Monday, June 9, 2014

Centenary Celebration and Priestly Ordinations



It’s been quite a week for us!  The kids finished school, each one performing wonderfully during the end-of-the-year performance and graduation.  They all did very well in school.  The delegate for education in the Northwest region commented on how “completely integrated” our children are.  Josh was featured prominently in his role as school prefect and the #1 student in the school.  We are all looking forward to our summer!

I’ve been busily grading papers and final exams this week in order to submit the grades to the seminary.  In addition to teaching two classes on the Church Fathers, Joy and I together taught a Pastoral Counseling course to the final year seminarians.  It went very well, although we wish we had more time to prepare them (if anyone in this country is going to seek counseling, most likely they will go to the priest).

The big event was the centenary celebration, the crowning event after two years of preparation.  There were two cardinals, over 25 bishops, and about 200 priests.  I was privileged to offer “color commentary” during the Mass for the live broadcast on the Catholic radio station.  In addition to marking 100 years since the first missionaries came to Cameroon, it was also the ordination ceremony for nine priests and seven deacons for the Archdiocese of Bamenda.  I was quite moved to see the culmination of a long journey for these men, knowing that I had a part in their formation.
In his homily, the Cardinal Prefect for Evangelization (from Rome), whom I would say is in the top three in terms of the most important positions in the Church, asked us to renew our commitment to be “fellow workers with God” (the theme verse for the centenary and also for Lay Mission Helpers).  It is an honor and privilege for us to be here in the transition into the next 100 years of the faith here in Cameroon.  May each one of us renew our commitment to live and proclaim the Good News!

-Pete

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