Opus Dei

In a recent interview with Olga Marlin, author of To Africa with a Dream and Our lives in his Hands, she started off by saying that “God, is a God of Surprises!”. Below is an excerpt of that interview

A teacher of the Lagoon Institute of Hospitality Studies (LIHS), shares with joy the experiences of her students who, during the holidays, organized culinary sessions in their various communities. These sessions have turned to be impactful both to the students and their communities. LIHS is a hospitality and tourism school in Lagos targeted at equipping young women from low income homes with relevant skills that help them to be economically independent.

A group of university students visited children in the pediatric wards of the Teaching Hospital in Ituku-Ozalla shortly before the lock down.

Several women attending the means of formation in centres of Opus Dei in Lagos started WiNE (Women in New Evangelization) an initiative that organizes activities for young professionals. They decided to start one to help the less privileged during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Taking advantage of a recent industrial strike action by staff of government owned universities, 25 undergraduates from about five different universities in Nigeria volunteered to work on the expansion project of Alayo Youth centre, located in Iloti village in Ogun state. Uchenna, a recent graduate of Microbiology, narrates his experience of the work camp.

Victoria López-Amo is the woman who has been in Opus Dei the longest. Last May she turned 100. A Guatemalan citizen of Spanish origin, Victoria loves life and still has a few things left to accomplish.

CARF is a Foundation raising money for scholarships for priests and seminarians who study at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome. Fr. Paschal Ochieng is one of its beneficiaries. In the last 28 years CARF has helped in the formation of 510 Kenyan priests and 18 Kenyan seminarians did their studies there before ordination.

Rosario "Charo" Basterra, arrived in Nigeria in the year 1972 on an adventure of self-giving that would span 47 years; beginning with the Lagoon College, one of many social projects she helped set up across the country. One of the first women of Opus Dei, Charo died on October 18th, aged 92.

This article appeared in ThisDay Newspaper on the 3rd of August, 2019, recalls and celebrates the first visit of Mons. Fernando Ocariz as Prelate of Opus Dei to Nigeria a year ago.

One year after the visit of the Prelate of Opus Dei to Nigeria his message, advice and encouragement continue to ring true.