L'Effort Camerounais (English Version)

Editorial: Yes, Mourners Contemplated That Great Priest!

By Ireneaus Chongwain Chia

Time conquers everything and everything changes except change itself. People are born, they grow old and they die. Fr. Paul Verdzekov was born, he grew, left his footprints on the sands of the Church he served and has passed on. If a man is great from the outpouring of grief and emotions when he passes on, then Archbishop Paul Verdzekov was great. Strange to be talking about him in the past already!

The Church In Cameroon Gives Fr. Paul Verdzekov: A Befitting Burial

Almost all roads in Cameroon led to Kumbo and Bamenda on February 12 and 13 as mourners from different parts of Cameroon, Africa and the world converged on Kumbo and Bamenda for the corpse removal and burial of Fr. Paul Verdzekov who died on January 26, 2010, in Bamenda. Testimonies from the local and Universal Church and from civil and political authorities were all agreed Fr. Paul was not only a devoted Priest, but also was a scholar who had contributed significantly to advance humanity’s course. He is gone but mourners were undivided his legacies are worth perpetuating. L’Effort Camerounais takes a retrospective but deeper view of the funeral of a priest who helped in the shaping of the Universal Church and the moulding of his nation.

Fr. Paul Verdzekov's Requiem in Pictures

Kumbo Council band escorts mortal remains of Fr. Paul Verdzekov

St. Theresa Cathedral was full to capacity during the Funeral Mass in Kumbo

Viewing of mortal remains at St. Joseph Cathedral Mankon, Bamenda

Seminarians of St. Thomas Aquinas Bambui remembered Fr. Paul in prayer

Students too turned out in their numbers to bid Fr. Paul farewell

Some civil and administrative official present at the funeral

The Prime minister, Philemon Yang, represented the Head of State

The Religious made their presence felt

Priests inside the Cathedral during burial

As usual affective Episcopal collegiality was seen

Attendance was massive

Mgr. Esua blesses Fr. Paul Verdzekov's final resting place inside the Mankon Cathedral

Kumbo pays last respect to Archbishop Emeritus of Bamenda

By Emmanuel Wirndzerem Verdzeka in Kumbo

A crowd of mourners converged on St. Theresa Cathedral, Kumbo on February 12 to bid farewell to the late Archbishop Emeritus of Bamenda, Fr. Paul Mbiybe Verdzekov, who died on January 26 in Ntasen, Bamenda.

Fr. Paul Verdzekov: the silent listener, the walking museum, laid to rest

By Emmanuel F. Sanosi

Way back in the late 1970s, the fascination of soon meeting a bishop in person enthralled me as my school, STS Kumbo, and the Nso Christian community prepared for Bishop Paul Verdzekov’s pending visit.

Christian Cardinal Tumi’s Tribute on the occasion of the burial of Father Paul Verdzekov

Rev. Father Paul Verdzekov is truly dead! He has ceased to live as a human person. But our faith tells us that part of him is alive, that part of him is his soul. Man’s soul does not die. It lives forever; we believe that the soul of Paul is now with God. For a Christian, to die is to be born in heaven. For one who is baptised, his death is the completion of his Easter celebration. The funeral celebration of Paul, like that of any Christian, is in fact, the Pascal mystery of Christ. All Christians who have died have become members of the dead and risen Lord, Jesus Christ. That is what is good about death: it unites the Christian with Christ.

A word from His Grace Samuel Kléda, Archbishop of Douala, on February 13, 2010, during the funeral service of Father Paul Verdzekov, Emeritus Archbishop of Bamenda

Your Eminence Christian Cardinal Tumi,
Your Excellency Monsignor Cornelius Fontem Esua, Archbishop of Bamenda,
Your Excellencies Archbishops and Bishops of Cameroon,
Your Excellency, the Governor of the Northwest Region.
Your Excellency, the Governor of the Littoral Region,
Legislative, Administrative, Religious and Traditional Authorities,
Dear brothers in the priesthood,
Dear people of God, who are in Bamenda.

Mgr. Cornelius Esua’s address on the occasion of the Funeral of Fr. Paul

Your Excellency the Prime Minister of Cameroon,
Your Eminence Christian Cardinal Tumi, Your Excellencies,

the Archbishops and Bishops of Cameroon, Gabon and Congo. Mgr. Luiso Roberto Cona Chargé d’Affaires at interim at the Apostolic Nunciature,

Leaders of other ecclesial communities and religions,

Your Excellencies the Governors of the Northwest and the Littoral Regions,
The Procurator of the Northwest Region,
Your Excellencies the Ministers and leaders of political parties,
Honorable Members of Parliament,

Members of the civil administration and of the forces of Law and Order,
Traditional rulers,

Reverend fathers, brothers and sisters, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ.

Mourners assess Fr. Paul Verdzekov’s Priestly Ministry and earthly life

His Grace, Antoine Ntalou, Archbishop of Garoua

We have lost a father, a friend and a brother, who had done a lot for us and the Church in Cameroon. We loved him but the Lord loved him better and that is why He called him. We learnt a lot from him and I hope these things will help us to strengthen our faith, hope and charity until we reach our heavenly home.

In Memoriam - Archbishop Emeritus Paul Verdzekov

By Fr. William Neba

Catholic University of America

 The echo of that fateful day, Tuesday, 26th January 2010 still resounds

The time was 1.12 p.m. in the still winter afternoon at Washington, D.C.
My childhood-friend and colleague, Patrick Lafon, the news to me he broke
Indeed, Taah was no more, our beloved Father had been called home.