By Sr. Jacinta Ojilimmobe, SNDdeN

Handover Ceremony at the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur (SNDdeN), Novitiate, Kulende, Ilorin, Kwara State on the 3rd day of February, 2025. It was a remarkable day at the Novitiate as Sr. Christiana Sule, SNDdeN handed over the formation of the Novices to Sr. Esther Okonroma, SNDdeN. Sr. Christy, as she is called, served as the novice directress for over six years after assisting Sr. Ifeoma Okpala, SNDdeN, the then novice mistress.

Gathered for the ceremony were the novitiate community, one of the leadership team member Sr. Monica Umeh, SNDdeN, and Sisters from Tanke Community who work in Our Lady’s Catholic Schools, Kulende.

The ceremony began at 12 noon with the Angelus Prayer and opening prayer led by Sr. Monica Umeh. This was immediately followed by a song and a scriptural reading (Mtt. 13:2-9) and a reflection. Sr. Monica, on behalf of the Province, thanked Sr. Christy for her six years of formation ministry, a ministry she acknowledged to be stressful and demanding. After the appreciation followed the rite of the handover.

Constitution #82 of the congregation of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur was read out clearly which centered on formation of the Novices. This was followed by questioning of the new directress by the leadership team member to be sure that she was ready to undertake the task ahead of her. With all eagerness, Sr. Esther responded “I do” to all the questions she was asked.

The ceremony reached its peak when Sr. Christy formerly handed to the incoming novice directress, a well-documented handover notes, a Bible, a vessel of cherry plant, and the constitution of the congregation. One of the most remarkable of these items was the cherry plant which was planted and has been nurtured by the outgoing Novice Directress and a Novice.

She stated that the plant was the appropriate symbol for the ceremony since it’s a plant that requires nurturing, care, and patience. It isn’t a plant that produces fruits in a short while but needs a longer nurturing. As she handed the plant to Sr. Esther, she said that she was handing over the whole novices to her to nurture and care for. The ceremony ended with the blessing of the new novice mistress and the novices; a special prayer of farewell for Sr. Christy Sule. In conclusion, Sr. Esther Okonroma addressed the sisters and novices at the ceremony and asked for their prayers.

Today, the Congregation of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur celebrate the Feast Day of her foundress, St. Marie-Julie Billiart. It is her feast since her canonisation in 1969.

The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur are grateful to the good God for the life of St. Julie Billiart. Her ejaculatory prayer has been the source of the beautiful lives of all Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur.

The Co-foundress of the Congregation, Françoise Blin de Bourdon wrote on St. Julie’s Feast Day, “My wish for you is that you may become a truly great saint; I ask for you a continual increase in grace, especially the gifts of counsel and fortitude and a perfect charity.”

Come join the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur celebrate this great saint, who abandoned her one and only life in the hands of our good God. “Ah! Qu’il est bon le bon Dieu”, has been St. Julie’s prayer all her life. The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur live their lives spreading the goodness of the good God wherever they find themselves with hearts as wide as the world

The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur welcomes you to a New Year full of God’s abundant blessings and favour. Together we will continue to spread the goodness of God wherever we find ourselves.

Come and join us in spreading love, laughter and God’s goodness, which is the essence of our existence. We are all made for love and to love one another. LOVE CONQUERS ALL.