Catholic archbishop move for beatification, canonisation of late teenager

Archbishop of Benin City, Most Rev. Dr Augustine Obiora Akubeze would, on Thursday, October 7, move for the cause of the beatification and canonisation of the late Vivian Ogu, the 14-years-old,  who lived a virtuous life and died a heroic death  by opting to be killed rather than sexually defiled.

Director of Vivian Ogu Movement, Rev. Fr. Stephen Dumbiri, disclosed this to newsmen in Benin City during a press briefing organised by the Vivian Ogu Movement tagged, ‘Update on the cause of Beatification and Canonisation of Servant of God, Vivian Ogu.”

Dumbiri said the late Vivian Ogu, who was Baptised at St. Paul Catholic Church on July 1,1995, receiving her first Holy Communion at the same parish on March 21, 2005, was in preparatory class for the sacrament of confirmation, which was slated for 2010, at the time of her death.

He said the late Vivian lived an exemplary life and made a lot of pastoral and missionary impact in the Catholic Archdiocese of Benin City by her teaching and counsel to other children on the need to uphold purity, defending their virginity even if it means giving up their lives.

Dumbiri said the Vivian Ogu Movement, being the brain behind the cause of beatification and canonisation of Ogu, petitioned the Archbishop of Benin City, Most Rev. Dr. Augustine Obiora Akubeze, to investigate the virtuous life and heroic death of Ogu and to approve the appointment of a postulator to the cause.

He said that the Archbishop is now set to issue an edict on Saturday, October 7, 2023, at the Holy Cross Cathedral by 10:00 a.m., adding that the edict to be issued will call on the public to come forward with testimonies whether positive or negative on the life of Ogu that could be of good value either for or against the cause.