Bamenda Archbishop Emeritus Fr. Paul Verdzekov is dead

By Emmanuel F. Sanosi

Christians of Bamenda Archdiocese are in shock after they learnt of the death of Archbishop Emeritus of Bamenda Mgr. Paul Verdzekov on Tuesday, January 26, 2010 at Ntasen, Bamenda. Fr. Paul died  in his study while working at the Catholic Health Centre in Ntasen where he took up residence since he retired in 2005.

Shortly before his retirement, he took seriously ill and later recovered through what many Christians considered a miracle. Since then his health was gradually degrading although he was present in most church events, the last being the opening Mass of the Bishops’ Annual Seminar in Bamenda on January 3, 2010.

Christians of Ntasen say he celebrated morning Mass showing no signs of ill health. The Sisters of St. Francis Health Centre, Ntasen report that Fr. Paul had already packed his bags for a trip the following morning, an indication that he felt quite well.

His body has been taken to the Shisong Catholic Hospital Mortuary, Kumbo, while the funeral programme is being awaited. Prayers for the peaceful repose of his soul are going on in different parishes in Bamenda Archdiocese and beyond.

 Biography

Father Paul, as he loved to be called, was born in Shisong on Tuesday, January 22, 1931 to Pa Paul Bara and Mama Francisca Viyoy both of blessed memory. Fr John Scott, MHM baptised him at Shisong on Sunday January, 25 1931.

 Primary Education

Kindergarten/Infants Class I at Shisong Convent - 1937. Infants Class II at Sacred Heart Boy’s School Shisong - 1938. From 1939 to 44 he went through Standard I-VI at Shisong.

 Probationary School Teacher

From January 1945 to April 1947 he was a probationary teacher in St. Joseph Junior Primary School Djottin, which was then part of Shisong Parish. In May 1947 he was transferred to Sacred Heart Boys School Shisong where he served till December of that year.

 Teacher Training

In January 1948 he was admitted to the Teacher’s Elementary Training Centre, Njinikom and  to a similar training centre in Bambui in March. In December 1950 he completed the three year training course and obtained the Elementary Teacher’s Training Certificate. From there he became teacher in charge of the Catholic Practising School in Bambui. From January 1952 to 54 he attended the Holy Family Minor Seminary, SASSE. From January 1954 to October 1958 he entered the Bigard Memorial Seminary Enugu and continued from there to the Pontifico Collegio Urbano ‘De Propaganda Fide’for his Priestly Formation up to June 1962.

 Priestly Ordination

On December 20, 1961 he was ordained Priest and was admitted to the Faculty of Social Sciences at the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome where he obtained a Licenciate in Social Sciences. He returned to Cameroon in August 1965.

 Appointments

September 1965 – Curate to St. Joseph’s Parish Tiko

March 1966 – Curate Sacred Heart Parish Victoria

August 1966 – Acting Parish Priest Victoria pending return from annual leave of Fr. Piet Jacobs

September 1967 – returns to Rome for a doctoral program at the Gregorian University and returns to Cameroon in May 1969.

August 1969 – Priest in charge of Catholic Information Service, Buea

 Episcopal Ordination

With the erection of the Diocese of Bamenda on August 13, 1970, he was named Bishop of Bamenda Diocese and ordained on Sunday, November 8 that same year as first Bishop of Bamenda.

 October 1971 – Represented Cameroon at the Second Ordinary General Assembly of the Bishops

October 1977 – Represented Cameroon at the Fourth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops

 Archbishop of Bamenda

April 24, 1982 – Appointed Archbishop of Bamenda following the creation of Kumbo with territory detached from the then Diocese of Bamenda. He served as Apostolic Administrator of Kumbo until the Bishop of Kumbo was named.

 February 22, 1983 – Receives the Pallium in St. Joseph’s Metropolitan Cathedral, Mankon

October 1987 – served as Papal Nominee at the Sixth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops

 June 30, 1988 – Attended the Public Consistory in Paul VI Hall at the Vatican, at which His Grace Archbishop Christian Tumi was created a Cardinal.

 1989 – Pope John II appointed him as a member of the Preparatory Committee of the Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops, during which he served as chairman of the sub-committee for Proclamation.

 October 1993 to March 1994 – At the request of the Holy See he served as Apostolic Visitor to the Major Seminaries of Kabwe, Malole, Lodja, Mbuji-Mayi and Tshilomba in the Kananga Ecclesiastical Province in the East and West Kasai Regions, and the Major Seminaries of Kacheber, Zomba and Mangochi in Malawi.

 April to May 1994 – Served as Member of the Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops as chairman of the Commission for the Synodal Assembly’s Final Message (Nuntius)

 Retirement

January 22, 2002 – Applied to the Holy See requesting the appointment of a Co-adjutor Archbishop for Bamenda, cum iure successionis.

