The Prince
attracted the attention of the thousands who braved the “kontri Sunday” stress
to storm the cathedral during the presentation of candidates by their Rectors as
he was accompanied by his father the Fon of the traditionally well-known and
celebrated Oku to the alter where he was officially handed to the church. Many Oku sons and daughters amongst them a
traditional notables, elites and villages watched with admirable while others
with disbelieve.
“This is very strange. It is to me a miracle
to see the Fon of Oku going to hand his possible successor to the Church to
serve as a Deacon. God is still at work and he is doing marvelous things. This
is one of them.” A Christian observed
In reaction the recently coroneted Fai
Nkem-shi-mbie a traditional authority of Oku who doubles as General Manager of
Bamenda Police Cooperative Credit Union BapCCUL stated “he is a prince from the
present Fon and you saw the Fon went up to the altar and handed him to God. I think
that is the practical action; I think that one speaks in such a way that anyone
who can see will see clearly. So I don’t know how we can associate Oku or the
Fondom to anything contrary to the calling of God.”
Ngum Richard Nfie-chileh another son of Oku
added “today is a great day. I am extremely happy to see that the future Fon
decides to take an important decision and he is supported by the entire village
to become a future Father and today he is a deacon. We are very very happy.”
Like Oku sons and daughters who now argue
that their community is not all about traditions or even witchcraft, Rev Fr
Paulson Pasala an Indian Priest who has been serving in Elak Oku Parish for
over a year and travelled to Bamenda for the deaconate ordination noted “being
there is a good experience. They are people who have high respect for the
Church and are deeply involved in the faith. Today has been a great and it is a
witness of how people express their faith in God in a celebration of Life. We
are working in a highly respected cultural setting of the palace of Oku but
people have a high respect for religion. Even palace people have very high
respect for Religion especially Catholic Church and most of them who are in the
Palace are Catholics and the faith also is rich. Sometimes the Church and the
traditions of Oku go hand in hand. This is not contradiction but it is always
about walking hand-in-hand.”
While indicating that his father has given
all the support needed for his Vocation, Rev Anslem Yofendeh noted as he shares
with this reporter the initial stage of his decision to pursue the priesthood
vocation “I know when many people hear of Oku, they think of witchcraft,
sorcery, very strong medicine, that is what they have seen; it is true but like
the Bishop said during our ordination Mass, God can call from anywhere and I
thank God for my father for the cooperation; he didn’t deny that I should not
follow my call.” Whether worried about the fact that he could be Fon of Oku,
Rev Anslem laughed and explained that “a priest as such offers sacrifices, and
the Fon also offers sacrifices for a specific territory but the Priest offers
the sacrifices of the Holy Mass anywhere in the world. He is God’s servant and
offers sacrifices to God” adding insinuation that he is still Fon but for all
God’s people in the world.
The Fon of
Oku reacting on the Son’s ordination at the close of a reception at the Nkwen
Fons Palace attended by the Host HRM Azehfor III with words from the Fon of
Mankon observes “I am a Fon and the Fon of Oku for that matter and you want to
understand that the Oku Fondom should be considered as a shrine fortunately I
am quite close to God because I have a Baptist Church in the Palace and the
Catholic Church very close to the Palace and I attend the Catholic church every
Sunday…….After University I was Baptised a Catholic Christian.” Quizzed on his
reaction after the prince told him he wanted to be a priest, the Fon added “It
was not our wish. Out of a sudden said he was going to be a priest and there
was no way we could stop him. I and the mother could not restrain him because
if we did we could have going against God’s will.”
Rev Anslem was part of an Ordinandi made up
of another deacon from Kumba to join two others from Mamfe, one from Buea, two
from Kumbo, one from the Conceptionist and two from the Order of Friary Minor Capuchine
whose superior Rev Fr Feliche sees the call to the order of deacons as a call
to humility particularly in their order as demonstrated by their Founder Saint
Francis of Assisi.
It has been a while a deaconate ordinations
takes place in the Bamenda Cathedral with no candidate from the Bamenda Archdiocese
but nonetheless many from Bamenda and beyond could brave the “Kontri Sunday or
Ghost town” odds to be in the cathedral for the event.
Preach by example, prepare your homily, Focus
your homily on the readings of the particular celebration, prepare spiritually
before administering sacraments and rely on church documents like the Holy
Bible, Catechism of the catholic church
and the magisterium is the message of the His Lordship Micahel M Bibi to the
Deacons.
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