AN AUGUST VISITOR IN FEBRUARY😲

A recall on the events of the day of the Bishop’s visit, however vague, is enough to rouse a fuzzy warmth, the exact kind one gets from a warm blanket. Uzommiri Study Centre was indeed as warm that afternoon for His Lordship, Bishop Callistus Onaga, the bishop of Enugu diocese, on the event of his visit to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the founding of the women section of Opus Dei. We were all super excited: friends and visitors to the center and the girls of the Pearl Club, especially the girls of the Pearl Club.

It is most likely that the girls of the pearl club already had in mind, the thought of doing something very special for the bishop. They took up the challenge to offer up 90 hours of study for his intentions and in line with the 90th anniversary of the women of Opus Dei. At first, the girls imagined that 90 hours of study would be too ambitious a task to take up. However, when they were given reasons as to why that would be really great a gift to give him, they saw the need to do it and they gave it their best. They reached and exceeded the 90 hours of study.

In preparation for Bishop Onaga’s visit, the girls of the junior club learnt a Tiv dance, committing to regular practice and rehearsals; and since they had just recently been taught papier mache, they put the knowledge into use by creating forms of important objects that the bishop uses. They made the Skull Cap (which well did not quite look like one, but at least they had the good intention and he liked it), the bishop’s Crozier and the Pectoral Cross. The girls of the senior club were as keen and responsive also, one of them offered to make the bishop a ‘Thank You’ card. It was big and very beautiful. They learnt a cup song, a dance and also bought doughnuts which were nicely and neatly packaged.

The D-day finally came, everybody was euphoric. The bishop arrived in the company of his friend, a Priest of Opus Dei. He was warmly received by the priest of the center as well as the center's director. For the girls, it was mixed feelings of exhilaration and nervousness. They gave the bishop a welcome speech who was thrilled by the gravity of warmth, but more so because of the 90 hours of study offered up on his behalf. He was deeply moved by this and expressed his appreciation for their efforts. The girls made other presentations. The Tiv dance by the junior girls was quite humorous, but again, it was performed with the best of intentions.

The dance by the senior girls was well done and the cup song was also beautiful. Oh! We were in awe. By the time they ended their presentations, the bishop was filled with pleasurable satisfaction and we were also.

Nneoma Ozioko, a member of the senior club made a particularly interesting presentation. she read a speech which she had written herself to the Bishop. It read thus:

“90 solid years of the Opus Dei women. These women have changed the world a bit at a time. Spain; USA; London; Canada and of course Nigeria. All these are where they have changed the world. Opus Dei is a Latin phrase for work of God. By February 1930, St. Josemaria knew that God wanted women to be a part of the work─ I wonder why it took him that long to realize.” (At this, virtually every member of the audience chuckled, the bishop himself appeared to have been taken aback). “As Fr. Escriva said later, work is the hinge on which the holiness of lay people turns and the irony here is that it is done by just ordinary people. So it defines Opus Dei as the mission of lay people to do the work of God in ordinary life.”

The girls were present to listen to the bishop as he addressed questions from members of the audience and when it was time, they presented their gifts to him. The junior girls presented their paper mache forms; taking turns to describe the significance of each of their items (the Crozier, the Pectoral Cross, and the Skull Cap). The senior girls presented the big beautiful ‘Thank You’ card that they had made for him and their nicely packed doughnuts.

The bishop was thankful for the gestures of sincere affection, he expressed his gratitude to them.

Not satisfied with sharing the attention of the Bishop with the rest of the crowd, some threesome of the junior club who insisted they had something to say to him, stationed themselves strategically at the exit and of course, they got his attention. Although at that moment, it seemed all they had rehearsed completely vanished from their heads and they just stammered and stuttered. He lovingly blessed them and that crowned it all for them.

Feedback from one of their mothers was that her daughter had refused to wash her hair since that encounter with the Bishop for fear of losing his blessing. “I’m doing my best to reassure her that the blessing is within and not on the outside” she said. The ladies of the house were not left out of the warmth the girls of the Pearl Club had to give as the girls presented a large bucket of ice cream to the director of the center.

The address of their representative, a member of the senior club in JSS2, Nneoma Ozioko to the director of the center reads thus:

“I think it is time to address the able director of Uzommiri Study Center, Emilia Ezigbo Ivenso who has led this center through it’s tough times to the top─ because I know it is not easy to take care of young girls like us. I owe a lot to this center and we give you all the accolades you deserve.”

Picture time with the bishop followed, it was definitely all joy.

The girls of the Peal Club were truly pleased and why not? They deserved to be. They put on quite a show─ and a good one at that─ for everyone that was in attendance on that fateful day.