January 23, 2006 – Hands over the pastoral governance of Bamenda Archdiocese to Most Reverend Cornelius Fontem Esua and retires to Ntasen as Archbishop Emeritus of Bamenda. He died on Tuesday, January 26, 2010.

 

Comments

[Peter]

Father Paul fought a good fight and rendered all the services entrusted on him by Almighty God effecetively. He was a good shepherd and may his teachings reign forever. And may his soul rest in perfect peace, amen

[Fornyuy]

Father Paul,may the message passed on to mankind by God almighty through your entire life on earth in his service live in us forever.ay the Lord grant you a share in his eternal happiness.Amen.

[Mrs Ngamsha Vicky]

He worked so hard. He is going to have a good rest. We will celebrate his life for ever.

Your Grace, thank you for all the lives you touched in the world. May your soul rest in perfect peace Amen

[Collins Nkwenti]

His sermons pierced the basest souls.He taught us to eschew falsehood and hang on to the truth. His rapt sermons will continue to chime in our hearts.Sail on Father Paul

[fotsing marthe elvige]

Fr paul we loved u but God loves you most.we thank God for the many lives you delivered on earth.may the good lord take you in to his heavenly kingdom.we will live to remember you may you rest in the lord adieu fr paul!

[Nges Raphael]

Fr Paul u epitomises the Catholic church in the Eclesiastical Province of Bamenda.May the seed u sowed in your eclesiastical province continue to grow while u go home to rest with the Lord that u served all your life.BON VOYAGE my Archbishop.

[gaso]

He was a great man of God, He has just been called back after rendering his entire service, his teachings lives on and has be passed on to future generations. May his soul rest in the perfect hands of the lord; Amen

[agendia aloysius]

fr Paul, one of the few genuine intellectuals we still had left in cameroon. rest in peace

[Lawong Gilbert]

In the late 70-ies, I still can remember the respect we offered this great personality in the then Bamenda Diocese, when Bishop Paul Verdzekov visited Tatum. In deed, mine and the lives of many young people have been influenced positively by the good example he lived. Always reflected and good weighted were his words and actions.
Dear Fr. Paul, May the all mighty Father grant you everlasting peace! Amen

[Alfons ter Beke]

You died on the eve of the feast of one of the greatest theologians the Catholic Church ever had, St.Thomas Aquinas!Fr.Paul, you too,were a thinker and a believer.We in the Netherlands thank you for who you were. RIP.

[Tayu]

You lived in accordance with the gospels values which you preached,Now you have gone, rest in peace as you intercede for us left behind.

[NIBA PAUL AZABU]

i was named after him when he came visiting Donga Mantung in 1982 when i was born. i hope to follow his good example and inherit his charisma. RIP my dear father

[A FRIEND]

Le décès du révérendissime Paul Verdzekov nous laisse dans une tristesse inexprimable, quand nous nous souvenons de l’Amour et de l’attention qu’il a su porter aux brebis qui lui furent confiés par le Seigneur. En effet, sa sollicitude pastorale et son engagement pour la propagation de la foi étaient d’une amplitude et d’une vitalité indéfinissables. Père tendre, homme de silence, de discrétion, de méditation et de contemplation, sa quête effrénée pour un face à face solitaire avec Dieu se faisait visible, bien qu’il ne s’en rendait probablement pas compte. Paradigme d’un véritable serviteur de Dieu, à la ressemblance de Saint Paul avec qui il entretenait une homonymie non hasardeuse, le très révérend Paul à travers ses enseignements, a su mener à la joie ceux qui étaient dans la détresse, à la paix ce qui étaient affligés, à l’espoir ceux qui étaient désespérés. Son humilité étaient décelable par son action, sa simplicité par sa parole et l’on n’avait pas besoin de l’écouter pendant des heures pour découvrir en lui une sagesse inénarrable. Sa fascination pour le verbe de Dieu ne saurait trouver description par le seul langage humain. Amis du Christ, Père d’une multitude, le vide qu’il laisse ne sera éventuellement jamais comblé. Mais, nous pourrons certainement nous consoler de son absence, par une mise en pratique de ses nombreux conseils, par lesquels ils insistaient sur la Préexcellence de la charité et la soumission totale et indéfinie à la volonté de Dieu. L’Eglise perd un véritable saint !!!

[Rev. Mgr. Ronal Hishon, Chair Portsmouth Bameda Committee]

It was a shock to learn of the death of Archbishop Paul Verdzekov on 26th January 2010, aged 79.
It was he who with the late Archbishop Derek Worlock, in 1974 first set up the twinning between Bamenda and Portsmouth,
Only a week before he died, during a visit to Bamenda of a delegation of our Diocesan Committee, I visited him at his modest retirement home in Ntasen, on the outskirts of Bamenda town. He had asked to be remembered to all the priests and laypeople of Portsmouth Diocese. When I received his farewell blessing, little did I know that it was a final farewell.
MAY HE REST IN PEACE!

