Living community life
COMMUNITY
Living and praying together is the bedrock of every religious Congregation. In other words, a healthy community gives joy and peace to its members. As sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in Nigeria our priority lies in building a healthy community where every sister is at home. A healthy community is a home, so we join hands together in building a strong and healthy community.
Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, Nigeria are in seven States and nine dioceses with fifteen communities. The Communities are; Abuja-Kuje, (Archdiocese of Abuja), Abeaouta (Abeokuta diocece), Ogun State, Amoyo (Ilorin diocese) Kwara State, Akwunanaw (Enugu diocese) Enugu State, Central House (Auchi diocese) Edo State, Fugar (Auchi diocese) Edo State, Kulende (Ilorin diocese) Kwara State, Kontagora (Kontagora Vicariate) Niger State, Mafoluku (Archdiocese of Lagos) Lagos State, Ndeabor (Agwu diocese) Enugu State, Nwodo Close (Enugu diocese) Enugu State, Ogwu (Uromi diocese) Edo State, Oro (Ilorin diocese) Kwara State, Tanke (Ilorin diocese) Kwara State and Ugwuomunike (Enugu diocese) Enugu State.
In these communities we are engaged in different apostulates – teaching at all levels, health care, catechesis, pastoral care, spiritual direction and social work. The Congregation follow the signs of time in doing the work of God especially, standing for those made poor by the society, women, children and vulnerable adults.
ORO COMMUNITY
Oro community is made of five sisters. They are: L-R: Sisters Eucharia Ezeigwe, Perpetua Okonofua, Veronica Paschal, Rita Osigwe and Teresa Anyabuike.
Oro is located in Irepodun Local Government Area in Kwara State, Nigeria. The predominate language spoken by the people of Oro is Yoruba. The indigenes are mostly civil servants, while the visitors are farmers. Oro people are welcoming.
Oro is the first community of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, Nigeria Province. It is our foundation community because the first sisters who came to Nigeria in 1963 lived in there and started their ministries. They began the Notre Dame Girls secondary school, Oro.
MATTERS OF INTEREST: Our area of interest is basically in our ministries. We put in our best to teach the pupils and students, organize seminars and workshops in order to help enlighten and inform the conscience the people in the locality where we are. It gives us great joy to see that our efforts are yielding fruits in the lives of the people we minister.
ABEOKUTA COMMUNITY
Abeokuta is in Ogun State, Nigeria.
Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur Abeokuta Community.
Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, Postulate Formation House, Fugar, Edo State, Nigeria.
LOCATION: This community is located in Fugar, Etsako Central Local Government Area of Edo State, and the language the people speak is Etsako.
ACTIVITIES: In this formation house the postulants, having passed through aspirancy for at least one year, are formally received as postulants to begin their first two years of training for religious life. At the time of their reception the postulants are given the Congregational emblem to mark their beginning. During these two years the postulants are taught some courses such as liturgy, the life of St. Julie, human development, music, Scripture, leadership training, community living, the essentials of religious life, Notre Dame Spirituality and prayer. The postulants do practical activities such as, farming and skills aqusition. They are involved in the pastoral life of the local church through children’s liturgy and support of various parish societies. Throughout this time they receive spiritual accompaniment to enable them to discern their vocation. At present we have nine postulants and four professed sisters in the community.
ABUJA-KUJE PROVINCIALATE COMMUNITY
Community’s name: Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, Kuje-Abuja. Provincialate.
The Community was founded in 2008, and was Commissioned on December 12th, 2009.
Our activities: Some of our sisters are engaged in school ministry, while others are working at the province office. One of our sisters works at St. Simon and Jude minor Seminary, while the others work in our own school – Notre Dame Girls’ Academy, Kuje-Abuja. We do gardening also.
Location of the Community: Kuchyaku – Kuje-Abuja, near St. Simon and Jude minor Seminary.
The language of the place: Nupoid/Gwari and Hausa.
Other areas of interest: We are a welcoming, hospitable, and Earth friendly community. We have a beautiful compound with a lot of fruit trees, beautiful flowers and green grass. The Community started with four sisters in 2009 and was commissioned by His Eminence John Cardinal Onaiyekan, on December 12th, 2009. The school was later built in 2016/2017 which gave rise to the number of Sisters living in the Community. Presently, we are 9 sisters in the Community, with two student sisters, and one member of the Community is on mission in the U.S.A
KONTAGORA COMMUNITY
These are Srs. Gloria Okafor, Josephine Ehinlaiye, Rita Obiefule, Apollonia Ibekwe, Rebecca Apeakumhe and Theresa Igwe. (L-R)
LANGUAGE SPOKEN: Hausa
ADDRESS: B C G A, Opposite St Michaels Catholic Cathedral Kontagora, Niger State.
