Vivian Ogu: Living Beyond Death

Vivian Uchechi Ogu was a 14-year-old girl, who lived an exemplary holy life through her missionary works and died a heroic death by opting to be killed rather than being sexually defiled.

Biological Background

Vivian was born in Benin City on the 1st of April, 1995 to the catholic family of Mr. and Mrs. Peter Ogu of Enyiogugu of Aboh-Mbaise Local government area of Imo State. She was the second out of four children.

Childhood

Vivian attended Air Force Nursery and Primary School where she distinguished herself as the most intelligent pupil in her class. She was a parishioner of St. Paul Catholic Church Airport Road Benin City., a member of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, the choir mistress of the children’s choir, and the president of the Holy Childhood Association in the parish, where she made a remarkable impact both at the parish and Archdiocesan level.

Works

As the president of the holy childhood association, at the age of nine years, she mobilized funds to pay the bill of many 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 St. Maria Goretti, her favourite saint.
At the age of thirteen, she already embarked on the development of her commentary on the Gospel of Matthew. She had reached the 16th chapter of that Gospel before her death.
She was in Senior Secondary II in Greater Tomorrow Secondary School and the assistant prayer leader in her school before her death.

Death

On Sunday, the 15th of November, 2009, after preaching about purity, virginity, and martyrdom to her fellow children in the church in the morning, the opportunity came for her to put into practice what she preached all her life.
While at home that evening, armed robbers came to rob her family and afterward took her to a nearby bush and attempted to rape her. She vehemently refused and opted to be shot instead and indeed she was martyred.

Government Honours

Having learned the news of her heroic death, the government of Edo State granted the land where Vivian Ogu was martyred to the Catholic Archdiocese of Benin City. Two years later, the local government council of Ikpoba Okha officially named the street on which she was killed “Vivian Ogu”. On the 17th of September 2019, the Edo State government launched the Vivian Ogu Sexual Assault Referral Centre which provides services and support to survivors of sexual assault in Edo State.

Catholic Honours

Since the death of Vivian Ogu, the Catholic Archdiocese of Benin City has consistently celebrated Memorial Day for Vivian Ogu on the 15th of November every year. The Vivian Ogu Movement was inaugurated in 2014 by the Catholic Archbishop of Benin, Most Rev. Dr. Augustine Obiora Akubeze with the task of:

Promoting the story of her exemplary life and heroic death so that many more may strive towards her heroic virtues and seek her intercession.

Preserving and developing the land where she was killed.

To celebrate the extraordinary missionary month in October 2019, the Holy Father Pope Francis asked for the biography of possible saint figures, canonized or not, to be used as heroic missionary examples for the whole world. Vivian Ogu was one of the twenty-five saint figures selected from the entire countries of the world.
Consequently, on the 26th of October 2019, the entire Catholic Church in Nigeria gathered at Vivian Ogu Animation Centre (VOMAC) for the national celebration of the extraordinary missionary month of October. The Holy Father Pope Francis was represented by the president of the Pontifical Mission Society.