[Roland Mih]

Fr paul lived his life like the only bible some people will ever read.He was a good and great shepherd of his flocks.He has served for long with love and concern for all.I know he is now resting in the bosom of the Lord.

[Thomas Mih]

Fr Paul would stand firm for what he believed was good for the church, no matter the pressure from whatever angle. May our merciful God grant his soul eternal rest and may his soul be counted among those of the saints.

[Alberto]

Having met Fr. Paul was a blessing. Rest in peace. My condolences to every Cameroonian from Granada, Spain.

[Tem DK]

Father, never touch money in his hands for close to ten years.

[Ama]

Rest in Peace Fada

[Simon Asafor]

He confirmed me and lives me with the gifts of the spirit that have never departed. THe Christian world has missed a genuis but never theless, his god works and teachings live on. Farewell, my Lord ArchBishop Emiritus.We live to remember u and will always at all times uphold the moral values u inculcated in us. Adieu. Simon Asafor. South Africa

[Sr Lucille,icm]

Dear Archbishop Emertius Paul,
It was a great shock and surprise to learn about your sudden call to our Father's Eternal Home. I have many fresh memories of knowing you as the Archbishop of my home diocese, one of the latest being my mission sending in my home parish Bambui in the year 2000. The year 2000, my home parish had to celebrate it's 5oth jubilee and it was also the time for my parish to send me as the first missionary " Cameroonian" to the Outer Mongolia. With all your many activities at that moment , you created time to celebrate that great event of the Archdiocese and my home parish in particular. Your words of encouragements live on and in me till this day.
You have worked very hard and God our Father will provide you a place at his right hand. Pray for me. My prayers out here in the Outer Mongolia and the Mongolian people accompany you to your resting place in Heaven. Adieu! Bayarlaa!
Sr. Lucille,icm Outer Mongolia

[Neba Fuh]

Fr Paul
A true man of God,
Shunning the distractions of earthly treasure,
Choosing humility over haughtiness,
Always there for the poor and oppressed,
A hardworking shepherd,
An unrepentant disciplinarian,
An intellectual in priestly robes.

[James Chuyum Kwamong]

Fr. Paul my dearest Archbishop, May your gentle soul rest in peace. So sad recieving the news of your onward journey. Sitting on my little bed here in China I can figure your hands on my head during my confirmation in Christ the King Church Fuli-kom.
The spirit of God that you past out to the youths will remain forever and i pray that the youths of the Bamenda Archdiocese whom u dearly loved should continue to emulate your great wisdom for the diocese to grow from strength to strength.
One request my Archbihshop for Jesus when u meet Him. 'May the Word of God come to our Chinese brothers who long for it so dearly'.
Fr.Paul,Rest in Perfect Peace.
James Chuyum K
China P.R

[Simplicius Ndichia Munchi]

Father Paul, It was a great shock and surprise when I learn about your sudden call to eternity, Fr. when I traveled to Bamenda and came to your house on December 22nd 2009, despite your ill health you could still remember all my names, my fathers names, my mothers, my sister’s (Rev Sr. Lucilla) names our village and all that concerned our family. Especially all that happens during the sendoff of Rev Sr. Lucilla Munchi as the first Missionary “Cameroonian” to the Outer Mongolia. Further you encourage me to remain a good boy and that Heaven is our destiny. In our conversation as a teacher you use the easiest way to explain and furthermore gave me this verse in Bible to read, if I want to know more of Heaven. Romans 8:18 Revelation 21 – 22, Revelation 21 – 22. Little did I know that you were telling me you will go to Heaven. Fr. where ever you are say this prayer for more priest to fill the vacuum you have left behind "Lord Jesus, present in the Most Blessed Sacrament, and living perpetually among us through Your Priests, grant that the words of Your Priests may be only Your words, that their gestures be only Your gestures, and that their lives be a true reflection of Your life." Amen.
Simplicius Ndichia Munchi
Bishop Rogan Minor Seminary Buea
Cameroon

[Sofa Onesimus]

Fr Paul.It was with profound shock receiving the news of your departure.However,I regard it as a victory when i imagine the warm reception the angels will give to a great Lord's servant( Arch Bishop Emeritus.).I remember the soft hands you laid on my fore head during my confirmation in 1988 at Bambui.I really felt the spirit of the lord in me.I plead that you continue to pray for the world you've left behind especially the young seminarians of BIROCOL Buea as you always do and may the lord keep you joyfully active in his presence.
May your soul and all the souls of the faithful departed rest in perfect peace.
AMEN.