By
Jude Abanseka
Msgr. Joseph Ayeah who passed on to glory, Friday August 30, 2019 at St. Mary Soledad’s hospital has finally been laid to his final resting place. His mortal remains were intered at the Mankon Cathedral next to other priests of the diocese who had gone ahead of him Thursday September 19, 2019.
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| Late Mgr. Joseph Ayeah Sam |
The Auxiliary Bishop of Bamenda, His Lordship Mgr. Michael Bibi was main celebrant at the requiem Mass that preceded his interment. other concelebrants included Bishop George Nkuo of Kumbo diocese and about a hundred other priests from all over the Bamenda Ecclesiastical Province.
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| Priests from all over Bamenda Ecclesiastical Province |
Drawing inspiration from the gospel passage selected for the funeral Mass: Luke 12: 35 - 40, Bishop Bibi took time to educate the congregation on the beatitudes. Citing several paragraphs of the Catechism of the Catholic Church: 1501, 1026, 988, 989, 1020, 1683, 1528, 1716 and 1723, Bishop Bibi explained to the congregation what the Catholic Church teaches about death.
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| Bishop Michael Bibi |
The Capella Musica of the Cahedral Parish led the liturgy of the Mass that brought together Christians from home and abroad. they all braved the odds to bid farewell to the fallen priest, given that security is a very big challenge nowadays in Anglophone Cameroon.
BIOGRAPHY
OF MSGR. JOSEPH AYEAH SAM
It was
on Sunday, 31st May 1936, a leap year, that the family of Mr. George
Sam and Mrs. Julia Fukuin Sam were happy recipients of their first child, a
boy, whom they named Ayeah. This boy was presented in Church the following
Sunday, 07th June 1936, and was given the Christian name Joseph
Herman at Baptism by the then Parish Priest of Njinikom, Fr. Leonard Jacobs.
His sponsor was Pa Sylvester Tifui. Coming from a family of six children, two
of his junior brothers, Henry and Vincent Sam, have been called by the Lord to
their eternal rest.
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| Bishop George Nkuo performing the final commendation |
He attended Primary School at Saint
Anthony’s Primary School Njinikom from 1943 to 1951. He received Frist Holy
Communion on Thursday, 31st May 1945 when he was in Standard
One. Then, he was confirmed the
following month at Njinikom on Sunday, 03rd June 1945 by the Rt.
Rev. Peter Rogan, the then Bishop of Buea. Since all along he had nurtured the
desire to dedicate his whole life in the service of the Lord as Priest, he was
admitted into the Holy Family Minor Seminary up the hill in Sasse from
1952-1957 where he graduated with the West African School Certificate of
Education. The following year, 1958, he was admitted into Bigard Memorial
Seminary Enugu, Nigeria, where he did his Philosophical and Theological
studies. He was ordained to the Sacred Priesthood in the Regina Pacis Cathedral
Small Soppo, Buea, on Sunday, 05th April 1964 by Bishop Jules
Peeters, the then Bishop of Buea.
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| Pall bearers conveying the remains to the grave |
After his ordination, he was posted to
Saint Joseph’s Parish Big Mankon where he served as curate to Father Matthew
Nabben from 14th August 1964 to 15th January 1967. Then,
he was posted to Saint Martin de Porres Parish Wum where he served as curate
from February 1967 to 15th August 1968. He served as Acting Parish
Priest in Wum from May to September 1967. While in Wum, Fr. Michael Murphy, who
was his first Parish priest was succeeded by Fr. Lucas Atang in September 1967.
From Wum, he was posted as curate to Fr. Herman Wolters in Saint Patrick’s
Parish Babanki Tungo from 18th August 1968 to March 1971. From April
1971 to November 1974, he served as curate to Fr. Fr. Bernard Stopel in Sacred
Heart Parish Shisong. Then in December 1974 he was appointed Parish Priest of
Saint Michael’s Parish Meluf, Kunbo Diocese, where he served until January
1981. From Meluf, he was transferred to Saint Theresa’s Parish Azire, Small
Mankon, as its first Rector from February 1981until September 1992. While in
Azire, he also served as chaplain to Sacred Heart College Mankon. It was
September 1992 that he moved to Christ the King Parish Ntambeng where he was in
residence with Fr. Lucas Loweh Sanosi as Rector. Then, on 31st
August 1994 he was transferred to be in residence in St. Peter’s Parish Bambui
where Fr. Chrysanthus Tim was Rector. On Tuesday, 19th April 2011,
during the Ruby Jubilee Celebration of the erection of the Archdiocese of
Bamenda, he was raised to the rank of Monsignor together with Fathers Clemens
Ndze, James M. Nsokika, Engelbert N. Kofon and Lucas Loweh Sanosi. On Friday,
30th August 2019 the Lord called him to his eternal reward at Saint
Mary Soledad Hospital Alakuma, Bamenda, at the age of 83 years and 3 months.
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| At the grave |
All through his fifty-five years of
priestly ministry, Msgr. Ayeah served the Church with singular dedication and
leaves behind large foot prints for his junior brothers and sisters to emulate
especially his quiet, gentle, humble life-style. He was very soft spoken which
portrayed the soft heart he had for the flock entrusted to his care. He was a
spiritual leader indeed as he taught by example – his prayer life where daily
meditation stood as the capstone. He was a Confessor and Counsellor in the
Major Seminary Bambui for many years. It is therefore no coincidence that he
spent nearly twenty-six years working with the universal Living Association of
St. Philomena in the United States of America. He was dedicated to Saint
Philomena and through his work with the Association, he spread the importance
of the rosary throughout Africa. Actually, before his demise, he was the Patron
of the Saint Philomena Society.
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| Bishop George Nkuo blessing the grave |
He stands to be counted among the
first indigenous Fishers of Men, West of the Mungo, who have bequeathed
to future generations what it means to be a priest after the Lord’s own heart.
He life exemplified a priest who strove to concertize the Beatitudes in his
daily life all through his earthy sojourn especially: Beati mitis, quoniam
ipsi possidebunt terram (Blessed are the gentle, for they shall have the
earth as inheritance); and, Beati pacifici, quoniam filii Dei vocabuntur
(Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God). May
perpetual light shine on him so that he may rest eternally with the Lord.
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| Mgr. Joseph Ayeah's final resting place |
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