Yaoundé, Cameroon. Amidst joy and thanksgiving, Claretians in Cameroon along with many Priests, Religious and the Lay Faithful converged upon the Immaculate Heart of Mary Theologate in Nkong-Ngoya in Yaounde – Cameroon on the 22nd of February for the opening and blessing of the new theologate building.
On this auspicious day, at 3pm the ceremony of the official opening and blessing of this new Formation Centre began with a Eucharistic celebration, presided-over by His Lordship Bishop Sosthene Leopold Bayemi, Bishop of the Obala Diocese. During the ceremony, the bishop also conferred the ministry of acolyte and lector to some of the Claretian students.
The General Government was represented with the presence of Fr. Mathew Vattamattam, CMF, General Prefect of Formation. The presence of Fr. Joseph Mbungu, CMF, Major Superior of Congo, and formators from Equatorial Guinea, Ivory Coast, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon and Cameroon who were present for the regional encounter of formators also graced the occasion.
In his vote of thanks, Fr. Michel Archange Tigui, the Major Superior of Cameroon, explained the world mission of the Claretians and thanked the General Government for the gift of this Intercultural Formation Centre. He also thanked the Bishop for his presence and encouragement.
Fr. Vattamattam, for his part, encouraged all to make maximum use of this seminary for the holistic formation of future missionaries for the Church of Africa and universal mission of the congregation.
