It was with gratitude and great joy that the sisters of the Nigerian Region gathered on 12th May 2012 to celebrate the silver Jubilee of Sr. Veronica Ubanese.
The occasion was graced with the family, friends of Sr. Veronica. The ceremony started by 10.am with a Eucharistic celebration at the Catholic Church of the Visitation, Festac Town, Lagos. The chief celebrant was Rev. Fr Jude Igho, from the Archdiocese of Warri, Delta State, with four other priests concelebrating with him. In his homily, Fr. Jude began by thanking Sr. Veronica for being the cause of our celebration. He then linked the ministry of Sr. Veronica in the church to that of Jesus as recounted in the Gospel reading of the day – (Luke 4: 16-18). He said that just as Jesus was called to bring justice to the people because they lacked the Good News of peace and justice, so also Sr. Veronica has been called to bring the Good News to the people around her. He thanked the good Lord for the grace of allowing Sr. Veronica to celebrate with good health, joy and fulfillment in her heart and without regrets. He traced the secret of Sr. Veronica’s success that made her remain focused in the Congregation of the Religious Sisters of Charity as the ‘grace that God gives to answer his call’. For Fr. Jude, God is the one giving Sr. Veronica the grace to persevere, as she combined the role of Postulant Director with that of a mother. He thanked the Congregation of the Religious Sisters of Charity for giving Sr. Veronica the opportunity to celebrate. He appreciated also those who made life tough in Sr. Veronica’s journey so far, for making her stronger with their constructive criticisms. He acknowledged the difficulty there is in living a religious life. His words of encouragement to the young sisters were that ‘they too will one day celebrate if they remain focused, pray and avoid distractions’. Finally, Fr. Jude prayed for increase in vocations to the priesthood and religious life. He then congratulated Sr. Veronica and urged her to continue to attach herself to Christ, so as to be more fruitful in the years ahead. At the end of the Eucharistic celebration, the guests were entertained with a delicious meal and a couple of dances presented by the staff and pupils of Nazareth School. It was indeed a joyful celebration and a happy re-union for all.
