For St. Thomas the Apostle young parishioner, faith and music go together
For St. Thomas the Apostle Roman Catholic Church of Bloomfield parishioner, Chideha Osondu, both her faith and love of music are very closely related.
“It is really important to have God in your life, because without Him things can really go awry. And He is the reason I have been successful in music,” the 12-year-old Osondu said.
Successful indeed. Osondu, who is a Sacred Heart Church (also in Bloomfield) CCD student, plays both the flute and baritone saxophone. Her talent has taken her to the grand stages of Newark Symphony Hall, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, and the Vienna Altenburg Abbey in Altenburg, Austria.
Osondu won the prestigious Flute Society of Greater Philadelphia competition when she played the second movement of Philip Georg Telemann’s “Sonata in G Major” and Philippe Gaubert’s “Madrigal.” Her performances of “Allegretto” by Benjamin Godard and the “Idylle” by Benjamin Godard garnered her a New Jersey Flute Society competition victory.
“Winning both of those contests was a clear sign of God’s grace and love for me,” Osondu said, and that grace includes being a member of a loving, wonderful, religious family, in addition to God placing some accomplished teachers in her path. More on that in a moment.
Osondu first saw a flute at her cousin’s house in 2018 when she was 8 years old. Out of curiosity, she attempted to play it, but the instrument remained silent. However, seeing it as a challenge, she chose to learn it. Her parents bought her the instrument and, flute now in hand, Osondu – who also is a member of the St. Thomas the Apostle Roman Catholic Church Junior Youth Group and is an altar server – in 2020 met Dr. Patrico Molina, who is the Music Director of the parish.
Molina recalled that first meeting. “I first encountered the remarkable talent of flutist Chideha Osondu after Mass. Her family sought advice on flute lessons, and after hearing her play, I recognized her exceptional potential. I invited her on scholarship to the Newark School of the Arts, and she quickly learned and mastered classical masterpieces in just months of taking lessons.”
Osondu, who now regularly plays communion meditations and preludes at the 8 a.m. Sunday Mass, stated that when she has God in her music, it makes it much more meaningful. “There is a saying that says, ‘Singing is like praying three times,’ so I think that playing an instrument for the church is the same as singing praises in the church,” she said.
Father Larry Fama, pastor of St. Thomas the Apostle Roman Catholic Church, said, “Chideha has been blessed with many wonderful gifts and talents. We at St. Thomas are blessed that she shares them with our parish family.”
In addition to Molina, with whom she studies for an hour on Saturdays at the Newark School of Arts (where the former also serves as Conservatory Director), Osondu also credits her other teachers. Bloomfield Middle School band teacher, Daniel Burbank, introduced her to the baritone saxophone and offered her lessons. At the Newark School of the Arts, she also takes flute lessons with Vic Ortiz, and is under private tutelage with professional flutist and instructor, Carla Auld.
Osondu, who admires the talent of 17-year-old Violinist Chloe Chua from Singapore, also says that her family – her dad and mom, Ejike and Chinwe, and her two brothers, Peter and Francis (who play piano and viola, respectively) – are mentors and wholeheartedly support for her.
It is all buttressed by faith and love.
Osondu said, “Faith plays a major role in my family life and my music. At home, there has not been a day that we have skipped prayer, and I really think it is the reason that our family has been so successful and blessed.”
Her parents added, “Chideha’s music journey can be compared to our faith: the more we practice, the greater the commitment, and the more our faith grows and blossoms. Sometimes there are challenges and hurdles [competitions and tests] to overcome. When you do overcome them, you become stronger and better prepared for more challenges. You also need a community, a support system, and a village to keep you on track and help you navigate the journey because, without them, our faith would be stagnant. Above all is trusting and surrendering that God is in control.”
Osondu, who chose St. Cecilia as her saint for confirmation because she is not only the patron saint of music but was also the patron saint of her grandmother, echoes her parents’ feelings about faith and trust, and about God doing the steering.
“God loves, cares for, and lives within his children, and that is something I can fall back on. If I am worried about anything, or maybe do not feel connected to the people around me, I know that I do not need to worry about the world, because God is more than enough,” she said.
Osondu has her eye on one specific goal, and that is to perform at a historic location where both Molina and Auld already have.
“I hope to be able to reach Carnegie Hall,” Osondu said, “By God’s grace, if it is his plan for me to reach that goal, and I stay close to Him, I think I can get there.”
