2017 Sixty Angels Memorial Procession

Every 10th of December, Loyola Jesuit College students gather to celebrate the 60 students who died in the Sosoliso plane crash in Port-Harcourt, 2005. We call these students our “60 angels”. The memorial service provides us the opportunity to remember, to mourn, not only these souls but all those who have lost their lives due to their country’s ignorance for the welfare of their citizens.

Every year, through students’ presentations during the memorial service we are shown “history”. These events highlight how thousands and millions of people have lost their lives due to the wars or conflicts. We mourn these people because their lives were lost not by accident but by the failure of the government to have foresight of the effects these events or ignorance on the side of the government will have on the well-being of their citizens; the Rwandan genocide, the Apartheid in South Africa and all other wars or situations which have led to the death of people in the respective countries.

All these things are related to the memorial service of our 60 angels because it draws our attention to the happenings around us; the wars and conflicts and how we can prevent all these things from happening. It also draws our attention to the causes of the “Sosoliso plane crash”.

But this year, the presentation offered by some certain students; Tritinma and her team members helped to remind us that we do not gather to mourn but to celebrate the lives of angels. The times they laughed, smiled, were angry or cried. Also to appreciate all the efforts they contributed to the glory of the college; the races they won, the academic distinctions they were honoured with and the good character they displayed for other students to emulate.

The songs that we sung, the candles that we lit as we processed to the dining hall on 10th December 2017 was not to mourn but to glorify God for our lives and the lives we lost through the death of our 60 angels as they watch over us and guide our every path.

Dieu vous bénisse nos 60 anges,

Onodingene Afoma.