FOR SR. VERONICA,
A JUBILEE HOUR
Louisville Abuja’s Principal marks milestone birthday with feast, prayers, and outreach
By Nnadozie Onyekuru | Updated July 31, 2024
When Veronica Ayodeji was born to the Orunmoluyis of Akure, little did the members of her family imagine that her life’s mission would lead her to the homes and hearts of other families in far-away places like Kano and Bida. Half a century later, some of them watched with awe and solidarity as parent after parent extolled Sr. Veronica at her current place of mission: Louisville Girls Secondary School, Abuja. Music and good food punctuated the course of the gathering. “The turnout is a testimony of who Sister is,” the school’s Parent Teacher Association chairman, Mr. Philip Abah, shared with me. “The ceremony is colourful, very beautiful. We are all satisfied.”
It was a remarkable pause for an indefatigable worker in the Lord’s vineyard. “The only way I can express the way I feel today is joy,” the celebrant told everyone seated. “I am overwhelmed with joy.” Her joy radiated from the early hours of the day when a group of senior secondary students led her to an extraordinary assembly at the school’s Seat of Wisdom block. Dancing into the decorated block feted with cheers and songs, the jubilant principal beckoned on birthday mates from the school community to join her on stage. By noon, the jubilation took a reflective turn at the Louis Colmar auditorium where friends, relatives, and fellow religious joined the Louisville Abuja community for a Mass celebrated by Bishop Anselm Umoren, MSP together with concelebrating priests including Reverend Fathers Samuel Tarvihi, Rowland Nwakpuda, and Collins Akhigbe, OP. There, the celebrant’s joy rang through the canticle she sang with the congregation: Shower, dew and wind bless the Lord, bless the Lord. Fire, heat and cold bless the Lord, bless the Lord...(Canticle of the Three Young Men in Daniel 3).
Photo: Sr. Veronica in jubilee card by LGSSA’s ICT Department
At the reception after Mass, guests took turns to laud Sr. Veronica for her work ethos and altruistic efforts over the years. A portrait of complementary contrasts emerged from their speeches: that of an educator who is strict yet compassionate, serious yet cheerful. On the sidelines of the event, alumnae and associates spoke to me about Sister’s role in their lives. Teniola Fadairo-Cokers shared memories of Sr. Veronica cooking at Easter for her class and teaching extra Physics lessons. Now a medical student in the university, the Class of 2019 graduate couldn’t contain her gratitude. “I love her. I miss her,” she said. “Thank you for everything.” Such gratitude was shared by another alumna of Louisville Abuja, Oluwaseun Enebi. Sr. Veronica’s previous stints as House Mother and Vice Principal during Ms. Enebi’s studies opened the door to fruitful conversations about the latter’s future course of study and career path. Today, the Class of 2017 graduate serves as a special needs educator focusing on children with Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). During graduation week at Louisville this year, she visited to share discernment lessons from her career journey with the graduating class. Both Mss. Enebi and Fadairo-Cokers came to Sister’s birthday with their fathers who spoke gleamingly of Sister and their families’ enduring relationships with her.
“I love her. I miss her. Thank you for everything.”
— Ms. Teniola Fadairo-Cokers ’19
Charity, they say, begins at home. Testimonials about Sr. Veronica’s impact also came from her biological and spiritual families. For Rev. Fr. David Orunmoluyi, the celebrant is not just a cousin but a “sister, friend, and mother.” The newly ordained priest of the Catholic Diocese of Ondo recalled the accompaniment of his older cousin during a significant moment in his seminary years. “I spoke to her. She encouraged me, advised me, prayed with me and was checking on me,” he said. “I just love everything about her. She’s a very good person.” He noted her spiritual dimension too: “Above all, she is very very prayerful.” This observation about Sr. Veronica’s prayer life was echoed by her fellow Sister of St. Louis and current Vice Principal (Administration) of Louisville Abuja, Rev. Sr. Jumoke Akinwunmi. For Sr. Jumoke, Sr. Veronica is a good leader concerned about the welfare of students and staff. “She goes the extra mile. She listens to people. She is very prayerful,” Sr. Jumoke observed. “She believes that everyone has something to offer.”
“She goes the extra mile. She listens to people. She is very prayerful.”
—Rev. Sr. Jumoke Akinwunmi, SSL
As the curtain came down on the feast that Wednesday, Sr. Veronica had something else in mind: an outreach on Friday to the neighbouring Kaida community. Others, too, had something planned for her. On Saturday afternoon, during Louisville’s speech and prize giving ceremony, representatives of the school’s staff surprised her with a “forgotten” present. Not to be outdone, a parent of a recently graduated student mustered the audience to its feet for a birthday chorus. A flushed Sr. Veronica glowed in gratitude on the stage. Sometimes, birthday surprises are served like the wine at Cana—the merrier lot comes last.
