It was a beautiful eye to behold as Sacred Heart Private School, Onireke, Ibadan marked the grand finale of its 60th anniversary with rededication to the culture of excellence and long-term ethos of standard formative education.
The anniversary who was held on Friday, was marked with both outdoor activities and special events to appreciate the staff, parents, alumni, and all the key figures who have stood by the school in the last 60 years. The school mapped out an all-year-round activity to mark the 60th anniversary.
The event which began with an inter house sport activity (February 9th, 2023), cultural day (1st June, 2023), was today end with the grand finale.
The 60-year-old school had its alumni present from different parts of the world at the event, who are delighted to see their old and ever faithful teachers still happily doing what they love to do best, which is utmost care and harnessing the best of each child.
The activity for the grand finale started with a thanksgiving mass who was celebrated by Emeritus Archbishop Felix Alaba Adeosin Job at the school premises.
In his homily, Emeritus Archbishop Felix Alaba Adeosin Job charged the school and their guest to alwas be grateful to God for the many things he has done and still doing, urging them not to be like the Pharisees, or hypocrites, those who see all the faults of others but do not see their own.
He emphasized that the Mercy of God is worth really celebrating and it does not really matter the religion.
Speaking with CEOAFRICA, the Archbishop said “I feel happy to be with children, to raise children because they are the treasure of the World.
And so, with Sacred Hearts Private School in particular, Sacred Hearts takes a very Special page. It was a School designed for the working Class and the poor people including those serving, working in the Secretariat in those days when it was started.
We thank God that it has continued to wax stronger and stronger, it is a thing of joy. We are grateful, to the sisters who are running it, the parents who find it convenient and to the pupils, they mean a lot.
My advice for the management, they are Educationists, particularly the sisters and I know they will continue to evolve because education is not static it is dynamic, the method of yesterday as the Yorubas put it proverbially “it is the dog of today that is used to chase the hare or the rabbit of today” so they should adjourn, keep themselves abreast of all the modern ways.
Particularly, today Education is not just ABC, it is also Technology and technology is not only scientific, it is also pragmatic.
In one word, they should train the children to develop the way God has created them”.
Speaking during the thanksgiving mass, the school headmistress, Rev Sister Christiana Oloworuwase, SSMA, described the 60 years as a milestone in the life of an individual, stating that the school came together to show our appreciation to God for the past 60 years of the existence of our school, 60 years of training present and future leaders.
In her welcome address, Oloworuwase noted that the 60th anniversary of SHPS, Onireke is a significant milestone which the school has not merely survived but has thrived, expanded, and evolved into the extraordinary institution.
event serves as an homage to everyone who has played pivotal roles in shaping our school's future through their vision, devotion, and unshakable dedication.
She expressed her sincere gratitude to the proprietor, the metropolitan Archbishop of Ibadan Archdiocese; Most Rev Gabriel ‘Leke Abegunrin for his consistent guidance, and also to Most Rev Felix, Alaba Job; the Emeritus Archbishop of Ibadan for his immense contributions to the development of the school.
She also acknowledged the efforts of the past headmistresses who laid the groundwork for where the school is today; Late Rev. Sr. Hilda Egan; the founder of this citadel of excellence, Mrs. Sholeye, Late Mrs. Elizabeth Ethapemi, Mrs. Kio, Rev. Sr. Maura OLA, Rev. Sr. Justina Obawonyi OLA and all the OLA sisters, Rev Sr. Marcelina Bamisaye SSMA, Rev Sr. Bridget Taiwo, SSMA and my immediate predecessor; Rev Sr. Irene Olasunmbo SSMA.
Christiana also appreciated the parents, both past and present, for their unwavering trust and faith in Sacred Heart, Onireke, thanking for entrusting their precious children in the care of the school.
The headmistress appreciated the efforts of the teachers and alumni for the assistance and contributions over the years.
In an interview with CEOAFRICA, Sis Christiana who revealed that she’s the 20th headmistress since the school was established in 1963, acknowledged the efforts of her my predecessors noting that she met the school in good shape.
On the challenges she has ever faced as the head teacher, Oloworuwase stated that the late coming of parents to pick their children is not encouraging.
In her speech “It has been what the school has been battling with. The former headteacher has been battled with, parents coming to school by 06:30pm, though not all parents.
When you call some of them on phone, they say Sacred hearts is so safe, we are so comfortable that the children are in safe place and we cannot leave them; we have to just look after them. But for us to go home and rest, it is very challenging.
We have called a PTA meeting to address the issue, but they just felt this place is safe. Some are in the market, they say the pupils should not come, cause the market is not safe. So, when they are going home, they will come here to pick them up but it is not easy for us waiting till late hours at the school.
This is just the only challenge every other thing we are coping and we are doing our best, she stated.
Speaking further, the headmistress appealed to the parents to try and be coming to school on time to pick their children on time, so that teachers can go home and prepare for the next day work.
Very Rev. Fr. Felix Ethapeme, who is also an alumnus of the school while speaking with CEOAFRICA expressed his excitement for the height that the school has attained in the past 60th years.
In his words, “I am so elated, so happy for being part of this celebration because by the Grace of God I was in this same school and I finished from this school in 1973.
My mum was headmistress then. After I finished from this school, I went into the minor seminary, got into the minor seminary in 1974, eventually by the Grace of God I was ordained in 1988 as a Priest.
I became the first Priest that this school has produced so I am so happy. Now I am the Cathedral Administrator and this school is directly under me to be taking care of, so I am so happy, I am so elated to be here.
Speaking on how the school was then in his time, he said “they have more pupils now. When I look at these pupils, I say to myself, ‘I was once like them’.
And I thank God too, their results have been very good which shows that their teachers and the people taking care of them are doing a great work.
I want to commend the sisters and the teachers too that are taking care of them, I pray that God will continue to bless them, so there is great improvement.
Ethapeme advised the head teacher, the teachers, students, alumni, both past and present, to keep on the good work by working together, as they always do and by the Grace of God, the school will grow higher than what we are meeting now, stressing that they are celebrating Diamond jubilee now, by the Grace of God they will celebrate centenary (100 years), they will celebrate one hundred and fifty years, the school will continue to grow from strength to strength through Christ our lord.
Also, one of the alumni, Dr. Opeyemi Aderonke Oyekan in an interview with CEOAFRICA, said she graduated from the school in 1988 expressed her joy for the school, stating that she witnessed the fortieth, fiftieth and now she’s witnessing the sixtieth.
She noted that six persons from her family attended the school. She descried the school as family school because that its banded in unity, love and anytime we see ourselves outside, we have this way of identifying Sacred Hearts and immediately you identify, you blend.
It has been a citadel of learning that has not changed its way of bringing people up, in fact even now the pupils are now into phonetics, diphthongs and cultural displays that we did not have then. It is now a Montessori school” she said.
She advised the pupils to be serious about their studies and keep working on it.
The highpoint of the event was celebration of mass of thanksgiving, presentation of awards, dance presentation, others.
Dignitaries that attended the event includes; Emeritus Archbishop Felix Alaba Adeosin Job, Very Rev. Fr. Felix Ethapeme, other Rev. Fathers and Rev. Sisters, past students of the school (alumni), parents and friends of Sacred Hearts Private School.
