Interviewed by Emmanuel F. Sanosi
Reverend Father Sylvester N. Nfah is a priest of Mamfe Diocese and the founder and the Cameroon Association of the Little Ones of Jesus legal representative. In a discussion with L'Effort camerounais he talks about his school days, peak moments in Rome and the Cameroon Association of the Little Ones of Jesus apostolate among other things. Excerpts:
Father, could you present yourself in greater detail?
My name is Sylvester N. Nfah. I am the sixth son and the eighth child in our family. I was born on November 19, 1971 to the family of Pa Nfah John, who is still alive and Mami Patricia Ngonda, both from the Beba tribe. When my mother died in 1984, my father married another wife, Mami Theresa Lum, from Bafut, some years later. So, I grew up under their care speaking Beba, Bafut, and Pidgin English.
Which schools have you attended so far?
In spite of the remote and hilly nature of the huge Beba tribe commonly known among the Grass Field people as Biba-Befang, Baazi or Mbebaji, my parents being devoted Catholics and my dad a headteacher, made sure that I had a good elementary education in St Michael's School Mbekunyam, which I attended from1977-1984. From there I proceeded to Bishop Rogan Minor Seminary Buea for secondary and high school studies from 1985-1992.
From September 1992 to September 1993, I spent a year under the guidance of late Fr. Peter Nzenkeng of Buea Town Parish and Sr. Declan an Irish Missionary teaching English, Latin and Moral Instruction in Baptist High School Buea, Lycee Molyko, G.B.S.S Muea and G.B.S.S Molyko-Buea and doing pastoral work in the Molyko outstations, that is Molyko, Muea, Bolifamba, Bomaka and Bova.
In September 1993, Bishop Pius Suh Awa accepted I should begin my Major Seminary formation at the then John Mary Vianney Spiritual Formation Centre Njinikom as a candidate of Buea Diocese. The following year, I proceeded to St Thomas Aquinas' Major Seminary Bambui for studies in Philosophy from1994-1997. From September 1997 to September 1998, I was sent on Pastoral Year to the Diocesan Youth Centre Kumba as co-youth animator and to do some pastoral work in Kumba Town Parish and Kumba Mbeng Parish. In September 1998, I went back to Bambui and continued my studies in Theology.
You say you were trained by Bishop Pius Awa, now retired Bishop of Buea Diocese. Why were you not ordained priest at the Buea Small Soppo Cathedral in?
Until January 1999, the ecclesiastical territory of Buea Diocese covered the whole South West Region of Cameroon. With the creation of Mamfe Diocese on February 9, 1999 by His Holiness Pope John Paul II and with the appointment of the Right Reverend Francis Teke Lysinge as the pioneer bishop, Bishop Awa gave major seminarians at the time the choice of either remaining in Buea Diocese or going over to Mamfe Diocese. After deep prayer and secret ballot, God asked me to be one of the first eleven seminarians of Mamfe Diocese.
And so my new Bishop, Mgr. Francis Teke Lysinge continued my major seminary formation and ordained me Deacon on June 29, 2001 and priest on April 3, 2002. My first appointment as Parochial Vicar was to Fontem Parish and Inter-parochial School Manager for Fontem/Fonjumetaw Parishes of Lebialem Division from 2002-2003. In November 2003, my Bishop asked me to leave Fontem Parish for Fotabong quasi parish from November 2003 to June 2004 and begin its preparation for eventual erection to a full parish. It was from Fotabong that I was sent for further studies in Canon Law at the Pontificia Universita' Urbaniana, Rome, Italy from 2004 to 2007 and Praexis Administrativa Canonica in the Congregation for the Clergy from 2004 to 2006.
You were certainly fortunate to witness the reign of two Popes. Could you kindly share that experience with us?
My stay in Rome was a time of grace. I did not dream or fight to be sent for further studies. I did not believe my Bishop's words until our plane took off from Douala and landed in Rome Fiumicino Airport. Alighting from the plane with Fr. Robert Ntungwe, I greeted some passers-by "Good morning" and one woman turned round and told me in Italian, 'here we say "buon giorno"'. I did not understand her until after the two months' language course at Terni organized by Propaganda Fide. Then the chance came for us to attend the Holy Father's Wednesday Audience. The sensation in me, like in many other student priests and visitors who entered St Peter's Square for the first time, was enormous seeing the works of human hands like structures and Michaelangelo's fine art paintings, together with the towering pillar from North Africa. The peak of this grace moment came with the illness and eventual passing away of Pope John Paul II and the quick reunion of Cardinals from all corners of the world including His Eminence Christian Cardinal Tumi, Archbishop of Douala, the thrilling funeral ceremonies, the election of Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger and his presentation to the world as Pope Benedict XVI.
