The Catholic Church in Benin, Edo State, took a step forward in the process of making 14-years-old Vivian Uchechi Ogu a saint.
Vivian was killed by armed robbers on November 15, 2009, when she resisted their attempt to rape her.
The Church issued an edict to ask for people’s opinion and evidence about Vivian’s life and death.
This would help the Church to decide if she deserves to be beatified and canonized.
The Archbishop of Benin, Most Rev. Augustin Obiora Akubeze, said in a special mass that the Pope had chosen Vivian as one of the 25 candidates for sainthood from all over the world.
He praised Vivian for her courage and virtue in choosing death over dishonour.
He said, “We want to know more about the Servant of God, whose fame of martyrdom and holiness has grown since her death.
We have been asked to open the Cause of Beatification and Canonization of the Servant of God and inform the whole Church about it. We invite all the faithful who have something to say about her, either good or bad, to contact the Archdiocesan Curia at the Chancery, No. 30, Airport Road, Benin City with their information.”
He also asked people to bring any “documents, journals, letters and any other writings of the Servant of God. Those who want to keep the originals can give us a certified copy.”
He ordered that an Edict be displayed on the doors of some catholic churches and other places for two months.