NUMBER OF SISTERS: 6
COMMUNITY NAME: SND Kontagora.
ACTIVITIES: School Ministry and Pastoral Ministry.
AREA OF INTEREST: It is a mission land and We enjoy collaborative ministry among priests and religious in the vicariate
CENTRAL HOUSE – EDO STATE
L-R: Top row: Srs. Bernadette Okoligan, Theresa Anikwata, Edith Eneh, Angela Nnamani. Down row: Srs. Evelyn Aririatu and Julie Ambrose.
Central House Community is situated in Iyate Quarters of Jattu, Uzairue, in the Catholic Diocese of Auchi, Edo State, Nigeria. The language spoken in the area is Afemai, also known as Etsako.
Central House Community welcomes her newest member, Sr. Josephine Balogun, SNDdeN. Sister, you are welcome.
ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMUNITY
HOSPITALITY: Hosting of Unit Assembly, Seminars, committee meetings etc.
RETREATS: Organising and giving of retreats.
SUNFLOWER WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT CENTRE: Selling of books, items for sacramental and gift items.
PRODUCTION CENTRE: Making of sweaters for schools, production of household cleaning liquids, and balm.
VOCATION PROMOTION
DEVELOPMENT OFFICE OF THE UNIT
JUSTICE AND PEACE UNIT
TEACHING – EDO STATE UNIVERSITY
ARCHIVES: Support of the office situated in Kuje
CARE OF THE EARTH: Writing of articles on Laudato Si and Climate Matters for Diocesan newspapers. The making of re-usable cloth bags to replace single use plastic bags which are thrown away and cause damage to the environment.
We live in a beautifully lush green environment. The area is quiet and conducive for resting, praying and retreats or days of recollection and general relaxation.
AMOYO COMMUNITY, KWARA STATE
L-R Srs. Rita Ezekwem, Rose Ndianefo, Bernadine Duru, Magella Anyanwu, MaryBenedette Eboh, Caroline Ajaegbu, Veronica Fatoyinbo and Celestina Nwodo
Amoyo community is located in Amoyo, Ifelodun Local Government area of Kwara State, North-West geo-political zone of Nigeria. The Community is involved with two ministries – School and Medical Centre, in addition to pastoral ministries.
Notre Dame Girls’ Academy
NDGA … preparing young women for life. This is what we do at Notre Dame Girls’ Academy, Amoyo, Kwara State. We teach young women everything they need for life just as St. Julie instructed us. Not only that we educate them intellectually, but we also instruct them spiritually, morally, socially and in all aspects of life. This is what make our school unique and complete.
Notre Dame Girls’ Academy, Amoyo began in the year 2007 September (the same year the community started) in a sub-urban area of Ilorin, the state capital of Kwara State, Nigeria. In respond to the signs of time and following Notre Dame educational tradition, the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur decided to establish all-girls school in this locality. In this part of the world where the school is located, education of women and girls is still not a priority. It is a predominantly Muslim area. Most families living around this area undermine the value of education of women and girls. As a girl child, you are expected to get married very early- between ages 14 and 16 and raise children. Due to the fact that the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur believe in St. Julie’s saying that “Education is the greatest work on earth” and because they are known for education of women and children, they felt called to educate these girls in this particular locality.
Notre Dame Medical Centre – NDMC
Notre Dame Medical Centre is a gift to the people of Amoyo and particularly, to the immediate neighborhood where the Medical Centre is located. NDMC does not only care for the need of the students and staff of Notre Dame Girls’ Academy, but also caters for the need of the local communities around it. So many lives have been saved. It cares for both prenatal and postnatal of mothers, in addition to surgical and medical needs of the people as needs arise. Thanks to the sisters of Notre Dame de Namur for their initiative.
Community Living and Organization
Amoyo Community has a verity of gifts and talents due to the fact that it is a mixture of people from different background and ethnic groups, the old and the young alike. Our dominant language in the community is English language. The community members are vast in different disciplines. We have a community head – usually refer to as community coordinator. She helps in organizing and directing the affairs of the community. We value speech because it fosters sharing, at the same time, we value silence which promotes reflection. We give quality time to prayer as well as encourage a contemplative environment. In a nut-shell, Amoyo community is a home for all, where people feel belong, nurture and flourish.