By Charles Igwe
During a media chat at the ongoing first 2024 plenary assembly of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), Archbishop Augustine Obiora Akubeze of Benin shed light on the beatification process of Vivian Uchechi Ogu, emphasizing her exemplary life as a beacon of purity for the younger generation.
Archbishop Akubeze highlighted Vivian Ogu’s unwavering commitment to her Christian faith and moral principles, citing her refusal to yield to robbers who sought to defile her, even at the cost of her own life. He emphasized the importance of declaring her a martyr to inspire young people to uphold purity and integrity in their lives.
Establishing the Vivian Ogu Movement (VOM) in 2014, Archbishop Akubeze aimed to promote Vivian’s heroic virtues and commemorate her courageous sacrifice. He explained that the Church recognizes and beatifies individuals who die in defense of their Christian faith, a process that is being meticulously followed in Vivian’s case.
The Vivian Ogu Movement (VOM) serves as a platform to raise awareness of Vivian’s life and virtues, inspiring others to emulate her example and seek her intercession. Additionally, the movement endeavors to develop the site where Vivian was martyred into a pilgrimage center known as the Vivian Ogu Missionary Animation Centre (VOMAC).
