Encomiums As St Anne’s School Holds Memorial Mass For Late Headmistress,Sr Flynn OLA

NEWSDAILYNIGERIA -The St Annie’s Nursery and Primary school kakuri,Kaduna has organized a Memorial Thanksgiving Mass to celebrate the life and times of the erstwhile Headmistress of the School Late Rev Sr Bernadette Flynn,who slept in the Lord in January,this year

The Mass which held on Wednesday at the School premises had pupils and staffers of the School pouring encomiums on the late missionary Sister for her invaluable contributions to the school and humanity and how those laudable legacies should be emulated

Speaking the celebrant of the mass, Chaplain of the School, Rev Fr.Kenneth Kaboshio,harped on the need to continue to believe ,trust and dwell with God and remaining with God adding that”remaining with Him would mean setting us free from sin and all things associated with sin

He further said “we are reminded all about Rev Sr Flyn who was here as headmistress of the school at one point in time and luckily, we still have some staff that worked with her” noting that,she died some times this year and has since being buried in lreland being an Irish missionary sister

According to him, people like Sr Bernadette Flyn OLA were able to survive our harsh terrain” and did the work they did,that is why through their work we have indigenous people who are now religious doing the work and people like us also enjoyed the fruit of their work “

He further said, “she must have done what she was asked to do or what she was expected to do,that’s why the school is still there, if she had not. done what she was supposed to do am not sure the school will be where it is today” He noted that the school which recently, celebrated its Diamond jubilee had a sustainable academic culture of training young minds  into attaining Moral and academic heights and thanks to sister’s contributions.

Similarly, the incumbent headmistress of the School, Rev Sr.Monica Onwunali,OLA,said what informed the celebration is” to give honour to whom honour is due,she was one of our amiable and loving headmistress and she worked very hard not just in Kaduna but in Nigeria as a whole, training the young ones,both in formation and in Schools

“So today, we are using this mass to pray for the happy repose of Sr Bernadette and also using this mass to say thank you to her for all the good works she did in Nigeria

According to her,to key into her legacy is to follow her footsteps “many of our Nigerian sisters see Sr. Bernadette as a mentor,one we want to follow, one we know, did well,she was loving, caring,very hardworking and passionate woman who had love for every one.

” She does not discriminate, all she knows is to do the will of God and to help humanity, so we are really proud to be OLA,proud to have somebody like Sister Bernadette, who is in heaven praying for all of us”she maintained

While speaking to some staff employed by the deceased,Mrs Constance Duru,described sister Flyn,saying ” she employed me into this great institution, she’s a quite and soft spoken person, she always put on a smiling face and you’ll be well assured that whatever you want from her you will get with that smiling face

“she welcomes every one and tells you the truth,she finds out faults herself, she assess her teachers by checking the learners’exercise books,she listens to teachers teaching by standing by the side of the window, she enters the class and open the exercise books and be sure of what the teachers are teaching the learners “she stressed

On her part,Mrs Viola Odoh,pointed out that Late Sr Bernadette had a very humble and welcoming spirit,always smiling and cheering, “she was the very person that made me understand that Money is not every thing in this world”noting how she placed her wages based on her qualification adding that her memories still linger in her mind,

In the same vein,Mrs Catherine Otiti while appreciating late Sr Flyn said ” when I was in difficulty, she called me and that led to her offering scholarship to my child in the school,I pray today that God will receive her in His bossom”she added

On his part,Bro Marcellinus Agu said she employed him as a driver in the school in 1998 before her retirement and later demise “she’s a very nice Sister, she’s in short a mother to me,she made me whom I am today, I pray that God will bless her Soul” he said

On her part,Mrs Gloria Emmanuel Stated ” Sister Bernadette was my employer,she’s was a true Reverend Sister by my own standard, she was so lovely and nice,so considerate and academically minded as a matter of fact and she’s a mother and we ask the Almighty to grant her eternal rest”she reiterated

And not left out in the encomium galore,Master Vincent Sunday, a primary 5 pupil, drawing from the testimonies on the life and times of late Sister Bernadette Flyn,Said “we love you sister and we know you loved us the children of this school,we thank God for all the work you did in this school” He then urged all and sundry to emulate her legacies.

Late Reverend Sister Bernadette Flyn,OLA served as headmistress of the school from 1995-1998,when she retired and died in Ireland in January 2021,at the age of 86 years and has since been buried.