Did these events have any impact in your life?
Of course yes. But there were other peak moments. The first impact in my life was the death of Fr. John Kolkman a Mill Hill missionary from Holland on pastoral trek to Mbekunyam in 1985. He had barely arranged my interview and my going to the Minor Seminary in Soppo-Buea the previous year. The second was late Fr. Germain of Mbengwi Cistercian Monastery who was my spiritual director at a distance throughout my major seminary days until death. The third was the role of my two bishops. The exemplary lives of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Charles de Foucault and Pope John Paul II together with the formation given me in Pontificio Collegio San Pietro Apostolo, Pontificia Universita' Urbaniana, Cogregatio Pro Clericis, Marriage Tribunal of Rome Diocese, and a wide range of pastoral experiences in Italy, Germany, Great Britain, and the U.S.A. These experiences gave me the spiritual, moral, and pastoral push to create the Camerron Association of the Little Ones of Jesus.
Our last edition carried your article on this young Association. Where is its National Head Office located and how many members does the Association have?
The temporary site of the National Head Office is found in Bamenda opposite Brigarde Terre at Ntarikon. The parent branch of this association has at least twenty-four (24) registered members known to the His Royal Majesty, Henry Fondeh Angobe II, Fon of Beba, the Benakuma Parish Priest and to the Divisional Officer for Menchum Valley Subdivision. There are also members, friends, and benefactors in other parishes of the North West, South West, Centre and Littoral Regions of Cameroon and abroad in countries like Italy, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland and the United States of America.
What do existing members and branches enjoy in Cameroon?
As a registered Religious Association recognized by the government of the Republic of Cameroon, members are entitled both to the rights and duties of Christ's lay Faithful and to the rights and duties of religious associations in Cameroon. It also serves as a bridge between rural and underprivileged populations and government and non-governmental bodies concerned with poverty alleviation and the improvement of livelihoods especially in grass root communities through several schemes besides charitable outreach programmes to orphans, children from very poor homes and to widows and widowers without children in their old age.
What can you say about the Archbishop's Education Fund (ABEF)?
It is a fund put in place by the Archbishop of Bamenda meant to sponsor needy and less privileged children in Catholic schools of Bamenda Archdiocese. Ninety (90) percent of the ideas behind this Fund all came from the background information of our association which the Archbishop has been having since 2006 until now. We are happy that Bamenda Archdiocese, which alone has benefited seventy-five (75) annual scholarships from our association, now institutes a special fund for this purpose. The difference between the sacred apostolate of our association and this fund is that we reach out to orphans, widows, and widowers irrespective of their origin, language, colour and religion anywhere in Cameroon following our internal rules and regulations and in accordance with our motto - Caritas Christi urget nos, meaning, The love of Christ urges us - 2Cor. 5:14.
What plans does the Association of the Little Ones of Jesus (ALJ) have for the future?
Most of the groups within our local church were founded by missionaries in Europe, America and other neighbouring dioceses in Africa before being borrowed and brought to Cameroon. Some were started by missionary bishops and religious in this country. Our association is looking forward to growing in the same way as they did and to be of more service to the Church and to the citizens of Cameroon and beyond. We continuously thank God for this young and reliable religious association in our country and pray God to bless it. We also thank people of goodwill, institutions, friends, and benefactors at home and abroad, who have supported our efforts so far.
Do these plans fall in line with the demands of Deus Caritas Est?
To a greater extend yes. The Holy Father, who will be visiting Cameroon from the 17-20 March this year, wants renewed energy and commitment in the human response to God's love (cf. n.1). Two key words stand out in this quotation: "renewed commitment" by members of older existing structures of charitable service within the Church and "commitment" by members of newer and younger structures of charitable service (cf. nn. 20, 22-24, 27, 29-30) such as the Society of St Vincent de Paul (France) and the Cameroon Association of the Little Ones of Jesus.
please i will like to thank you for the efforts you the holy people are doing to improve on our daily christian lifes. please can this article be email to me. thanks
Posted by: emmanuel suh | April 02, 2009 at 03:35 AM