Jude
Abanseka
The atmosphere in Bamenda in general and that of
Bambui was tensed the first week of August. The Cameroon military had executed
an entire family in the mile 6, Nkwen neighbourhood for allegedly selling food
to armed separatist fighters. Movements across that neighbourhood was thus very
timid that week for fear of stumbling into a fire exchange between the military
and the separatist fighters who might have wanted to avenge the death of the
exterminated family. The twin celebration; feast of St. Dominic and 20th
anniversary of the St. Catherine of Siena’s Lay Dominican Fraternity fell in
that tensed week. With faith and courage, some Lay Dominicans braved the odds
and travelled to and fro the troubled zone for the spiritual nourishment and
celebration.
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| Some Lay Dominicans who braved the odds |
Founded in 1999, the St. Catherine of Siena’s Lay Dominican Fraternity, Nkwen, Bamenda has commemorated its 20th anniversary of its
foundation. Commemorative activities took place in the Dominican Monastery in
Bambui August 8, 2019 and began with Holy Mass.
The main celebrant Rev. Friar Felice among several
things in his homily encouraged all present to read books about the life of St.
Dominic because it is good to know about this great saint of the church. Fr.
Felice said like St. Dominic people need nowadays to have a point of reference that
cannot be changed, because the world is now full of problems and difficulties. He
narrated a little story about the life of St. Dominic and urged the
congregation to emulate his example so that on the last day Christ will take
them into his kingdom. He added that in order to do this successfully,
Christians should start living and acting today as though they were already in
the kingdom of God.
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| Celebrants of the anniversary Mass |
After the concluding prayer, the Lay Dominicans led a
deliverance prayer in a very solemn manner. The prayers were meant to ask God
to deliver Cameroon from the ongoing armed conflict. The intentions included
prayers for the leaders of the country and the activists; the military and the
armed separatists; the refugees and the IDPs especially those in bushes; the
hungry and those innocently accused and imprisoned.
Part two of the celebration took place in the hall of
the monastery. Given the tensed atmosphere under which the feast was organised,
there were just two key speeches, so as to allow participants from out of
Bambui to return home early. The first was that of the Prioress of the
Dominican Monastery, Sr. Mary Dominica who noted that what started like a
dream, when a handful of people came to the monastery and said they wanted to be
part of the monastery came true in 1999. It has become something very big
within a short time, she added and although it was already 20 years old it
still felt like yesterday. She thus congratulated the Lay Dominicans who to her
have borne many fruits and have been of so much encouragement to the nuns. She
seized the occasion to introduce the St. Augustine’s male choir that
beautifully led the liturgy that day. The choir was formed in 2018 and is the
second Dominican Choir after St. Dominic’s choir that was formed almost four
years ago.
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| Cutting of the anniversary cake |
On his part, the Moderator of St. Catherine of Siena’s
Lay Dominican Fraternity, Joyful Fred Nsah, noted that at 20, one is expected
to be responsible already. So he thanked the nuns who gave birth to the
Fraternity in Bamenda, as a consequence he added, the Lay Dominicans in
Cameroon as a whole is the seed from the Bambui monastery. This is because After
the Fraternity in Bamenda was founded, the Master of the Order instructed it to
extend the spirituality out of Bamenda. As a result, the Sainte Marie Madeleine
Fraternity was founded in Yaoundé and Saint Thomas d’Aquin Fraternity was
founded in Douala. A fourth fraternity of Lay Dominicans is already being
founded in Bafia. The moderator thus encouraged people who felt called to join
the fraternity to do so. In conclusion he urged all present to always make time
to pray especially given the turbulent times in the region.
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| Dominican Nuns, Aspirants and some Lay Dominicans |
Talking to the Prioress of the Dominican Monastery, she
said that the presence of the Lay Dominicans in the Archdiocese of Bamenda was
very important to the Nuns in Bambui. Sr. Mary Dominica noted that the Lay
Dominicans in the past twenty years have always been very enthusiastic in
preaching the Word of God where they find themselves, be it in schools, at work
places and in homes. Recalling that she was a young nun when the fraternity of
the Lay Dominicans in Bamenda archdiocese was started, she said she had never
seen a decline in their enthusiasm in preaching the Word of God. Her message to
the Lay Dominicans on that day of their anniversary therefore was that they
should courageously continue in that same zealous way preaching the Word of God
to everyone they come across.
Biography
The then Archbishop of Bamenda, His Grace Paul
Verdzekov of blessed memory canonically erected the St. Catherine of Siena’s
Lay Dominican Fraternity, Nkwen, Bamenda on September 7, 2001. It is confirmed
in a letter he wrote to the then Provincial Vicar of Equatorial Africa, Fr. François-Dominique
CHARLES o.p. The sixteen first engaged members in this new Fraternity were: Gregory
ASHI, Augustine MAKWANG, Celestine NKEFON, Felix FOKO, Hilda YENSI, Imelda
WIRSA, Agnes PASIMA NDANGO, Cassian CHIN, Clementine YOPA, Frederick NSAH, Julius
DZEKEWONG, Mary Assumpta SUILY, Margaret NDZELEN, Marcus KEJUNGKI, Prudencia
NDINSA, and Winifred MULUH. A few of these pioneer members dropped without
making final profession. However, many more have joined the fraternity and from
the initial sixteen, the fraternity now boasts of more than thirty members.
The Lay Dominicans struggle to live the Four Pillars
of the Dominican Spirituality of Prayer, Study, Apostolate and Community Life.
The St. Catherine of Siena’s Lay Dominican
Fraternity, Nkwen, Bamenda is the headquarters of Lay Dominican Fraternities in
Equatorial Africa.
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