Celebrating Sister Gloria Jacinta Ochu Adoga
Sunset at Dawn
Sister Gloria Jacinta Ochu Adoga
September 30, 1985 – April 11, 2024
Sister Gloria Jacinta Ochu Adoga was born on September 30, 1982 into the family of Daniel Idaa Adoga and Justina Owoloyi Adoga. She hailed from Umogidi–Adoka, in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State, Nigeria. She received baptism on October 2, 1984 at Umogidi and Confirmation on July 14, 1996 at St. Augustine Catholic Church, Otukpo. She was Idoma by tribe and the fourth child in a family of ten, seven girls and three boys from her mother's side and has three other siblings from her father's second wife.
Sister Gloria began her elementary educational pursuit at Ekam Primary School, Makurdi, at the end of which she was admitted into Holy Rosary Girls College, Adoka, Benue State. While in secondary school, she began nursing a desire to become a religious when the Daughters of St. Paul visited for a vocation talk. She also interacted with the Sisters of Nativity serving in her home parish. Like Mary, she treasured her desire and held it close to her heart, as she continued to develop herself.
After her secondary education, Sister Gloria gained employment at the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi in Otukpo Diocese, where she served as secretary to the Cathedral Administrator and assisted as Parish Clerk and Shopkeeper. After two years and seven months, she resigned to further her education at Benue State University where she obtained a diploma in Social Works and Development in October 2004. At the end of her tertiary education, Sister Gloria returned to her home diocese and worked as secretary/personal assistant to the Chancellor/Diocesan Secretary. Utilizing her varied gifts, she also assisted with the office finances, Diocesan archive, insurance and licensing of cars in parishes, Religious Houses and Institutions within the Diocese.
In the words of our foundress, ‘If the dear God wants to call something into life, he also always gives the means for that to happen,’ thus Sister Gloria found the address of the School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND) in the Ambassador Magazine and wrote to them. SSND invited her for a visit. This marked the beginning of her journey with the School Sisters of Notre Dame. Sister began attending SSND Vocation seminars and became an affiliate on October, 14 2006 with Mkar Community in Benue State as her contact community.
Her reception into the School Sisters of Notre Dame Postulancy in Mbribit Itam, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State in Nigeria was in October 2007. Sister Gloria was received as a Novice on August 26, 2009 at the School Sisters of Notre Dame African Novitiate in Sunyani Ghana. She made her First profession of vows as a SSND on July 11, 2011. After her first profession of vows, Sister Gloria joyfully and enthusiastically moved to her assigned community in Nyalienga, Kenya where she served in the capacity of a Bursar and Social Worker at Notre Dame Children’s Outreach till 2016. She served for a short time at Adiaha Obong Girls Government Senior High School, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria and as Assistant Development Director of SSND Province of Africa in 2017. Sister felt enriched by her ministry and learned a lot from living in community and this helped her come to a deeper knowledge and appreciation of God, self and others. Since we do not know what tomorrow will bring with it, let us scatter seed for eternity as long as there is time (Blessed Mary Theresa of Jesus Gerhardinger), Sister Gloria scattered seeds of faith, hope and love wherever she found herself. She was hard working, radically available, loved to assist at the parish, training the altar servers, making the altar, teaching catechism among others.
Sister Gloria made her Perpetual Profession of Vows in the Congregation of the School Sisters of Notre Dame on July 29, 2017 at St. John the Baptist Cathedral, Gboko, Benue State, Nigeria and shortly after that, she was enrolled at the Veritas University Abuja, where she obtained a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 2020. At the end of her studies, she was called to form community in the Provincial House in Accra, Ghana where she served as Province Treasurer. Sister enjoyed cooking, listening to music, reading and exercising. She was very versatile and never held back her gifts. As a member of the Provincial House community, she was deeply committed to her ministry of service and made significant sacrifices for the growth and success of the SSND Retreat and Conference Centre in Accra, Ghana. She expressed “I cannot dance Lord, unless you lead me. If you want me to leap with abandon, you must intone the song. Then I shall leap into love, from love into knowledge, from knowledge into enjoyment, and from enjoyment beyond all human sensations”.
Sister suffered a brief illness and had to undergo surgery at the 37 Military Hospital, Accra. After a few days of being in the Intensive Care Unit, Sister Gloria responded to God's call to her to recuperate peacefully in heaven. We extend our deepest gratitude to our bishops, priests and religious, the Hospital Staff, Sister’s family members, friends, and all SSND for their accompaniment and prayerful support to Sister Gloria during the last days of her life. Sister Gloria slept peacefully in the Lord in the afternoon of April 11, 2024. May she rest in peace and hear the Lord say to her ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You were faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things; enter the joy of your Lord.’ (Matthew 25:21).
We extend our sympathy to Sister Gloria’s mum, siblings, and other members of her family, her friends, the Catholic Diocese of Otukpo, former colleagues and classmates, her sisters in community, all the School Sisters of Notre Dame and the Catholic Archdiocese of Accra. She was preceded in death by her dad, Mr. Daniel Adoga and her elder sister, Miss Christiana Adoga.
Indeed, our life is nothing other than leaving each day behind; what we call dying is the completion of dying and the beginning of true life (Blessed Mary Theresa of Jesus Gerhardinger). Sister Gloria is now united with Jesus the source of true life in our true native land of heaven. Dear Sister Gloria, thank you for accepting to share your life with us as a School Sister of Notre Dame, we love you and will always pray for you. Adieu, Farewell, enjoy heaven! Pray for us!