day Sr. Oghenekevwe Eduvie professed her final vows as a member of the Religious Sisters of Charity on 16th May, 2026.
The Mass began with beautiful hymns, which included the hymn to the Holy Spirit and as the Religious, Priests, and Bishop processed into the Church, joy radiated in the faces of all. The readings were taken from Hosea 2:14, 19-20, Colossians 3:12-17, John 15:1-8. In his homily, Most Rev. Anthony Ovayero Ehwerhido reflected on the demands and beauty of the religious vocation. He emphasized that “the discipline of discipleship is part of the call, and so is the discipline of religious life. One does not come without the other. To follow Christ is to accept a life shaped by structure, sacrifice, and surrender, as the very form that love takes when it is serious about itself.”
He reminded Sr. Oghenekevwe that growth in Christ comes through God’s loving pruning, for as she abides in Christ, she will be pruned. He also described religious consecration as a homecoming into God’s dwelling, where the soul encounters an “inexhaustible well, an inexhaustible source of goodness.”
Concluding his homily, the Bishop offered a simple guide for life’s journey: “How to survive life’s journey: obedience, obedience, obedience.” He then prayed for Sr. Oghenekevwe, her family, and all present.
Following the Bishop’s homily, the celebration continued with the solemn singing of the Litany of the Saints. The invocation rose through the chapel in a deeply prayerful atmosphere as two sisters led the chanting, calling upon the communion of saints to intercede for the one about to make her final commitment. She lay prostrate before the altar while the congregation stood in reverent silence and prayer.
After the litany, the rite reached its most sacred moment. In an atmosphere of reverent silence and profound expectation, she professed her final vows, consecrating her life entirely to God and solemnly committing herself to the vows of Obedience, Poverty, and Chastity, and the Fourth Vow of Service to the Poor, according to the Congregation of the Religious Sisters of Charity.
Sr. Oghenekevwe placed her vows in the hands of Sr. Patricia Lenihan, with Sr. Prisca Acholonu and Sr. MaryAnn Emealo standing as witnesses. The words she spoke that day were few, but they carried the weight of everything the bishop had just described: a life chosen with open eyes.
As soon as she professed her vows, the Religious Sisters, the Bishop, and members of her immediate family warmly congratulated her while the whole church radiated joy, dancing to the songs of thanksgiving and congratulations.
The Religious Sisters of Charity, founded by Mary Aikenhead in Dublin in 1815, have carried their mission of service to the sick and the poor across continents. Sr. Oghenekevwe now belongs to that tradition permanently, not swept into it, but grafted in.
The Mass ended in a joyful spirit, and the reception followed immediately. The celebration was vibrant and colourful, filled with cultural displays, dance, and the presentation of gifts. All glory be to God.
Sr. Margaret-Mary Idamarhare
