Tunde BANKOLE

St Anthony Catholic Church Iwo Osun State was alive and agog with excitement on Sunday 27th July, 2025 as friends and families of Reverend Sister Elizabeth Babalola (DHS) from far and near joined the parishioners of the Church to thank God for Sr. Elizabeth Babalola as she celebrates silver jubilee of her religious profession.

The thanksgiving Mass was presided over by Bishop John Akinkunmi Oyejola of Osogbo Diocese who celebrated with Fr. JohnPaul Nnajiofor, Parish Priest of St. Anthony Iwo; Rev. Fr (Professor) Jude Asanbe, Rector of Catholic Institute of West Africa (CIWA) Port Harcourt and Rev. Fr. Felix Akinyode, Cathedral Administrator, St. Mary Catholic Cathedral, Ibadan.

In his homily, Fr. Felix Akinyode congratulated and thanked the family of Babalola for allowing and supporting Sr. Elizabeth to embrace religious life despite the fact that they are not Catholic family.

Fr. Akinyode observed that, the day was worth celebrating because 25 years of religious profession is not a joke in this present world that is full of atrocities of every kind and a lot of beautiful and ugly experiences. He eulogized Sr. Babalola for embracing religious life despite not being born into Catholic family and for standing firm as a religious in the last 25 years despite the challenges that come with it in the world of today.

He said though Sr. Babalola as a religious does not have her own biological children but she has touched and impacted lives of many children positively and has drawn many people to God in all the places she has worked both within and outside Nigeria as she is currently working in France.

Speaking further, Fr. Akinyode said that, Sr. Babalola and all religious as well as priests are in the position of negotiating and conversing with God on behalf of people of God through their prayers and sacrifices as Abraham negotiated with God on behalf of Sodom and Gomorrah in the first reading of the day (Genesis 18:20-32).

Fr. Akinyode added that he has known Sr. Babalola to be a simple, humble and dedicated person for 20 years when he was posted to St. Anthony Iwo three weeks after his priestly ordination. He also revealed that Sr. Babalola is the first religious from Iwo parish and he called on the youth of St. Anthony Iwo to embrace call to priesthood and religious life.

While giving his remarks during the Mass, Bishop Oyejola described Sr. Babalola as a very courageous and committed person who is very pastoral like other sisters of Daughter of Holy Spirit (DHS) congregation. Recalling the period when they were together in Ogbomoso, Bishop Oyejola said there were set of young girls who were already going to other Churches then, he said Sr. Babalola in her usual style went to those Churches and picked them all one by one back to Catholic Church.

  While responding, Sr. Babalola who keeps smiling and radiating joy was grateful to God for the journey so far as a religious and thanked everyone who helped her in one way or the other.

She said it all started in 1984 at St. Mary Grammar school, Iwo when she entered JSS 1 and she met Rev. Sister Maria Bernadette who showed her what it meant to be a Catholic and got her converted. She said she would never forget that woman in her life.

She thanked Bishop Oyejola whom she described as her mentor for his presence at the Mass despite his schedule. She said Bishop Oyejola was the first priest she worked with after becoming a religious in year 2000 and he has been guiding her since then. She equally thanked Fr. Jude Asanbe, her university lecturer and Fr Felix Akinyode for attending the thanksgiving Mass. She gave special thanks to the parish priest and parishioners of St Anthony Iwo for the warm reception given to her. She said she had no other place to celebrate the anniversary than Iwo where she started the journey from.

“And my family for putting all these together for me, you really surprised me. I came from an Anglican family, when I started they did not even understand what I was doing but gradually they supported me. They said if that’s what you want to do we are going to see what will happen and here we are today 25 years. Thanks so much”. She said.

Sr Babalola also expressed her gratitude to the Congregation of Daughter of Holy Spirit (DHS) family for giving her the opportunity. She thanked her class mates Sr. Lucy and Sr. Esther, all Reverend Sisters and everyone present at the thanksgiving Mass.

The thanksgiving Mass was attended by the parents of Sr. Babalola and members of her family as well as people who came from Ogbomoso, Ilora, Oyo, Ibadan, Ilesa, Lagos and other places she had worked. The celebration also featured presentation of gifts to Sr. Elizabeth Babalola by St. Anthony Catholic Church, Iwo.

Sr Elizabeth Babalola (DHS) 2nd left with Bishop John Oyejola of Osogbo Diocese, officiating priests and her classmates during thanksgiving Mass of her silver jubilee at St Anthony Iwo, Osun state on Sunday 27th July, 2025.  

……….Tunde Bankole